Men and Women See the World Differently Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Men and Women See the World Differently - Essay Example As the paper declares despite the fact that the circumstances leading to a stressful situation may be similar between the two sexes, the way they respond to it is often quite different. Men, for example, tend to become moody and brood over the situations, and more often than not, they end up picking up fights with the people they love. Furthermore, men are more likely to prefer remaining alone until such a time as they feel better before needing any company. This is not the case with women who, when dealing with stressful situations, often seek the company of their friends and family to help them deal with the situation. It can therefore be said that while men are often aggressive when in a stressful situation, preferring to be alone, women on the other hand prefer to deal with the situation with the help of the people they love. This paper highlights that another way through which men and women view the world differently is in the use of new technology such as the internet in their daily lives. It has been found that men are more likely to use the internet on a daily basis than women are; in fact, men have been found to prefer doing practical things such as paying bills online instead of doing it physically. Women, on the other hand, prefer to handle things physically, and when making searches online, they are less likely to view a broad range of information sources. Instead, they often use those sources that they trust to get, and these are limited in number.

3 supreme court briefs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

3 supreme court briefs - Essay Example in this case is whether it is right to consider a person sold as a slave a citizen of the mentioned state and therefore, entitled to enjoy rights and privileges alongside immunities granted under the constitution of the United States. The key issue in this case is; â€Å"Can a slave duly be considered as a citizen and entitled to all benefits granted to United States citizens under the constitution? The overall decision in this case was that black slaves were not recognized as legitimate citizens of the United States, but were merely considered as property. Therefore, in answer to the key issue the court’s decision was simply â€Å"no†, Dred Scott was not considered as a citizen. In this case, there were seven votes for Sandford and only 2 voted against the ruling. Justice Taney argued on the fact that there is no right to citizenship to those who descended from an American slave according to Article III (Delaney). There are national norms specifically instituted for the purposes of creating legal frameworks safeguarding issues on citizenship. Therefore, Missouri Compromise was held unconstitutional by the court, for reasons of ending slavery question. The constitution never provided for slaves under the word ‘citizens’, this is since by the time of framing and adoption of the constitution slaves were considered an inferior class. In this case the Lochner was sued for breaching the Bakeshop Act under New York state labor law. The defendant (Lochner) gave an employee permission to work in his bakery for more than sixty hours per week. The legal provision in this case is based on Bakeshop Act of 1897; no employee in the bakery sector was permitted to work more than ten hours in a day or sixty hours in a week. Lochner appealed his case under the Due Process Clause of the 14th, on the grounds that the law breached his freedom in the process of contracting employees (Delaney). The key issue is determination of key legislations that seeks to impose restrictions

Accounting assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Accounting - Assignment Example any can achieve this strategy by charging Priority, Team, and Shop different prices and at the same time, these respective customers selling to different purchasers. A business that sells to different places with different cost differentiating their products from their competitors through use of trademarks or advertising. This will allow customers to be associate of distribution in different packaging is capable to monopolize the market. This promotes brand loyalty among your customers. Brand loyalty is a significant asset as it upholds a company against the threat of competitors. Price differentiation will also encourages innovation, it is very important for Duncan Shirt Company to set itself apart from the rivals through a transformational innovation to explore the market further and come up with a new product. This will also focuses on improving the existing products. Innovation gives benefits to both stakeholders and customers by reinvigorating goods, improving fabrication processes will offer promising economies of scale. Differentiation will create a barrier to entry for new investors in the market because the customers will have associated the existing product. A company who also offer a distinct product would be doing advertising to make it popular in the public eye, thus making it very difficult for new entries companies by restricting them since they lack capital to advertise effectively. However, this cost should be reflected on the products through charging high profit margins. Moreover tastes of customers do change with time and competitors are o ut to copy and imitate flourishing differentiators. For this reason, product differentiation should offer something which the customer value for long term sustainment. Generally, an extreme usage of materials is the main cause of unfavorable direct materials quantity variance. Form the data give positive (annex) which is very favorable to the company. This may be due to substandard quality of materials,  or

The economic downturn Essay Example for Free

The economic downturn Essay A. Analysis The economic downturn across the United States caused a decrease in funding to performing arts. Thus a proposal to merge the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera companies was made. There have been very few mergers of this type in history. In 1963 the Madison Symphony Orchestra and Madison Opera merged. Also, in 1985, the Chattanooga Opera and Chattanooga Symphony combined. These entities remained combined for a period of time, but ultimately disbanded due to ideologies and methodologies that differed. The Utah Symphony and Utah Opera merger discussion began in December 2001. The cultures of both entities are very different and divergent. This leads to a process to unite the two companies that is a challenging process. A1. Bill Bailey Mr. Bailey’s position is to survive the economic downturn and reduced funding currently affecting the performing arts. He holds the position of board chairman for the Utah Opera Organization. Maslow’s hierarchy of need can help Mr. Bailey influence the behavior of those involved in both organizations by appealing to their interests. Human beings have biological and psychological needs. Biological needs are those needed to survive such as food and sleep. Psychological needs are those that provide positive reinforcement to that individual, such as, success and love. Maslow’s hierarchy of need address the physiological, safety, love, esteem and self-actualization needed to influence human behavior on a basic level (Tay Deiner, 2011). Physiological needs address the desire to find human comfort and reasonable conditions. Safety needs, in regards to work, lead an individual to seek opportunities that provide job security, reasonable compensation, and work conditions that are safe. The love need leads individuals to seek out co-workers to bond with and provide positive daily interactions. The esteem need provides individuals with positive reinforcement and seek job challenges and promotions to help provide this reinforcement. Finally, the self-actualization need provides the individual  the opportunity to participate in decision-making processes and more challenging tasks that may arise. Leaders to motivate individuals can utilize a basic level of Maslow’s hierarchy. The Utah Opera and Utah Symphony both want to continue performing. The economic downturn has affected both entities and Mr. Bailey could appeal to the employees through use of Maslow’s hierarchy. The safety need can be met through continued job security, compensation, and work conditions should a merger go through. The love need or social need could be appealed upon through the use of the same leaders after the merger progresses. The performers would also have the same peers as before and would expand this peer group. The artistic expression and excellence could be preserved through employment of the same artistic leaders post-merger. This would also help with the self-actualization need, since positive reinforcement would be generated for the members of the musical companies. They would have been involved in the decision-making process and the ideals of keeping leaders that had previously been employed by the entities. This would help the musicians remain autonomy and actively seek challenges out to continue with motivation in the self-actualization arena. A2. Scott Parker Mr. Parker is the board chairman of the Utah Symphony. His position is to also survive the economic downturn affecting the performing arts. Mr. Parker must find supporters that are influential and willing to support the merger with the Utah Opera. Mr. Parker has one influential patron who is not willing to lend support for the merger. Mrs. Abravenal does not want the Utah Symphony to lose the prestige that it has found, especially since her husband, Maurice, was maestro of the Utah Symphony for 32 years. Mr. Parker can utilize Alderfer’s ERG Theory for motivation. The ERG Theory steps do not rely on each other to work. The ERG Theory consists of 3 distinct parts: existence, relatedness, and growth (Steel Konig, 2006). The existence needs are the desire for physiological well-being. The relatedness needs are the desire to develop relationships with others is meaningful. The growth needs are the desire to reach an individual’s full potential. The ERG Theory need for exis tence and the desire for physiological well being is the main motivator under this theory. A merger  would help the symphony maintain in existence, since they are financially unstable at this time. Mrs. Abravenal can be educated that support from opera supporters will help keep resources available that are not currently available when the entities are separated. The ERG Theory for relatedness need will be a second motivator under this theory. The human desire for meaningful relationships will provide positive reinforcement to those involved. The supporters of both companies do not want to see them fail and disappear. The passion of the supporters can be utilized and capitalized upon to create a relationship between the two companies. Finally, the ERG Theory for growth needs can provide positive reinforcement for both companies during the merger proposal. The companies are failing separately, but together they could flourish. Resources would be combined and supporters for both would be involved in the growth processes. Mrs. Abravenal could continue her husband’s vision and help keep the symphony alive and flourishing. A3. Power The future CEO of the combine entities is Anne Ewers. She has both positional power and personal power. She has formal positional power and has the authority to get things accomplished. Ms. Ewers has a legitimate leader role and expects her orders to be complied with. Positive legitimate power involves influencing others to effectively work better whereas negative legitimate power influences others to follow directions due to intimidation or fear of consequences. Ms. Ewers also has referent power. Referent power is the charisma an individual has from his or her own personality (Krietner Kinichki, 2010). Effective leaders have charisma that include positional and referent powers. Effectively using the powers together would allow Ms. Ewers to inspire through her own personality and lead by authority. A3a. Positional Power Ms. Ewers has a proven record in strengthening finances within an organization. She has been a proven and successful leader for many years within the industry. The following examples are characteristics important in positional power: * Centrality – Ms. Ewers would need to establish communication roles between the symphony and the opera. The central role would be important in the chain of command, since she would control the flow  of information to both entities. * Flexibility – Ms. Ewers would need to be able to adapt to frequently to the work environment. She must be ready to be diverse and produce unique ideas regarding the merger. * Visibility – Ms. Ewers must minimize the negative press surrounding the merger. She must capitalize on positive news regarding the merger and be available to communicate the information to the interested parties. Ms. Ewers must be open and available to those who have a vested interest in the company’s merger. * Relevance – Ms. Ewers must be able to provide accurate information that is relevant to the company’s needs. She must be able to communicate with staff to procure the required information from both companies and prioritize the goal and tasks for both. This should also include integration of the goals and tasks of the merger as well. A3b. Personal Power Ms. Ewers will need to use her referent power to influence those involved in the merger. She will need to gain support from Mr. Lockhart to help influence the merger. Ms. Ewers has a proven record of reducing financial obligation of organizations. She can work with Mr. Lockhart, who has the support of the symphony, to help everyone see the benefits of the merger. Ms. Ewers and Mr. Lockhart can be co-leaders during the merger process. This would help decrease the opposition from the musicians currently seen. A4. Organizational Performance The musicians for the symphony and orchestra have contracts that were hard fought for. A merger would challenge these agreements and the musicians are concerned they would lose their livelihood and artistic autonomy. Thus, a merger is not viewed positively. The symphony and orchestra both have different cultures. They are both run differently and have different expectations. It is clear they cannot be organized into one entity for simplicity. However, this causes potential issues. For instance, if donations were placed in a singular account for both organizations this could cause resentment among the musicians. Also, the musicians may not like answering to one governing board. This could lead to feeling unappreciated and resentment. However, should there be two governing boards, both sides would be represented equally and the musicians would feel  less resentment and more musical autonomy. The biggest challenge would be among pay for the musicians. The musicians for both entities must be paid competitively and fairly. Options for non-salaried positions may be a viable idea. The organizations must be committed to remain impartial and fair during the merger to reduce any animosity. A4a. Recommendations Christine Osborne is the chairwoman for the musicians and has presented their guiding principles to Ms. Ewers. The musician support is important to the organization during the merger. The musicians are dependent upon Ms. Ewers and Mr. Lockhart to become the future leaders within the new organization. Ms. Ewers is an authority in the industry and is the future CEO. Ms. Ewers has a proven record of reducing financial liability within organizations in the industry. She has the power to combine the organizations and utilize a singular vision for excellence in financial and artistic realms. She can use the guiding principles set forth by the musicians to demonstrate her desire to see the organization succeed. Ms. Ewers must first use her referent power to influence the leaders of the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera. She will be the future CEO of the newly formed organization and must demonstrate her vision for the future. This will hopefully provide sufficient motivation to gather support from both entities. Her referent power and vision must continue to provide a passion to the individual management team within the new organization. Ms. Ewer’s passion should extend to all involved and continue within the organization. This passion created within the organization can help develop self-actualization and esteem within all involved. Next, Ms. Ewer will need to focus on the financial stability of the new organization. The economic downturn has decreased the funding to the performing arts. Ms. Ewer will need to address the decreased funding and find additional funding through different avenues. Ms. Ewer is experienced in fund-raising and will be able to promote the organization via this avenue. Also, performer salaries will need to be revised. The musicians have a current agreement in place, but with the merger this would need to be renegotiated. A challenge Ms. Ewer will face is a decrease in salary for the musicians, but she may be able to effectively place emphasis on the new organization and the musicians desire to see it continue, instead of the old organization failing all together.  Finally, Ms. Ewer must put together a management team that will be empowered during the merger. This team must be trustworthy and desire to see the new organization succeed. Ms. Ewer must empower this team to remain pro-active during the merger and to promote the interest of the new organization. A5. Influence Tactics Leaders to promote new ideas often use rational persuasion. Rational persuasion relies on knowledge, reason and facts to encourage someone to follow or endorse an idea (Krietner Kinichki, 2010). Consultation influence is another tactic which allows individuals involved to participate in the decision making process. This gives everyone involved empowerment within the process. Ms. Ewer can utilize consultation influence to involve the musicians in the decision making process and provide empowerment throughout the merger. The decision making process can be enhanced through rationale persuasion. Ms. Ewer can provide background information on both entities and the precarious financial position both faces. This will provide necessary information to rationalize why a merger would be beneficial to both entities. The information provided can be including Ms. Ewer’s vision for the future of the new organization. Ms. Ewer would provide the information necessary to make an informed decision and empower them throughout the merger process. Conclusion The merger between Utah Symphony and Utah Opera requires key individuals be in place that have the knowledge and skills to make it successful. The two boards will need to be pro-active and back leaders Ms. Ewers and Mr. Lockhart. The task will be far from easy, but if prioritized and a determination and passion are unified then the task will be much easier to attain. References Kreitner, R., Kinicke, A. (2010). Organizational Behavior. 9th Ed., McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, NY. Steel, P. Konig,C. (2006). Integrating theories of motivation. Academy of Management Review 31: 889–91 Tay, L. Diener, E. (2011). Needs and subjective well-being around the world. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(2), 354–365.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Essay example -- Book Report Be

