Wake Island Essay Example For Students

Wake Island Essay When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, America was at last forced to officially enter World War II. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt officially declared war on the Japanese and in his famous radio address to the American people, he professed that December 7 was a day that would live in infamy. Americans and Japanese alike, still remember Pearl Harbor Day, but how many remember the gallant, fighting Marines who served on a tiny atoll in the Pacific by the name of Wake Island?Prior to the war, Wake Island, located 2300 miles west of Honolulu, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, which was placed under the jurisdiction of the Navy in 1934. It was also a Clipper stop on Pan American Airlines famed Trans-Pacific run, and in 1939, the U.S. Navy began construction of an air and submarine base, which was half completed at the time of the attack.Because of the construction of the base, approximately 1200 civilians were on the island, working for the Ame rican construction firm, Morrison-Knudsen, in addition to the Navy personnel and Marines who had been sent to defend the island. The first attack came at noon on December 7, 1941, when 36 Japanese bombers initiated the first bombing of the island. The bombings by the Japanese continued until December 23, when under continuous shelling, the Americans, under U.S. Navy Commander Winfield Scott Cunningham, were finally forced to surrender. Although the Japanese finally took the island, they incurred heavy losses. Three cruisers and one transport sustained heavy damage, two destroyers and one patrol boat were sunk, while 820 Japanese soldiers were killed, with another 333 wounded. In contrast, American military casualties included 120 killed, 49 wounded, with two missing in action. Initially, Japanese strategists assumed that the tiny island would be overwhelmed in a matter of hours. However, they underestimated the fighting spirit of the military personnel and civilians stationed on the island. For sixteen days these brave men fought against overwhelming odds, but demonstrated both to the Japanese and to their fellow Americans back at home that the Americans could and would put up a courageous fight. During the first air raid, Pan Americans facilities were destroyed, and ten civilian employees of the airline were killed.When the assault on the island was first launched, the Americans had twelve aircraft. By December 21, they were down to two planes and by the 22nd of December, none was left in the fleet. In addition, the Japanese used the technique of pattern bombing which caused heavy damage to practically every installation on the island.On the final day of the siege, over 1000 Japanese went on shore and the fighting that ensued continued for six hours.The Marines struggle to hold on to Wake Island came at a time when American installations in the Pacific were being both attacked and captured and the heroics of the fighting Marines on Wake did much to lift the s pirit of the American people. Even when it looked as though Americas chances of winning the battle for Wake were few, it has been said that when asked by radio if there was anything they wanted, the Marines replied: Yes, send us some more Japs.This became a popular slogan during the war, much like Remember the Alamo. We will write a custom essay on Wake Island specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now After the surrender, the Japanese rounded up all of the civilians and enlisted men and forced them to march to the airfield. There they were stripped and bound with wire and made to stand in the hot sun for two days with no food and very little water.Back on the homefront, besides worrying about the safety of their loved ones, the families of the civilians were left without the regular financial support that the construction crew had been sending prior to their unintended involvement in the war. Twenty-six civilians died during the sixteen-day siege of Wake. .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f , .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .postImageUrl , .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f , .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:hover , .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:visited , .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:active { border:0!important; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:active , .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Nitrate Contamination Of Groundwater Poses A Serious Health Threat Nit EssayOn January 12, 1942, approximately 1200 American prisoners of war were loaded on board the Japanese passenger ship, the Nitta Maru, for the twelve-day voyage to China. Twenty of the wounded passengers were dropped off in Japan while five of the Americans were beheaded while aboard ship. The prisoners arrived at Shanghai on January

Entrepreneur Essay Sample For MBA Scholarship - Here Are Some Essays That Will Help You

Entrepreneur Essay Sample For MBA Scholarship - Here Are Some Essays That Will Help YouAn entrepreneur essay sample for MBA scholarship is a rare source of information. It contains the best ideas that you can find in the internet to reach your own goals and dreams. For this purpose, here are some ideas that will help you win the battle. You must know how to use these ideas so that you have no excuses in the future.Write an e-book on your passion and expertise. Make it as a short e-book with the explanation as to why you are in business. Well, the main objective of these essays is to decide whether or not the university will give you the award or not. So, you need to sell yourself and convince the university. When it comes to products, I suggest you make it as an ebook on an interesting topic.You must not be a smart as a number one, but the best plan is to become a successful entrepreneur. Therefore, think of the future before spending your time in writing essays. You must be careful about the topic you write on. You need to remember that it is your strategy that makes the difference. So, you need to learn more about your plan before setting out.You can also find a few books that talk about the business plan. They will help you prepare for the big question. The process might be harder if you are not very well informed.Start with a very simple plan and then expand from there. Your program will still be based on your ideas. So, the plan should focus on the real process that you have already figured out.In order to know how to reach your own success, you need to understand yourself and your strengths. All the people who decide to become entrepreneurs are experts. So, you need to decide how you think and what are your qualities.Thus, you need to have a successful plan and then let it grow from there. Do not stop till you reach your goals. Your achievements will reflect on your idea, so let it grow along with your plan.