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin was not an easy book to read. Writing styles have changed tremendously since the 1700’s. Despite the cultural differences I learned a lot about the man and the time. Benjamin Franklin was a remarkable man. He was a printer, author, politician and an inventor. He was one of fifteen children in his family. Because he was from such a large family he was sent out to work at a very early age. He only had a few years of grammar school education when he started working in his fathers business. During his days off he educated himself through books. He was not happy working in his fathers business for very long. Unsure of what he wanted to do, his father took him around town to introduce him to other trades available to him. Not entirely pleased by the choices available, he settled on the printing trade. He worked as an apprentice in his brother’s print shop for several years until tension ended their relationship. By this time he was in his late teens. He moved to Philadelphia to continue in the printing business. He did well in Philadelphia but was always unhappy working in someone else’s print shop. The governor of Philadelphia offered him a letter of credit and introduction in England to help secure materials needed to start his own printing business. He accepted the offer only to find the offer less than reliable. This trip did not turn out as planned and he remained in England for ...

Political Dimension of Globalization

In chapter four, â€Å"The political dimension of globalization,† Steger did a tremendous job in analyzing the intensification and expansion of political interrelations across the globe. Steger brought up two major issues, which I found intriguing, dealing with how globalization affects modern nation-state system, which traced back to 17th-century, and the demise of the nation-state that gave rise to a â€Å"borderless world. On the other hand, Xiaohua Ma discoursed of reconciliation and forgiveness in her essay, â€Å"Constructing a National Memory of War,† showed how War Museums served as an important role in constructing national memory. Altogether, National memory mends the gap between political interrelations across the globe. The nation-state, a form of political organization originated out of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, served to decide on specific rules of relations within and between states to avoid perpetual disagreements.With the nation-state system, th e states manage domestic affairs, everything from education, military to welfare and population. This system strived to put a clear distinction between domestic territory, where the authority of the state was absolute, and the international realm where nations were expected to follow minimal rules to avoid conflicts. This had been a foundation that Steger believed convey â€Å" a sense of existential security and historical continuity† (Steger, 56). However, when this diplomat failed to follow through, states brutishly engage themselves by going to war with each other.Steger made an excellent point on the fuel behind the mental and physical energies required for large-scale warfare, for example, World War I and II, came from â€Å"people’s very own belief in the superiority of their own nation† (Steger, 57). Even political scientist David Held pointed out, â€Å" Differences among states are often settled by force†¦international legal standards afford only minimal protection† (Steger, 58). The needs to make â€Å"foreign† countries felt subordinated to a larger imperial authority are the causes for the gap between political interrelations.In a way, this related to Ma’s essay by showing how War Museums are intended for peaceful purposes. In her essay, she defines National memory as commemoration â€Å"for purposes of strengthening national identity or international prestige. † War museums served to focus on grievance, and, by commemorated in certain ways, reinforced national pride and identity. Furthermore, National memory strengthens political interrelations across the globe. The demise of nation-state, calling it â€Å"borderless world,† sought to convince people that the decline of territory power is because of political and social change as a result of globalization.Because a state can only be self-governing if it can exercise authority over a given territory, globalization, which rely on data and communication technologies, made â€Å"borders† seem irrelevant. These so called â€Å"techno-economic juggernaut† aimed to crush any governmental attempts of strengthening policies and regulations. This issue linked with the economic aspect of globalization, showing how transnational corporations can have a huge impact on the political dimension of globalization. Steger pointed out that â€Å"global markets frequently undermine the capacity of government,† which leaded to people believing in the decline of nation-state.However, government still has the power in deciding the fate of their economies. Factors like education, infrastructure, and population movement account for most of the country’s economic system. Likewise, Ma said in her essay that National memory could shape and reshape postwar relations, or it could cause domestic discontent as a result of economic downfall. Thus, possibly shifting the focus from reshaping postwar relations to lingering wartime grievances. As a result, globalization ceased the end of nation-state by creating a â€Å"borderless world,† which eventually created global chaos.National memory serves as a foundation to help strengthen the political conflicts between states that caused by globalization. Ma discussed two perspectives of â€Å"Memory Wars†: humanistic and political view. The humanistic view put strong emphasis on forgiveness, the feelings of guilt and remorse; political view, by rectifying the wrongs, helped rebuild â€Å"international rehabilitation and thereby national prestige. † Altogether, this helps rebuild the postwar relations between states at a nation and international level.

US Space Program and Exploration

NASA initiatives are critical to finding solutions to environmental issues. Personally I think that adequate usage of space science will allow astrophysicists to explore the universe and promote conclusive research. Such studies will not only answer pertinent societal issues but will also lead to the advancement of the society. I believe that Space exploration is an Invaluable tool to the development of nature. On a personal point of view, space exploration adequate funding will assist in the advancing of cultures and societies. It is an issue that leads to individuals increasing heir Intent In the field of sciences and other fields.Despite the Issue having disputes, space exploration continues to receive substantial support from politicians and other individuals in the community. The world of today indicates that development In the field of science and technology will Improve the livelihood of societies. America is reducing its spending to NASA, which has the endorsement of overseei ng most of the exploration initiatives. This is not appropriate given that other countries are continuing Investigation and success will have the Intention of bettering the livelihood of their citizens.I think space is currently at a critical level and the United States should strengthen its research initiatives. Space exploration has been leading studies of other planets and their behaviors. There is a statement that usually illicit mixed reaction in the community. There are individuals that state that it is essential to resolve issues of earth before the examination of other planets. There are different politicians that induce similar sentiments during their campaigns and political rallies. In 2006, news anchor Katie Court in commemoration of Sputnik. Said that NASA request for $17 billion was unbelievable.According to her, this amount of money could find application In a myriad of activities right here on earth. Analyzing the situation she failed to realize that space exploration will protect the world from potential threats. I have a belief that studying the universe will provide solutions to potential pandemics facing earth. Such pandemics include climate change and solar flares. The current problem of space exploration is misunderstanding. Many individuals consider It as an extravagant way of spending American citizen tax money. Politicians recommend that funding to NASA should stop.They propose that the government does transfer such funds towards societal projects such as health promotion. Before toys basis. My assessment is that the current problems stem from the fact that, during that period, development of airplanes for space exploration was for status. Nowadays, the reason leading to space exploration is to understand various phenomena occurring in the outer space and affecting the earth. Such explorations will assist in to an understanding of such aspects and develop relevant precautionary measures. In addition, it is possible to conduct exploratio n of Mars for the possibility f supporting human life.Another problem that I foresee hindering the development of space exploration is reports by media houses. Many people do not oppose to space exploration, but it is due to their lack of adequate information. Media only reports once things go wrong with organizations supporting exploration of the outer space. The impression that people acquire from media is that there is no benefit culminating from space exploration but extravagant usage of taxpayers' money. Once individuals generate a perception concerning a something it is difficult to convince such people otherwise.It is difficult to pass the information that space exploration diverts resources of United States to initiatives that aim at solving earth problems. It is crucial for people to have the information that solutions to the current earth problems are in space so that they change their belief about space exploration. I think that solutions to these societal issues would re quire ensuring that citizens have adequate information that will allow them to make credible decisions. Many people believe that the government should divert NASA funding to societal programs.Looking at the 2007 budget directing NASA funding into social funding would mean increasing the later to $ 1. 597 trillion from $ 1. 581. I think it would be naive to think that a 0. 6% increment would have any significant impacts on society. On the other hand, cutting social spending by 1% would increase NASA spending by double. This would increase explorations in space that would provide solutions to a number of problems currently facing the world. Information acquisition can assist citizens to understand that exploring the outer space is not a waste of tax payer's money.In addition, space program leads to the improvement of the society by providing amicable solutions. Politicians should also support the program if it will survive. Many politicians choose not to take part in the debate about exploration of the outer space. Interestingly, politicians continue to downplay the role of space exploration by indicating that it is worthless. Solving the current societal belief that US space program is not essential, space exploration require adequate support from politicians. Advocate of the program should also quit playing defensive and instead embrace their importance.They should insist on the government that the space program require extra funding by having significant scientific research and conclusions. If space programs focus on solving societal problems, there will be a shift from many people dismissing the program to supporting it. Studying the outer space and basing their research on issues that will lead to solving issues is the solution. Studies should include activities such as reducing the effects of solar flares on communication or climate change will lead to its support. Space programs and explorations are indispensable to the society of today. It has and observ e all planets.This is through providing societies with adequate information regarding the outer space. In an example, research concerning Venus indicates that there is an alarming greenhouse effect. Currently, the world is grappling with the reality of deteriorating climate on earth. Studying the events leading to the current green house effects in Venus can assist in solving that problem. It would mean saving generations that would otherwise suffer if there is a lack of required information. If other countries explore and find such solutions it will mean that they will solve the problems of their country, which will advance such economies technologically.Observations made on planet mars indicate that it lacks water. There is no single river in Mars, which means that there were occurrences that lead to the disappearance of water in this planet. Governments would suffer embarrassment in the event of extinction of the world due to lack of proper exploration measures. US space programs are vital to societies of the earth if it will lead to the realization of solutions to problems affecting the world. It is a vital societal issue that require cautionary approach. On a personal point of view, United State government should increase funding of space programs.Failure to support this program will lead to its demise. Essential research will halt as a consequence of Space program failure. United States citizens will miss a pertinent opportunity to find solutions to their problems. I observe that space exploration program is crucial to the world of today. Discussions contained herein indicate that it lacks adequate information that leads to individuals' hostility against the program. Many have a belief that it is wastage of taxpayers' money. Research indicates that it is possible to solve certain societal issues using such programs.It is search realization that led countries such as India, Russia, and China to advance their technologies in this field. Observations of Ven us could result to solutions to green house effects and the climate change. Successful research of Mars could provide adequate information regarding its lack of water, which could be a future problem to earth. Such solutions are societal and would lead to the development of the society and communities of United States and the world at large. It is in accordance with this I believe that United States government should increase its spending on space exploration programs.

blnchinki essays

blnchinki essays Unprotected sex, dirty needles,pills!! Now that I have your attention, today Ill be talking to you about the causes and effects on how you can contract this deadly virus. But first let me start by explaining what Aids/HIV really is and what it does to you once you have contracted the Aids virus. Aids/Aids lowers your immune systems ability to produce the white blood cells and antibodies that protect you from colds, infections, etc. Lowered immunity makes a person vulnerable to attacks from different types of viruses. Such as simple colds, fungi, bacteria may lead to infectious diseases and tumors. Eventually these illnesses may cause death. A simple cold can become deadly to a person whos infected with the Aids virus. There are many ways you can contract this deadly virus. One is by drug use and the second is having unprotected sex. You can contract Aids by using someone elses contaminated needle during drug use. If the needle your using is a dirty needle that someone else used and had Aids you easily contract Aids from them. Due to the blood thats left in the needle or on the needle from the other person. The second way you can contract the Aids virus is by having unprotected sex or through oral sex. Infection of the virus can occur through anal or vaginal intercourse or oral genital sex with an infected partner. The virus is present in semen and vaginal secretions of an infected person. It enters your body through small tears that can develop in vaginal or rectal tissues during sexual activity. Unsafe sex not only pertains to adults but also to kids and teenagers of all ages. Its doesnt matter how old or young you are, you can contract Aids at any age. There are many effects of this deadly virus. Aids causes sickness weakness of the body and in most cases death. The body gets weaker and isnt be able to fu...