Learning the Mandarin Chinese Tone System

Learning the Mandarin Chinese Tone System The Mandarin language has a fundamental difference from Western languages: it is tonal. Tones are one of the biggest challenges for Mandarin learners, but their mastery is essential. Incorrect tones can make your spoken Mandarin difficult or impossible to understand, but using the correct tones will allow you to express yourself clearly. Mandarin tones are especially difficult for speakers of Western languages. English, for example, uses tones for inflection, but this is a very different usage from Mandarin. Rising tones in English often imply a question or sarcasm. Falling tones may be used for emphasis. Changing the tones of a Mandarin sentence, though, could completely change the meaning. Let’s take an example. Suppose you are reading a book and your brother (or sister or child) keeps on interrupting you. You are likely to become exasperated and say â€Å"I’m trying to read a book!† In English, this would be said with an emphatic falling tone at the end. But if you use a falling tone in Mandarin, the meaning completely changes. WÇ’ yo kn shÃ… « I want to read a book.WÇ’ yo kÇŽn shà ¹ I want to cut trees! The second version of this sentence would have your listeners scratching their heads. So practice your tones! They are essential for speaking and understanding Mandarin.

New Historicist Reading of Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market Research Paper

New Historicist Reading of Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market - Research Paper Example Examining the different parts of the story and creating a relationship to society and the Victorian Era then establishes a stronger understanding of what was occurring during this time frame. The poem is one which not only develops historical understanding of the time, but also is associated with contradictions and perspectives that were deeply rooted in the Victorian Era. History of Goblin Market The poem of â€Å"Goblin Market† was written from 1830 – 1894 as a part of the Victorian Era. During this time frame, there were several changes which were occurring in society, specifically in relation to building a modern style society. The society was influenced with new developments in science, industry and technology. These new developments led to associations with politics, specifically with countries that were trying to expand and dominate by opening the countries to global trade and expansion. The politics were based on creating a sense of imperialism, domination and c olonialism over other countries while creating a power structure that was identified with the sense of domination. As this occurred, many began to be influenced by imperialist and bourgeois thought, including changing social status through differences in wealth, gender, ethnicity and overall identity. The main influences during the Victorian Era were then noted with contrasts to the literature of the time (Mcgann, pg. 237). The several changes which were occurring in the Victorian Era led to the main approach which was taken by Rossetti in writing the poem. The focus was to target two types of readers. One was defined by children and the other adults. The poem was able to be read from these two perspectives, one which worked like a fairy tale to tell a moral of a story. The second perspective was based on the viewpoints of adults who had sold into and bought the fruit of the men, or goblins of the time. From this perspective, the goblins became a representation of the social class d ivisions, imperialist nature and other aspects that were related to the dangers of the time. These various approaches to the poem were able to show a specific representation to the culture of the time while both audiences which read the poem were able to carry a different viewpoint and ideal which was associated directly with the time frame and the historical changes which were occurring (Kooistra, pg. 249). Economic History in Goblin’s Market The several approaches which are a part of the reading of â€Å"Goblin’s Market† are not only associated with the general political history and attitudes during the time. There is also a relationship to society and the basic perspectives which were considered during this time. A main concept which was approached was based on the social viewpoint toward economy and wealth as well as how this created division within the Victorian society. The ideal of consumer power comes through the two sisters and their desire to have the fruit and to continue to have the goblin fruits. This was associated with the economy of desire which was created at the time, specifically with the introductions of industry, economy and the taking over of other nations. The morality of economic space as well as the basis of capitalist production which came from the goblins was the two main components which were associated with this. The idea of falling into temptation with the consumption and the need to continue to h