An Overview of Pontiacs Rebellion

An Overview of Pontiacs Rebellion Beginning in 1754, the French Indian War saw British and French forces clash as both sides worked to expand their empires in North America. While the French initially won several early encounters such as the Battles of the Monongahela (1755) and Carillon (1758), the British ultimately gained the upper hand after triumphs at Louisbourg (1758), Quebec (1759), and Montreal (1760). Though fighting in Europe continued until 1763, forces under General Jeffery Amherst immediately began working to consolidate British control over New France (Canada) and the lands to the west known as the pays den haut. Comprising parts of present-day Michigan, Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, the tribes of this region had largely been allied with the French during the war. Though the British made peace with the tribes of around the Great Lakes as well as those in the Ohio and Illinois Countries, the relationship remained strained. These tensions were worsened by policies implemented by Amherst which worked to treat the Native Americans as a conquered people rather than equals and neighbors. Not believing that the Native Americans could mount meaningful resistance against British forces, Amherst reduced the frontier garrisons as well as began to eliminate ritual gifts which he viewed as blackmail. He also began to restrict and block the sale of gunpowder and weapons. This latter act caused particular hardship as it limited the Native Americans ability to hunt for food and furs. Though the head of the Indian Department, Sir William Johnson, repeatedly advised against these policies, Amherst persisted in their implementation. While these directives impacted all of the Native Americans in the region, those in the Ohio Country were further angered by colonial encroachment into their lands. Moving Towards Conflict As Amhersts policies began to take effect, Native Americans living in the pays den haut began to suffer from disease and starvation. This led to the beginning of a religious revival led by Neolin (The Delaware Prophet). Preaching that the Master of Life (Great Spirit) was angered at the Native Americans for embracing European ways, he urged the tribes to cast out the British. In 1761, British forces learned that the Mingos in the Ohio Country were contemplating war. Racing to Fort Detroit, Johnson convened a large council which was able to maintain an uneasy peace. Though this lasted into 1763, the situation on the frontier continued to deteriorate. Pontiac Acts On April 27, 1763, the Ottawa leader Pontiac called members of several tribes together near Detroit. Addressing them, he was able to convince many of them to join in an attempt to capture Fort Detroit from the British. Scouting the fort on May 1, he returned a week later with 300 men carrying concealed weapons. Though Pontiac had hoped to take the fort by surprise, the British had been alerted to a possible attack and were on alert. Forced to withdraw, he elected to lay siege to the fort on May 9. Killing settlers and soldiers in the area, Pontiacs men defeated a British supply column at Point Pelee on May 28. Maintaining the siege into the summer, the Native Americans were unable to prevent Detroit from being reinforced in July. Attacking Pontiacs camp, the British were turned back at Bloody Run on July 31. As a stalemate ensured, Pontiac elected to abandon the siege in October after concluding that French aid would not be forthcoming (Map). The Frontier Erupts Learning of Pontiacs actions at Fort Detroit, tribes throughout the region began moving against the frontier forts. While the Wyandots captured and burned Fort Sandusky on May 16, Fort St. Joseph fell to the Potawatomis nine days later. On May 27, Fort Miami was taken after its commander was killed. In the Illinois Country, the garrison of Fort Ouiatenon was compelled to surrender to a combined force of Weas, Kickapoos, and Mascoutens. In early June, the Sauks and Ojibwas used a stickball game to distract British forces while they moved against Fort Michilimackinac. By the end of June 1763, Forts Venango, Le Boeuf, and Presque Isle were also lost. In the wake of these victories, Native American forces began moving against Captain Simeon Ecuyers garrison at Fort Pitt. Siege of Fort Pitt As fighting escalated, many settlers fled to Fort Pitt for safety as Delaware and Shawnee warriors raided deep into Pennsylvania and unsuccessfully struck Forts Bedford and Ligonier. Coming under siege, Fort Pitt was soon cut off. Increasingly concerned about the situation, Amherst directed that Native American prisoners be killed and inquired about the potential of spreading smallpox among the enemy population. This latter idea had already been implemented by Ecuyer who had given the besieging forces infected blankets on June 24. Though smallpox did break out among the Ohio Native Americans, the disease was already present prior Ecuyers actions. In early August, many of the Native Americans near Fort Pitt departed in an effort to destroy a relief column which was approaching. In the resulting Battle of Bushy Run, Colonel Henry Bouquets men turned back the attackers. This done, he relieved the fort on August 20. Troubles Continue The success at Fort Pitt was soon offset by a bloody defeat near Fort Niagara. On September 14, two British companies had over 100 killed at the Battle of Devils Hole when they attempted to escort a supply train to the fort. As settlers along the frontier became increasingly worried about raids, vigilante groups, such as the Paxton Boys, began to emerge. Based in Paxton, PA, this group began attacking local, friendly Native Americans and went so far as to kill fourteen that were in protective custody. Though Governor John Penn issued bounties for the culprits, they were never identified. Support for the group continued to grow in and 1764 they marched on Philadelphia. Arriving, they were prevented from doing additional damage by British troops and militia. The situation was later diffused through negotiations overseen by Benjamin Franklin. Ending the Uprising Angered by Amhersts actions, London recalled him in August 1763 and replaced him with Major General Thomas Gage. Assessing the situation, Gage moved forward with plans that had been developed by Amherst and his staff. These called for two expeditions to push into the frontier led by Bouquet and Colonel John Bradstreet. Unlike his predecessor, Gage first asked Johnson to conduct a peace council at Fort Niagara in an effort to remove some of the tribes from the conflict. Meeting in the summer of 1764, the council saw Johnson return the Senecas to the British fold. As restitution for their part in the Devils Hole engagement, they ceded the Niagara portage to the British and agreed to send a war party west. With the conclusion of the council, Bradstreet and his command began moving west across Lake Erie. Stopping at Presque Isle, he exceeded his orders by concluding a peace treaty with several of the Ohio tribes which stated that Bouquets expedition would not go forward. As Bradstreet continued west, an incensed Gage promptly repudiated the treaty. Reaching Fort Detroit, Bradstreet agreed to a treaty with local Native American leaders through which he believed them to accept British sovereignty. Departing Fort Pitt in October, Bouquet advanced to the Muskingum River. Here he entered into negotiations with several of the Ohio tribes. Isolated due to Bradstreets earlier efforts, they made peace in mid-October. Aftermath The campaigns of 1764 effectively ended the conflict,  though some calls for resistance still came from the Illinois Country and Native American leader Charlot Kaskà ©. These issues were dealt with in 1765 when Johnsons deputy, George Croghan, was able to meet with Pontiac. After extensive discussions, Pontiac agreed to come east and he concluded a formal peace treaty with Johnson at Fort Niagara in July 1766. An intense and bitter conflict, Pontiacs Rebellion ended with the British abandoning Amhersts policies and returning to those used earlier. Having recognized the inevitable conflict that would emerge between colonial expansion and the Native Americans, London issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which prohibited settlers from moving over the Appalachian Mountains and created a large Indian Reserve. This action was poorly received by those in the colonies and was the first of many laws issued by Parliament that would lead to the American Revolution.

A Strong Sample Supplemental Essay for College Applications

A Strong Sample Supplemental Essay for College Applications Most college applicants fail to put adequate time into a supplemental college essay. The Common Applications personal essay allows a student to write a single essay for multiple colleges. The supplemental college essay, however, needs to be different for every application. Thus, its tempting to dash off a generic and vague piece that can be used at multiple schools, resulting in a  weak essay. Dont make this mistake. The sample supplemental college essay below was written for Oberlin. The essay prompt reads, Given your interests, values, and goals, explain why Oberlin College will help you grow (as a student and a person) during your undergraduate years. The question asked here is typical of many supplemental essays. Essentially, the admissions folks want to know why their school is of particular interest to you. Sample Supplemental Essay I visited 18 colleges over the past year, yet Oberlin is the one place that most spoke to my interests. Early in my college search I learned that I prefer a liberal arts college to a larger university. The collaboration between the faculty and undergraduate students, the sense of community, and the flexible, interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum are all important to me. Also, my high school experience was greatly enriched by the diversity of the student body, and I am impressed by Oberlin’s rich history and its current efforts connected to inclusiveness and equality. To say the least, I’d be proud to say I attended the first coeducational college in the country. I plan to major in Environmental Studies at Oberlin. After my campus tour, I took some extra time to visit the Adam Joseph Lewis Center. It’s an amazing space and the students I chatted with spoke highly of their professors. I became truly interested in issues of sustainability during my volunteer work in the Hudson River Valley, and everything I’ve learned about Oberlin makes it seem the ideal place for me to continue exploring and building upon those interests. I am also impressed by Oberlin’s Creativity and Leadership Project. I’ve been a bit of an entrepreneur ever since second grade when I made a dollar producing and performing The Runaway Bunny for my extended family. I’m drawn to a program that supports the move from classroom learning to creative hands-on, real-world applications. Finally, as the rest of my application clearly demonstrates, music is an important part of my life. I’ve been playing the trumpet since fourth grade, and I hope to continue performing and developing my skills throughout college. What better place than Oberlin to do so? With more performances than days in the year and a large group of talented musicians in the Conservatory of Music, Oberlin is an ideal place for exploring my love of both music and the environment. A Critique of the Supplemental Essay To understand the strength of the essay, we must first look at the prompt: the admissions officers at Oberlin want you to explain why Oberlin College will help you grow. This sounds straightforward, but be careful. Youre not being asked to explain how  college  will help you grow, but how  Oberlin  will help you grow. The essay needs to include specific information about  Oberlin College. The sample essay certainly succeeds on this front. Lets look at why. The first paragraph makes several important points. First of all, we learn that the applicant has visited Oberlin. This may not seem like a big deal, but youd be surprised how many students apply to a large number of colleges based on nothing but the schools reputations. Also, the student notes that she wants to go to a  liberal arts college, not a larger  university. This information isnt really specific to Oberlin, but it does show that she has thought about the options available to her. The final point in this first paragraph gets more specific- the applicant is familiar with Oberlin and knows the schools socially progressive history.The second paragraph is really the heart of this essay- the applicant wants to major in Environmental Studies, and she is clearly impressed with the program at Oberlin. She has visited the Environmental Studies building, and she knows of some of the unique opportunities offered at Oberlin. She has even talked with Oberlin students. This paragraph cant help but make a favorable impression on the admissions folks- the applicant is drawn to Oberlin and she clearly knows exactly  why  she likes Oberlin. The final paragraph adds another important dimension to the application. Not only does the student find the Environmental Studies program attractive, but her love of music makes Oberlin an even better match. Oberlin has a top-rated music program, so the applicants dual love of music and Environmental Studies makes Oberlin a natural match for her. Admissions officers cant help but feel that Oberlin is a great match for this applicant. She knows the school well, and her interests and goals line up perfectly with Oberlins strengths. This short essay will certainly be a positive piece of her application. As you write your own supplemental essays, be sure to avoid  common supplemental essay mistakes and make your essay specific to the university to give it more  strength.

Sea world orlando Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sea world orlando - Essay Example The park is highly popular as tourist spot for children and adults alike. The theme based marine park has contributed to the environment conservation and preservation mainly through its adventure trips and exhibitions of wild lives of ocean. The highlights of the park are its killer whale; seal and dolphin display; adventure rides like wild arctic, Shamu happy harbor, journey to Atlantis; shows, exhibits; and wild life experience with killer whale, penguins, dolphins and other marine lives. The exhilarating ride and breathtaking shows keep the visitors entranced. Some of the rides like Shamu are thrilling in their experience as they take the riders under the oceans to have a close animal encounter. The various adventure camps and programs are especially helpful in creating deep awareness of the ocean wild life creatures as many of them encourage interaction with the sea animals. The friendly penguins and playful dolphins serve dual purpose of entertaining visitors and creating awareness amongst them. The normal hours from October 6, 2011 would be from 9 a.m to 6

Police ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Police ethics - Essay Example The enormous powers enjoyed by these detectives must be tamed through some strict checks on their ethical conduct in exercising these powers at right spot and the correct manner. While having such powers in most cases is a legal necessity but justified and dignified application of these powers is often an ethical issue. In United States there are several documents at national level like Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, its Bill of Rights and the Federalist Papers which are meant to enforce these ethical guidelines. However there is a lack of education and implementation in this connection. The tools and trick that are used in an investigation also provides a ground for ethical arguments and concerns. For example the use of sex and friendship in undercover investigations are very common tools for the police detectives but their ethical issues are lease bothered at higher level in the department. However, police ethical misconduct in using these undercover investigat ion tools is highly probable.

Litigation, Civil Procedure, Discovery of Documents Essay

Litigation, Civil Procedure, Discovery of Documents - Essay Example The client company, over the last decade, has obtained reports and studies which confirm that there is a link between the toxic fumes and the increasing rate of asthma in the local residence. The problem concerns to devise a strategy so these reports and documents may not be not available to the plaintiff. STRATEGY: As evident from the above problem, the main concern of the company is that these reports and documents should not be available to the plaintiff for proving the allegation against the company. This can be done by adopting the strategy of ‘Retention of the Documents’ and by the privilege. The case of Rolah Ann McCabe v British American Tobacco Australia can serve as a guideline to adopt these strategies as the said case demonstrated successfully that through these strategies documents harmful to the company mighty be retained (destroyed) or declared privileged so the plaintiff or the court may not require these documents to exhibit for inspection, to avoid any legal ruling. These policies are discussed below separately to view their implications and results. Let us begin with examining the case of McCabe v. BATAS in brief and the strategies adopted. Rolah Ann McCabe v British American Tobacco Australia: The fifty-one year old plaintiff had lung cancer which she alleged had been caused by smoking the defendant’s cigarettes over approximately four decades. She sued the defendant for damages arising from the defendant’s negligence related to the marketing and sale of their cigarettes. The trial judge ordered that the defence of the defendant tobacco company be struck out and that judgment be entered for the plaintiff. He criticized the defendant for its failure to comply with discovery orders that had been made during the proceeding. BAT was unable to comply with this court order to produce documents because it had over a period of years prior to Mrs. McCabes’s action destroyed large quantities of documents.

Integration of Veteran Centric Content into Nursing Curricula Article

Integration of Veteran Centric Content into Nursing Curricula - Article Example   Hence, by integrating the Veteran centric content in nursing educational programs it enhances the veteran-centric care which results to improved health care opportunities for the Veteran population. Therefore, nursing curricula should contain the Veteran centric content that trains nurses on how to become responsible and accountable for veterans. The content should also train nurses on how to focus on the desires and treatment options for Veterans. The coordination and communication among healthcare providers promotes this content more effectively. The nursing curriculum is likely to make it easier for student nurse practitioners to get educated on how to understand the stressors faced by Veterans. It allows the students to address and learn how to deal with emerging symptoms that Veterans present such as substance abuse, the physical and emotional issues or pain they undergo and mental problems (Miller, 2012). Integrating Veteran centric content in the nursing curricula transforms nursing education into advanced practice nursing. Such changes results in the increase of educated and advanced practice nurses who know how to deal with the changing health needs of Veterans, understand the military culture.

Other Financial Management Techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Other Financial Management Techniques - Essay Example The implementation of wrong performance measures would mean that the management has not allocated balanced weight-ages to all these four areas of organizational goals in order to link it to the compensation structure of the employees. The tying of wrong performance measures to the compensation of the employees would mean that it has the likelihood of giving rise to unethical behaviour among the workers and the employees in the manufacturing plants (Tonchia and  Quagini, 2010). The examples of wrong performance being tied to compensation include the aspects in which the performance of the employees is linked only with the volume of output with ignorance in the quality of the finished products being produced by the companies. The management often pays more attention to the volume of output and overlooks the quality of the product being offered in the market. Thus linking the compensation structure with such performance measure could lead the employees to adopt short-cut procedures in the process of manufacturing. This would give rise to unethical behaviour among the employees and they would engage in work activities that would allow them to produce more products in the manufacturing process. The concentration solely towards the volume of output may lead to procurement of high amount of raw materials and inventory but the service level of the workers may suffer. This has been shown by the graph given below. The companies may not track important and quality contribution of the employees and may not give reward such activities of the workers are example of wrong performance measures being linked to compensation. This would lead to the decline of the quality of the work in the production unit and unethical behaviours may surface where the employees would be driven to get incentive without meeting the requirements of product quality, service level to the customers, etc. It would also lead to unethical behaviours of performing in such a way that fulfils the short ter m interests of the employees to get more compensation but compromises on the goals of the organization in terms of meeting the quantity and quality level for several business contracts. Steps of EEC: avoidance of unethical behaviour The Eddison Electronics Company (EEC) is required to active steps for avoiding unethical behaviour in the manufacturing units that produces several electronic items. In order to avoid unethical behaviour, EEC would be required to link the compensation of the employees with the right performance measurement measures. In order to do this, EEC would need to assess the short term and long term goals of the company and the deadlines to be met in terms of the contracts to be delivered over the period of time. This would enable EEC to understand the exact requirement from their workforce or the output required from the workforce in terms of both volume of the output and the quality of service to their customers. EEC would need to link the compensation of the wo rkforce with the various areas like financial targets of the company, customer service to be delivered, the internal benchmarks of product innovation, quality and steps to maintain high service level for the customers and the initiatives to be taken to maintain a culture for the growth of

Integration of Veteran Centric Content into Nursing Curricula Article

Integration of Veteran Centric Content into Nursing Curricula - Article Example   Hence, by integrating the Veteran centric content in nursing educational programs it enhances the veteran-centric care which results to improved health care opportunities for the Veteran population. Therefore, nursing curricula should contain the Veteran centric content that trains nurses on how to become responsible and accountable for veterans. The content should also train nurses on how to focus on the desires and treatment options for Veterans. The coordination and communication among healthcare providers promotes this content more effectively. The nursing curriculum is likely to make it easier for student nurse practitioners to get educated on how to understand the stressors faced by Veterans. It allows the students to address and learn how to deal with emerging symptoms that Veterans present such as substance abuse, the physical and emotional issues or pain they undergo and mental problems (Miller, 2012). Integrating Veteran centric content in the nursing curricula transforms nursing education into advanced practice nursing. Such changes results in the increase of educated and advanced practice nurses who know how to deal with the changing health needs of Veterans, understand the military culture.

Cultural Change in New York Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Cultural Change in New York - Essay Example This paper tells that the artists move to New York City because of the increasing developmental opportunities and the facilities provided for the promotion of arts. The diversity in culture is also due to the great opportunities New York City offers. A large number of immigrants from various regions of the world has also diversified the culture of New York City and the original culture of the city has now been replaced by a culture which is an amalgamation of the cultures of various different regions of the world and the modern urban culture. The various changes that took place in the culture of New York City can be accounted for a large number of immigrants that came to live in the city. The current culture of the New York City is an amalgamation of Indian, Irish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, Caribbean and Jewish culture because of the large number of immigrants from these regions living in New York. Various different events of these communities were added to the cultural calendar of N ew York City during the 20th century. Comparing to other regions in the US, New York City has received more immigrants from foreign countries and that is why the effect of foreign culture is not that evident in any other areas. The development that took place in various cultural aspects of New York during the 20h century is the largest in the history. Dance, for example, was modernized in the 20th century. The various genre of dance was developed during the 20th century which included contemporary ballet which eventually led to the emergence of the New York City Ballet, the largest dance company of that time.