Strategic Management - News Paper business Essay

Strategic Management - News Paper business - Essay Example If management wants to stress on the importance of customer needs they may vary from area to area in the regions the firm offers its products. Innovation can be considered as prime need of the customer in the case of weightage to customer needs. Every body covers the news, but the presentation matters. If the presentation is against the interests of a particular community they may be against the organization. So presentation of the news and analysis of the events must be according to the needs and interests of various customers in different areas. Desired Position: It is important to meet the customer needs in every business and industry. Here the needs of customers are timely delivery, publishing and presenting the problems in their areas, critical analysis of current national and international issues, interacting with the customer to let him express his views, to make government officials and heads of departments and governments to talk communicate with the people through our newspaper. The innovation in this area can be made possible by selecting a different topic and a new problem before out competitors pick and communicate with the people. The innovation here lies in continuity. ... The strategy canvas: The strategy that gives success in this business is not only to market the product but also getting advertisements. Generally in this business getting advertisements is the way to get profits. Obtaining advertisements depends upon the circulation of the newspaper. More the circulation the more number of advertisements the news paper can get. One can fix more tariffs for the ads also. The tariffs depend upon two factors: 1. The area that is covered by newspaper, 2. The circulation of the newspaper. If we want to be a head of our competitor having equal circulation with us, we must gather more ads for more tariff. This is made possible if the newspaper is supplied in more number of areas than our competitor. Though we are having an equal circulation with our competitor by selling our newspaper out of the state (if our competitor sells within our state) and out of the country (if our competitor sells his news paper within our country) and in more countries (if our competitor sells his product in other countries also). This strategy involves high establishment costs regarding the installation of offices and edition centers regarding collection of advertisements and publication of newspaper. But this investment will be fruitful in long term as it gives upper hand over competitor in increasing the circulation in future and deciding high tariffs for advertising in our paper in present. Along with newspaper one can publish magazines also. This thing will give an advantage to our infra structure as more than one product can be launched from the same infrastructure. This gives publicity without an advertisement as all the readers of magazine know about the newspaper and the readers of newspaper know about the magazine. This

Assessing the Dependency of Teamwork Dynamics to Cultural Differences Essay Example for Free