Early Childhood Special Education Roots Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Special Education Roots Essay Early childhood special education that is practiced today has a varied and sometimes hard won history. Its roots are entangled in cultural, economic, and idealistic influences; each facet tinged by the colored lens of the times and adding a little glint to modern day practices. The conglomeration of historical theories and practices, political actions and enacted laws has paved the way to modern early childhood special education practices and programming. Just like a child learns and builds on his knowledge and understanding of his environment, so too does the practice of early childhood special education. In its infancy ECSE was not labeled as such, and in fact was simply teaching. Throughout history, many educators have had differing perspectives and opinions on how best to educate children. Many of those ideas and practices have popularly endured, and some have become very small portions of our current systems, or faded into obscurity altogether. One of the earliest models on early childhood education was the Montessori model. The Montessori methods and tools are prevalent in classrooms today, from individualized and sensory programming to didactic learning materials. Other early educators realized that even very young children benefit from instruction. Jean Piaget identified stages of development from birth to adolescence that still assist educators in identifying appropriate modes of teaching. Others like Robert Owen, John Locke and Lev Semenovich Vygotsky theorized that a child’s environment had a profound influence on his/her development and education, giving a foundation for current early intervention strategies in impoverished, urban areas. Vygotsky also gifted to forward generations the theories of the Zone of Proximal Development, scaffolding and ideas about special needs students working in least restrictive environments. All the way from these LRE’s, are the ideas of institutions. The residential school model however is still useful in some ways today. Samuel Gridley Howe and Dorothea Dix implemented supportive, residential schools for children with disabilities, but when the First World War had its grips on the country, the schools deteriorated into holding cells that pervaded until throughout the depression era. Politics and societal situations have always been instigators of change for education. Post World War II, many war veterans returned home with disabilities changing the attitudes and urgency in servicing individuals with special needs, spurring a profusion of financial and program support. Moving into the mid-20th Century, civil rights opened a consciousness about not only race, but also a socioeconomic dichotomy. Project Head Start was federally funded compensatory program, with a focus on aiding the impoverished; it would later evolve into a more comprehensive program for seeking and aiding special needs children and families. Many other programs and studies aimed at supporting young children with disabilities and their families began to appear, including Early Head Start, the Carolina Abecedarian Project and the Perry Preschool Project, among others. These programs and research studies aimed at aiding and reinforcing the importance of early intervention for at risk children. Supporting and preemptively averting the struggles brought on by environmental disadvantages made the transition to special education support logical. With the social climate changing and an awareness of human rights, legislation regarding special needs populations was ripe. Perhaps the greatest catalyst to change was the enactment of PL 94-142 the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975. The foundations of this public law and the following amendments are the backbone of all special education as we know it today. This law has 6 main areas of concern. First, the right to a free and appropriate public education is bestowed. Throughout the coming decades, interpretation of FAPE comes up in many court cases, each ruling setting precedence for the future. Second, children with disabilities are given the right to learn in the least restrictive environment (LRE) a practice from centuries prior, but with legal backing, changed the model of public schools in this country. An Individualized Education Plan was written into the body of the IDEA, giving specific protocol for supporting the learning of each individual student. This item is the true workhorse of special education classrooms, bringing the student’s goals, objectives and educational plan, the educators, parents and the other support staff together in one document. The fourth premise of the IDEA is the guarantee to guardians of procedural due process, retaining the guardian’s rights regarding notices, evaluations, placements and other educational plans. Unbiased and multiple assessment criteria is the 5th area addressed in the IDEA. Lastly, part of the legislation includes the parents of special needs students, by affording them access to related services that would benefit the student. Related services was and is an area for interpretation, and again, many court cases have been tried and decided creating standards for what qualifies as a related service. Aside from these six main points, the IDEA has outlined much more. IDEA has given us a universal structure for classifying disabilities, and in a 1991 amendment, ruled that an umbrella classification for preschool aged children was acceptable and malleable state to state. This meant that children would not have to be prematurely labeled or stigmatized, when proper assessment was yet to be exacted. This law gave rise to the term â€Å"developmentally delayed†. A preschooler and his/her family could receive services under the classification of developmentally delayed. IDEA has also given individual states the leeway to define and exact methods of determining what developmentally delayed means. While culturally and regionally more specific, this leaves a large range of differences in qualifications across the country. Since its inception, individuals with special needs have reaped many benefits from the laws and boundaries set by the IDEA, but it wasn’t until October 1986 that very young special needs children and their families could be guaranteed services. While grants and incentives for states to serve the preschool population were available, participation in those programs were completely voluntary. The Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments, or PL 99-457, passed in October 1986, mandated that all special needs preschoolers between the ages of three and five be provided with a FAPE . This law was enacted with the purpose of enabling early intervention and a cost effective preventative strategy to serving special populations. Part C of this law also makes services for infants, birth to age two voluntary. Adding preschoolers to the population of compulsory service made the use of IFSP or Individualized Family Service Plans prevalent. These plans are similar to IEP’s except that they comprehensively include the family and give leeway to assigning the role of the service provider, enabling professionals who are most capable of assisting each family to act. Unlike and IEP, the IFSP must be reviewed at least every 6 months, ensuring relevancy with a quickly growing and changing child. Related services including counseling and classes are now extended to family members. By sharing the process and improvement with the preschoolers’ guardians, we are able to see much greater progress with cooperative engagement. Along with the IFSP, PL 99-457 saw the requirement of an Individualized Transition Plan, aiding young adults in making the change into adulthood. Fast forward to 1997, and PL 105-17 made some important amendments to the IDEA. Related services are expanded, developmentally delayed category can be applied up until age nine, parameters and process around discipline is set. Functional Behavior Assessments or Behavior Intervention Plans must be enacted when providing discipline to special education children. Also, assessments for qualifying for special education are expanded, and Child Find reaches into private schools to deliver services to more children. Along with these changes also came a change in funding based on census data versus enrollment data. The percentages served translated to a fixed amount of funding, averting a glut of over qualifying students. Lack of English Language proficiency is excluded as an area of qualification for services. This is important with the rising populations of English language learners. With the number of children from non-english speaking families on the rise, achievement gaps were widening. The No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 was drawn to support impoverished, special needs and English language learners. This act is directly responsible for the Amendments to IDEA that came in 2004. One of the most important changes made was that of aligning the standards of highly qualified special education teachers to the standards of the No Child Left Behind Act. Inclusion of ECE teachers is yet to be enacted, however. The field and study of Early Childhood Special Education is a deeply diverse and ever evolving practice. Past experience has dictated that social climates, politics, events and laws all contribute to the programming of ECSE. The gains have been great, with dramatic increases in the numbers of children and families found and served, but as a nation, we certainly have some more distance to travel. With current legislation and social issues ranging from secure schools to better serving working families, subsidized healthcare, immigration policies or revamping teacher evaluations, the future of Early Childhood Education is unwritten and open to influence.

Home Guard in Britain 1940-1944

Home Guard in Britain 1940-1944 The Home Guard in Britain 1940-1944: Simply Dads Army or Valuable Fighting Force On the night of 14th May, 1940, Anthony Eden, then in his role as Foreign Secretary, made his first speech as Secretary of State for War, in part broadcasting a message asking for volunteers for the LDV (Local Defence Volunteers): We want large numbers of such men in Great Britain who are British subjects, between the ages of seventeen and sixty-five, to come forward now and offer their services in order to make assurance [that an invasion would be repelled] doubly sure. The name of the new force which is now to be raised will be the Local Defence Volunteers. This name describes its duties in three words. You will not be paid, but you will receive uniforms and will be armed. In order to volunteer, what you have to do is give your name at your local police station, and then, when we want you, we will let you know (Arthur, 2004) The Home Guard was formed when there was a clear and present threat of invasion by the German forces. Britain had watched from the relatively safety of its island position as many European countries succumbed to the Blitzkrieg, culminating in the devastating occupation of France. Most British men who could fight were already in the forces, those that were left were either too young, too old, or in reserved occupations vital to the war effort, however, many possessed the desire to in some way play an active role in Britain’s defences. Neither Churchill nor his government had previously shown any enthusiasm for policy which involved a civilian militia, fearing imminent invasion, being allowed to actively arm themselves and possess the right to confront, detain, arrest and even attack the enemy on British soil, instead of relying on the orthodox forces of security and public order from the police and the regular army. When reports began reaching the War Office regarding the disturbing appearance up and down the country of bands of civiliansarming themselves with shotguns (Steele,2003), it had been clear that the government needed to address this very real public concern. It is still unclear whether the aim was to support and nourish this burgeoning grass-roots activism, or to restrain and curb the unofficial, unsanctioned and technically illegal actions which may result from unregulated, armed civilians under the grip of fear from invaders. Nonetheless, Eden and his advisors proceeded to improvise the initial plans to endorse a civilian defence force and, as one observer put it, thus evoked a new army out of nothingness (Carroll, 1999). The publicly released rationale for the formation of the Home Guard, though vague, made references to delaying an enemy invasion force for as long as possible, thereby giving the Government and the regular army the crucial time to form a front line from which the enemy invasion could be repelled. When they were first formed, under the epithet of the Local Defence Volunteers, the Home Guard were allegedly expected to fight highly trained, well-armed German troops using nothing but shotguns, old hunting rifles, museum pieces, and a collection of unorthodox, makeshift weaponry involving pikes, sawn-off shotguns and Molotov cocktails (MacKenzie, 1995). Subsequently, these unconventional arms were officially sanctioned unintentionally, following an instruction from Winston Churchill to the War Office, in 1941, that â€Å"every man must have a weapon of some kind, be it only a mace or pike. â€Å"Initially intended to focus efforts towards the appropriate equipping of the Home Guard, this instruction was unfortunately interpreted literally, and resulted in the War Office ordering the production of250,000 long metal tubes, including gas pipe, with surplus sword bayonets welded in one end (Carroll, 1999). The issue of the pikes generated an almost universal feeling of anger and disgust from the ranks of the Home Guard, demoralised the men and led to questions being asked in both Houses of Parliament. In many instances the pikes never left Home Guard stores as area and unit commanders were aware of how the men would react (Steele, 2003). However, this incident illustrates the conflicting appreciation of the capabilities and value of the Home Guard from Churchill and his wartime Cabinet. While Churchill appeared, both officially and unofficially, to acknowledge the driving need of some civilians to actively participate in practical defence strategies, the War Office continually conveyed its view that the Home Guard was nothing more than a hobbyist faction of retired soldiers, to be tolerated, humoured and indulged without expending valuable resources, time or effort better served towards the regular army. Winston Churchill, in contrast, saw the Home Guard as an example of the British resolve, seen, in part, by his changing their title, in the summer of1940, from Local Defence Volunteers to the more proactive, aggressive-sounding name of Home Guard. The Home Guard exemplified the â€Å"nation at arms ideal, and it was hoped that the presence of the Home Guard would send a signal to both the United States and Germany that the British would indeed fight German invaders on the beaches, fields, and streets. Whether deliberately or unintentionally, the reputation of the Home Guard as an amateurish, unprofessional and crude mismatched collection of elderly soldiers ineffectually attempting to defend the country was only exacerbated by the War Office’s apparent deficiency of any comprehensive planning with regards to the logistics of such a defence force. The Local Defence Volunteers was launched without any staff, or designated funds and premises of its own. Listeners to Eden’s broadcasting the spring of 1940 had only the scantest of instructions to follow, to hand in their names at a local police station and wait to be called upon. In agreement with the popular post-war public and media opinion, the wartime reality was shambolic. Eden’s message was considerably more welcome by the British populace than the government may have realised, and, before the broadcast had ended, police stations in all regions of the nation were deluged with eager volunteers. By May 15th, twenty-four hours after the initial broadcast, 250,000 men had registered their names, a number which equalled the peacetime Regular Army (Calder,1969). Officially, it was the intention of the government that this new defence force would only accept citizens within the age range of 17 to65, however, this was not strictly enforced in the early stages of the development of the Home Guard, and several pensioners, such as Alexander Taylor, a sprightly octogenarian who had first seen action in the Sudan during 1884-5, contrived to serve (MacKenzie, 1995). Membership continued to grow at a remarkably rapid rate, and by the end of May, 1940, the total number of volunteers had risen to between300,000 and 400,000. By the end of the following month registered volunteers exceeded 1,400,000, a number approximating 1,200,000 more than any of the Whitehall bureaucrats had anticipated (Donnelly, 1999).The majority of new recruits were forced to wait several weeks before official uniforms were sent out, and even when they arrived many were missing essential elements. In many instances, the denims came without the caps, or vice versa, and the volunteers were resigned to donning armbands in an attempt to differentiate between Home Guard and other civilians. While the uniforms were necessary to impart a sense of coherency and organisation, however, the most frustrating aspect of the initial Home Guard involved the severe lack of equipment’s and weapons. The men, who had been called upon at a time when both the government and the public were in experiencing the fear of imminent and overwhelming invasion by the German army, were now facing the possibility of having to defend king and country armed only with homemade or debilitated weaponry. While the War Office searched for suitable arms from abroad, the eager volunteers proceeded to improvise, with rolled umbrellas, broom handles and golf clubs adapted for military service, and all kinds of antique fowling-pieces, blunderbusses, carbines and cutlasses dusted down for action (Smith,2000). The Home Guard was eventually issued with more conventional weapons, but these also had their problems, with many having first been issued to the British Army in World War One. The British infantry rifle of World War One, the .303 SMLE, was issued to the Home Guard, and in addition, a number of World War One era P14 and P17 rifles were also supplied from the US and Canada later that first summer. The P14 andP17 looked almost identical, the only real difference being that theP14 took the SMLE .303 ammunition whilst the P17 took the American.30 (30-06) ammunition. To prevent accidents, the P17 had a red band painted on it to identify the 30-06 calibre. Eventually, the War Office supplied Home Guard units with such cheaply-made devices as the Stengel and the North over projector. The Stem gun experienced a pitiable reputation among the Home Guard volunteers, and was summarised by one resigned volunteer as a spout, a handle and a tin box (Carroll,1999). Similarly, the North over projector, which fired grenades with the aid of a toy pistol cap and a black powder charge, in addition to being considered unsafe for the user, was likened to a large drainpipe mounted on twin legs (Steele, 2003). With such a chaotic start, it is scarcely surprising that the first enthusiasm of the volunteers quickly waned. The lack of uniforms, weapons and training syllabus resulted in the majority of the public, Home Guard volunteers and civilians alike, questioning the Government’s commitment to the defence force. These problems were exacerbated by the nature of the Home Guard membership as a high proportion of the volunteers had previously seen service in war, World War One and the Spanish Civil War among others. Former officers enlisted as Home Guard soldiers, for example, the Kensington-Belgravia unit had some eight retired generals in its ranks (Long mate, 1974), and these decorated, experienced officers were not hesitant in indicating the shortcomings of higher authority. It rapidly became apparent that the Government, in responding to one political difficulty, the need to respond to invasion fear, had created a new, more articulate and influential pressure group. In its formative months, the LDV may have had virtually no comprehensive military utility, but it carried great political weight and was not restricted by the normal restraints of military hierarchy. Matters became so difficult, potentially damaging to British morale at home and reputation abroad, that Churchill focused on the new force. His personal interest, in turn, became problematic for those charged with bringing it into being, and documentary evidence indicates prolonged arguments between Churchill and Eden. Although Churchill forced through, against considerable opposition, a change in name from Local Defence Volunteers to the Home Guard, he also gave priority to uniforms and weapons and assisted the Home Guard in becoming a more cohesive, structured fighting force. The feelings of frustration, however, never faded: too many men, for too long a time, found themselves continually mismanaged and poorly equipped, many using unfamiliar, makeshift and unorthodox firearms forth duration of the war. The enduring image of Britains home guard defences during World War Two remains that of Dads Army; an amateurish and uncoordinated operation staffed largely by old men and incompetents (Donnelly, 1999). To some extent the image from the classic 1970s comedy television series reasonably reflects Britain ‘slack of preparedness for hostilities in June 1940. But by the middle of1941 the British mainland was virtually a fortress, with a public mentality of confronting the enemy in any guise he chooses. However, The Dads Army image is a false one: had German forces managed to cross the channel in 1941, they would have found considerable resistance on British soil, their passage effectively blocked in many locations, and would have faced unorthodox and unfam iliar weaponry in the hands of determined, experienced and highly indomitable civilians. Chapter 2 Historiography The study of World War Two is extensive, and has been comprehensively researched and analysed for many decades. Less well-documented, however, is the Home Guard, with only a select number of influential texts available for scrutiny. The Home Guard is, primarily, discussed as part of a greater abstraction of the Second World War; a review of the military, or a generic analysis of the Home Front. Less common is the committed and detailed account of the Home Guard and its effect during the war. Similarly, those literature pieces that do exist appear to focus, predominantly, on the related shortfalls of the contemporary government, the lack of equipment and the disorganised structure of the volunteer units. An example of this can be seen in Graham McCann’s Dads Army: The Story of a Classic Television Show. McCann approaches the comparison of the real and fictional Home Guards in a relatively derogatory fashion, implying throughout that the volunteers stood very little chance against any official invading army. The implication throughout this text is that the fictional Dad’s Army bore more than a passing resemblance to the real Home Guard; a collection of ill-equipped, elderly men who fortunately never faced combat on home soil. The Home Guard is presented here as comical and ineffectual, and McCann insists that ‘if Hitler had invaded in strength, it is unlikely that the Home Guard, casting around for lengths of tram line to incapacitate tanks, or hurling lethal glassware at motor-cyclists, would have lasted long’(McCann, 2002). As the initial fear of invasion receded, the Home Guard was left with fewer bridges and reservoirs to guard and fewer checkpoints to control, and McCann focuses on the mistakes of the Home Guard, regaling the fatal challenges at Home Guard checkpoints during the ‘early nervous days’ (McCann, 2002)). As such, McCann’s presentation of the value of the Home Guard relies predominantly on the Civil Defence projects in blitzed cities, and the manning faint-aircraft guns by ‘some of the more able-bodied’ of the volunteers, allowing them to finally engage the enemy ‘if only at five miles up’(McCann, 2002). Though McCann concedes that the Home Guard volunteers numbered 1,793,000 at its peak, that a total of 1206 volunteers were either killed on duty or died from wounds, and that the unit had nationally been awarded two George Crosses and thirteen George Medals, the overall presentation of this section of British history is remarkably disparaging. Relatively few references are made towards thematic-tier purposes of the Home Guard, the bravery of the volunteers or the successes during a substantially stressful and tumultuous period for British citizens. Comparatively, Simon Mackenzie’s analysis of the Home Guard during World War Two contrasts markedly with the Dad’s Army view of the volunteers. In his publication The Home Guard: A Military and Political History (2005), MacKenzie recognises that the Home Guard during the Second World War entered the memory of that nation more through a BBC television comedy than reality, however, his intention to reintroduce the reality of the World War II Home Guard to the national conscience is admirable. MacKenzie traces the Home Guard from its origins as locally organized militia groups preparing to meet the invader, through its evolution into a component of His Majestys forces, and its final disbandment at the end of the war, and also includes the re-creation of the Home Guard for domestic service in response to the growing threat from the Soviet Union during the 1950s. The result is a mostly political history of support and opposition of the Home Guard in British society and government. By the time that the Home Guard is unreasonable military order and has a better allocation of weapons, Mackenzie asserts, the threat of invasion has totally passed. The problem then existed in how the government was to keep the members motivated. Documenting arguments in Cabinet about the diversion of 1.8million men to playing soldiers when the country desperately needs to increase industrial production, MacKenzie is generous in his conclusions, believing that the advantages to national morale and there leasing of regular soldiers from guarding duties outweighed the costs. He accepts that there is no evidence to show the existence of the Home Guard had any effect on German invasion plans, and to many it will seem that Mackenzie’s catalogue of muddled professional advice, political posturing and misallocation of scarce resources during a war of survival is a lesson for the future. His concluding section on the short-lived successor Home Guard of the early 50s suggests that few of the lessons had been learned. While MacKenzie concedes that the men of the Home Guard were never given an opportunity to prove themselves in battle, and that there are many more distinguished units that had actual disasters in war, the television comedy series Dads Army virtually destroyed the post-war reputation of a dedicated home defence organisation. Events commemorating the Home Guard war effort are scarce, and Mackenzie claims that it seems Churchill was mistaken in forecasting that: â€Å"History will say that your share in the greatest of all our struggles for freedom was a vitally important one. Professor MacKenzie has written a serious analysis of the policy history of the Home Guard. Inman ways this well-researched, cross-referenced, academic study shows that the saga of this volunteer force was funnier and more confused than any scriptwriter could invent. Yet the topic is an important one, not just for the historian but also for todays military planner, particularly with regard to the allocation of priorities made between the front line combat forces and this last ditch defending army of civilians, the sensibility of the operational concept, and the existence of such a force having a deterrent effect on the enemy. MacKenzie, as an American professor, compares and contrasts the British Home Guard with their American counterparts, and a primary similarity involved the general lack of opportunities to confront the German invaders. The British Home Guard did, however, become heavily involved in the less glamorous but nevertheless necessary work of civil defense and manning anti-aircraft weapons. Despite Mackenzie’s contention that the Home Guard existed more out of political than military necessity, the Home Guard became increasingly valuable to the British Army as regular soldiers became scarce on the home islands. For this reason, Churchill, as well as many Members of Parliament who also belonged to Home Guard battalions, supported the Home Guard in its quest for a combat role, though this part of the Home Guard’s history is only briefly mentioned by MacKenzie. Primary sources indicate that Home Guards relished the idea of fighting the Germans and did not quietly accept War Office plans for using the Home Guard for guarding bridges or simply reporting the presence of Germans. The question over guerrilla warfare or static defence was never completely settled. The War Office always pushed for static defence, with units fighting to their last bullet, while many Guards, as well as their political supporters, clearly favoured partisan warfare behind the lines after a German invasion. MacKenzie does, however, illustrate that the Home Guard formed as a result of local initiative, but survived and sometimes thrived because of government support. However, when local enthusiasm waned, such as the removal of the threat of German invasion after the Allied invasion of Normandy, government support could not keep it alive. From a non-academic perspective, A. G. Street’s From Dusk Till Dawn: The Sedgebury Wallop Home Guard Platoon Prepare for War (1989) records the history to the Home Guard from personal experience. In this text, Street has recorded the story of the Home Guard from its birth in 1940,through its teething troubles and adolescence, to the mature and efficient force that it quickly became. As a farmer and an enthusiastic country Home Guard, Street recounts the story of the Sudbury Wallop Platoon in the Wessex district. According to Street, the force itself was an example of British improvisation, and every one of the early volunteers, officers and men alike, improvised in various ways to give his unit the highest possible efficiency in the shortest possible time, in expectation of the universally predicted invasion by German military forces. As a non-academic, first person account, Streets text is unashamedly biased in favour of the Home Guard’s role in World War Two, however, compared to many academic research pieces, which tend to focus on the problems, assumed in competencies, and believed ineffectuality in the event of an invasion, this text redresses the balance and avoids focussing overwhelmingly on the inabilities of the Home Guard. Addressing the history of the Home Guard from the perspective of photographic evidence, David Carroll’s research in The Home Guard recalls the activities of the auxiliary force otherwise known to the British public as Dads Army. The book draws on the early days of the Local Defence Volunteers from the moment when Anthony Eden broadcast an appeal, to the official stand-down of the Home Guard in 1944. This title evokes memories of World War Two in a domestic setting and asserts life on the Home Front from the perspective of those left behind to defend it. Carroll approaches the historiography of the Home Guard by the analysis of more than 200 photographs of Home Guard duties. After a brief introduction to the Home Guard, this 125 page paperback book displays page after page of photographs and detailed annotations showing the Home Guard in its different forms and fulfilling many different functions. While not the dissecting analysis expected of academic research, this methodology allows the historian to review the history of the Home Guard from a form of primary evidence otherwise unobtainable. One of the most influential historiographies of the Home Guard, with regard to its efficiency in the event of a significant invasion, is Norman Long mate’s If Britain Had Fallen (2004). The question of what would have occurred if Germany had invaded the British Isles has long preoccupied writers, but few have dealt with the subject as comprehensively and effectively as Long mate. If Britain Had Fallen attempted to cover every phase of the subject, from the Germane-invasion manoeuvring and preparations, and the landing of troops, to the German seizure of power. Long mate has endeavoured to present contemplation of what may have occurred following an attempted invasion by the German army, and how Britain may have been able to repel such an attack. Under the supposition of the Luftwaffe defeating the Royal Air Force and winning the Battle of Britain in the summer and early fall of1940, Long mate provides an in-depth recount of what might have happened if this â€Å"counterfactual† event had occurred: that the Germans would have successfully launched Operation Sea lion in September 1940 and occupied Britain. As a result, the British Isles would not have become the â€Å"unsinkable aircraft carrier† from which the Allies could launch their own invasion of Fasting Europa, and the history of both World War Two and the world would have been drastically different. Although other authors have written about a successful invasion and occupation of Britain, these works cover a single phase, the preparations, landing, or subsequent campaign. Long mate, however, has attempted to address all aspects of a successful invasion and the defence strategies in place to counterattack them. Only three of the seventeen chapters are fictional, and although it is uncertain what actual effect the Home Guard volunteers would have had on repelling an invasion, Long mate has addressed their value in a counterstroke campaign, and during the initial invasion stages. Although Long mate has drawn on documents collected by the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), which produced television film of the same name, the key to this alternate history is Goring and Hitler’s decision during the Battle of Britain to continue attacking Fighter Command and British radar stations until German forces defeated the RAF, rendering it unable to stop a cross-channel invasion. The Nazi leaders realized they needed air superiority over the English Channel for a successful invasion. However, they in fact ordered the Luftwaffe to bomb cities, especially London, in early September 1940, a critical decision that gave the RAF breathing room to recoup its losses and prevent the Luftwaffe from establishing air superiority. As a result, the Germans postponed Sea lion several times, finally cancelling the operation (Cox, 1977). There are only two blatant criticisms of such an approach to historiography. While valuable in the sense of a hypothetical, this form of historiography reneges on crucial factual accounts of the capabilities of the Home Guard. Additionally, although the author discusses his references in bibliographical essay for each chapter, Long mate provides no notes to identify the sources of specific passages. However, his acknowledgement that, despite the presence of the defensive and committed Home Guard, Britain would probably have been successfully invaded should the English Channel have been secured illustrates the continued awareness that the Home Guard provided no adequate defence in a full-scale invasion scenario. Regimental records, while not complete, do assist in the analysis of the Home Guard during the Second World War. In addition to records commemorating decorations awarded to Home Guard volunteers, there are also primary sources in the form of newspaper accounts, particularly with regard to civil defence during blitzkrieg incidents, andante-invasion records to the defence strategies of the British Isles. Acknowledging that Britain was existing during a time of extreme propaganda, where civilians were frequently and routinely warned that ‘walls have ears’, newspaper accounts of civil defence can only be relied upon to a limited degree. Morale in Britain would have severely suffered had the media regularly reported, correctly or incorrectly, that the civil defence measures, including the Home Guard, were in some way failing. However, the anti-invasion records provide something of asocial history of the pillboxes and other roofed defence structures which are so widespread over great tracts of the landscape. Many lie in remote locations, overgrown, and with easy access through unblocked entrances and other openings, and can be readily seen as providing ideal sites where misdeeds and accidents might happen. The database records one wartime tragedy: a pillbox at Kenmore in Perth and Kinross was the scene of a fatal Home Guard shooting of a tramp who did not respond to a sentrys challenge. First comes the understanding of the intensity of the militarisation of Britain, in particular during the Second World War. In particular, an appreciation of the structure of the anti-invasion defences of 1940-41 shows not a few badly sited pillboxes manned by gallant, octogenarian Home Guards with pikestaffs, which is still the popular mythology, but an intensely planned and implemented defence strategy, involving a totality of defence over the entire landscape that can only be appreciated when the original documentation is analysed. It is true to say that there was not one square foot of the United Kingdom that was not included in some military or civil defence scheme. By the summer of 1941, when the defences had reached their most complete state, most of Britain had been planned, measured, and armed for defence roads were blocked, fields were strewn with obstacles, bridges were mined, factories, railways, airfields, and ports were protected, the coastline, towns and villages, the length and breadth of the country bristled with fortifications and with troops and weapons to man them. If the Germans had invaded in June 1940, then there would have been few defences, and even fewer weapons, to stop them. By the end of the year, however, and into 1941, the situation had changed dramatically. Even if the Germans had managed to cross the Channel, they would have had a very hard battle to fight themselves ashore. Records relating to the Home Guard volunteers frequently include detailed lists of defence works with the Home Guard units who were responsible for manning them, often with maps. However, contrary to the popular view that the majority of Home Guard regimental records were destroyed, it is imperative to understand that certain aspects of World War Two were only semi-documented. It has also been ascertained that the Home Guard deliberately set out to be a â€Å"paperless army†, and thus its records are relatively sparse. (Lord,1999). It is, therefore, necessary to analyse as many reliable sources as possible, and hence literatures, such as Carroll’s The Home Guard, which rely on non-orthodox historiographies have value within this period of research. When analysing events from an era where spies abounded and there was the continual fear of the enemy gaining access to valuable material evidence, it is important to not disregard unusual or unofficial evidence without extensive consideration. Records suggest that the relationship between the Home Guard and active army differed from the American practice. While the U.S. War Department insisted on the distinctness of State Guard uniforms, British Home Guards were soon required to wear the standard British khaki uniform. With the heavy threat of invasion in the early years of the war, the training schedule of the Home Guard was far more intense than that of their American counterparts. Home Guards were expected to train 48hours each month, exhaustive when compared to the infrequent and limited training required of American State Guardsmen. The American State Guardsmen complained when the federal government replaced rifles with shotguns, however, the British Home Guards found themselves issued an odd assortment of cheap weapons, including homemade Molotov Cocktails, sticky bombs and self-igniting phosphorous grenades, designed more to give each man a role rather than a real weapon. The lack of effective weapons caused Home Guard supporters to question whether the War Office truly expected the Home Guard to provide creditable opposition to a German landing (Calder, 1969). Although most Britons realized that British industry and finances were hard pressed to arm all active forces, some suspected that the Home Guards role had more to do with channelling enthusiasm and creating propaganda, than in providing real security. Official and unofficial primary sources indicate that the inclusion and official acceptance of the Home Guard was neither immediately nor warmly embraced by all in the Home Guard or in the government. Many of the initial enthusiasts of the Home Guard had served in the Spanish Militia during the Spanish Civil War and hoped to see the Home Guard become a similar leftist militia of British workers. The War Office, by gaining control over the Home Guard, effected the exclusion of radicals on the left as well as the right. The inclusion of the Home Guard into His Majestys forces never placed the Home Guard on equal status with the army. Originally, Home Guard units functioned without commissioned officer or NCO ranks. Instead, leaders held authority only by their position. As a result, discipline remained almost wholly voluntary. Many in the Home Guard preferred the situation as it was, but records indicate that the movement for greater control and efficiency led tithe introduction of ranks. However, whereas American State Guard officers held comm