Assessing the Dependency of Teamwork Dynamics to Cultural Differences Essay A debate whether a heterogeneous or a homogeneous team is easier to handle and manage has been going on for years. Companies, firms and even organizations are starting to make teams as the basic unit of their operations. Due to this trend, organizational researchers started to study the correlation between the composition of the team and the teams’ output (Earley Mosakowski, 2000, p. 26). Organizational composition in terms of the homogeneity and heterogeneity of the team composition is commonly studied through the comparative advantages that each type of composition can give to a working team (Schippers, Hartog, Koopman, Wienk, 2003, p. 779). This research paper will try to address the issue at hand in the same manner as most organizational researchers do; this research paper will compare homogeneous and heterogeneous team compositions through the advantages they can give to their teams. The hiring structure of most organizations, companies and firm includes a set of qualification that seeks to sift through the applicants not in terms of credentials but also in terms of their backgrounds (Prat, 2000, p. 3). These sets of qualifications are commonly structured in their own ways to create a homogenous or a heterogeneous team, depending on the position of the hiring party in terms of its team composition preference. Before moving on to the advantages of the two-team compositions, it should be noted that the basic differences between the two-team compositions are its team members’ culture. Culture embodies the system of shared meanings (Gibson C. B. , 2004). It can even be said, that culture attributes the different reactions of the team members in different managerial approaches and team objectives (Gibson C. B. , 2004). Furthermore, the probability of success and efficiency in team is dependent to the culture of its team members. Identifying the difference between leading a homogeneous team or a heterogeneous team can be easily discussed through the extent by which team members share a certain culture. In modern day organizational researches, culture sharing is not the only difference. Factors such as efficiency, efficacy of the leading model, output capabilities and even conflict resolution mechanisms are considered in organization researches that address homogeneous and heterogeneous team compositions. Describing the actual leadership process in these two team compositions would lead to the discussions on team cohesiveness. Team cohesiveness is the degree by which members of a group (both hetero and homo) are attracted to the team (Wendt, Euwemab, Emmerik, 2009, p. 359). It can be said, that team cohesiveness embodies the reasons for joining a team and expected incentives for joining the team (Wendt, Euwemab, Emmerik, 2009, p. 359). Team cohesiveness is present in both homogeneous and heterogeneous team compositions. However, the burden of insuring that the team would function is not directly related to the team composition; it is also determined by the leadership style in the team. Leading leadership styles such as directive and supportive styles have two very different effects to the team depending on the team composition. The exclusivity of the shared culture in homogeneous teams can work better with directive leadership such as seen in autocratic countries (Wendt, Euwemab, Emmerik, 2009, p. 360). On the other hand, supportive leadership can work better with heterogeneous team composition since the differences in the shared culture of the team can be compensated for by the support that the leadership style offers (Wendt, Euwemab, Emmerik, 2009, p. 360). Interchanging the two leadership styles in heterogeneous and homogeneous team compositions can result to high probability of team inefficiency and failure. Following this logic, it can be said that the leadership style would determine the difference between these two team compositions; a certain â€Å"fit† must be properly addressed. After discussing the needed â€Å"fit† in the leadership style and the team composition, advantages in terms of properly leading a homogeneous team or a heterogeneous team can now be established. Having a heterogeneous team implies that a team leader would have members with different recognitions of shared culture. Due to this, the team leader can expect different opinions and a wide range of ideas to be articulated by the team members (Gibson Vermeulen, 2003, p. 207). This setup is seen in companies that operate on a high technology level. Technology based companies tend to function in a transnational level; this allows the companies to have an experience in having a heterogeneous team to deal with their operations. The diverse pool that the company can easily access to creates a working environment, which is perfect for the creation of cohorts. According to other related researches, team members tend to speak out their idea or opinion if they have at least one team member that supports their idea (Gibson Vermeulen, 2003, p. 207). This finding is the coined as the cohort formation in workplaces. Following this logic, leading a heterogeneous team has an advantage of being able to pool a good number of ideas and opinions due to the different shared cultures among the team members. Practically speaking, a heterogeneous team can come up with more possible solutions needed to address a problem as compared to a team with members that share a uniform culture. Heterogeneous team through its cohorts also has the advantage of creating a workplace, which is more conducive for a more receptive learning behavior (Gibson Vermeulen, 2003, p. 209). The cohort formation that arises from a heterogeneous team creates subgroups that are more receptive to learning through experimentation; reflective communication and codification (Gibson Vermeulen, 2003, p. 209). The psychological support provided by team members that share culture allows other team members to learn more (Gibson Vermeulen, 2003, p. 210). These advantages of heterogeneous teams make many organizations, companies and firms to invest in the creation of a heterogeneous team. This trend is best seen in transnational companies’ attempts to outsource team members from different places around the globe to insure that their team has cohorts to cultivate better brainstorming activities (Earley Gibson, 2002, pp. 230-232). Unfortunately, the advantages of having a heterogeneous team stop at the cohorts. Heterogeneous team, which is too heterogeneous in the sense that it does not allow the formation of cohorts tends to be counterproductive since its team members without some to share his or her culture with, becomes too protective of their ideas (Gibson Vermeulen, 2003, pp. 212-213). In this situation, organizational researches recommend the full dismantling of the team or the inclusion of other team members that may allow that formation of cohorts within the heterogeneous team. Advantages in a homogeneous team are the extreme solutions to the disadvantages of a heterogeneous team. The probability that too much heterogeneity can impede team growth and efficiency can be cancelled out by adapting a homogenized team since the shared culture of the whole team will eradicate the cultural diversity that may have started the problems of a too heterogenic team (Mello Ruckes, 2010, p. 1022). This is the primary advantage of homogeneous team- cohesion. Team cohesion is at its prime state if the subject team is a homogeneous team (WordPress. com, 2009). The strong sense of group cohesion in a homogeneous team allows the whole team to easily accomplish tasks and yield maximum productivity rates (WordPress. com, 2009, p. n. pag. ). The shared culture of a homogeneous team creates a sense of unity among the team members; that translates to achievements that are most probably unattainable for a common heterogeneous group. This is the primary and appears to be the only advantage in a homogeneous group. Unfortunately, it also has its share of disadvantages. The major disadvantage of a homogenous team is that the team is prone to make probable dumb decisions due to the strong sense of groupthink mentality present in this team composition (WordPress. com, 2009). This attributes of homogeneous team composition allows homogeneous teams to be the perfect team composition for productivity and goal oriented organizations, companies and firms. Conclusion: Heterogeneous and homogeneous team compositions have been existing ever since basic groups have been formed. The reason for their existence is the fact that each of this team composition provides a perfect fit for different organizational arrangements (Gamage, 2006, p. 57). The interplay between organizational cultures, team composition and the type of leadership determines the needed fit implied in this research paper. Conclusively, this research paper takes the position that homogeneous team composition is an advantage for organizations, companies and firms that are goal and production oriented, while heterogeneous team composition is an advantage for organizations, companies and firms that seek to provide solutions. The cohesive team culture cultured and enforced in homogeneous team composition allows a consolidated movement of the whole team towards the attainment of their team’s objectives. On the other hand, the differences of the team members of a heterogeneous team allow the utilization of the multi perspective orientations in the advantage of the whole team. The different ideas and cultural inclinations of a heterogeneous team allow the development of holistic solutions. These points when summed up results to a general idea that the team compositions’ effectiveness are dominantly dependent on the factors such as type of leadership and environment such as context of application. Bibliography Adams, S. K. (2007, July 30). Disciplinarily Hetero- and Homogeneous Design Team Convergence:Communication Patterns and Perceptions of Teamwork. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from www. scholar. lib. vt. edu: http://scholar. lib. vt. edu/theses/available/etd-08272007-114555/unrestricted/MastersThesis. pdf Adler, N. (1991). International dimensions of organi-zational behavior (2nd ed. ). Boston: PWS-Kent. Burke, S. , Wilson, K. , Salas, E. (2010). Varying Team Composition to Examine the Effect of CulturalDiversity on Team Process and Cultural Adaptability. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from www. ftp. rta. nato. int: ftp. rta. nato. int/public//PubFullText/ ///MP-HFM-142-18. doc Casmir, R. (1992). Third-culture building: A paradigm shift for international and intercultural communication. Communication Yearbook , 407-428. Cox, T. (1992). Cultural diversity in organizations. San Francisco: Berrett Koehler. Earley, P. C. , Mosakowski, E. (2000). Creating Hybrid Team Cultures: An Empirical Test of Transnational Team Functioning. The Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, No. 1 , 26-49. Earley, P. , Gibson, C. B. (2002). Multinational Work Teams: A New Perspective. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. . Elron, E. (1997). Top management teams within multina-tional corporations: Effects of cultural heterogeneity. Leadership Quarterly , 393-412. Gamage, D. (2006). Professional Development for Leaders and Managers . Dordrecht: Springer Publications. Gibson, C. B. (2004). Building Multicultural Teams:Learning to Manage Homogeneity and Heterogeneity. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from http://web. gsm. uci. edu: http://web. gsm. uci. edu/~cgibson/Publication%20files/Articles/Crossing%20cultures%20chapter. pdf Gibson, C. , Vermeulen, F. (2003). A Healthy Divide: Subgroups as a Stimulus for Team Learning Behavior. Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 48, No. 2 , 202-239. Leadershipreview. org. (2002). Research Synopsis: Creating Hybrid Team Cultures. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from www. leadershipreview. org: http://www. leadershipreview. org/2002winter/nelson_winter_2002. asp Mayo, M. (2005, September 2). Networks and Effectiveness in Work Teams: The Impact of Diversity. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from www. latienda. ie. edu: http://latienda. ie. edu/working_papers_economia/WP05-10. pdf Maznevski, M. (1994). Understanding our differences: Performance in decision-making groups with diverse members. Human Relations , 531-552. McGrath, J. (1984). Groups: Interaction and performance. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. Mello, A. S. , Ruckes, M. E. (2010). Team Composition. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from http://finance. fbv. uni-karlsruhe. d: http://finance. fbv. uni-karlsruhe. de/download/Ruckes_TeamCompositionJB. pdf Prat, A. (2000, August 16). Shoul a Team Be Homogeneous? Retrieved August 6, 2010, from www. econ. lse. ac. uk: http://econ. lse. ac. uk/staff/prat/papers/sharedeer2. pdf Schippers, M. C. , Hartog, D. N. , Koopman, P. L. , Wienk, J. A. (2003). Diversity and Team Outcomes: The Moderating Effects of Outcome Interdependence and Group Longevity and the Mediating Effect of Reflexivity. Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 24, No. 6 , 779-802. Wendt, H. , Euwemab, M. C. , Emmerik, I. H. (2009). Leadership and team cohesiveness across cultures. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from http://hettyvanemmerik. com: http://hettyvanemmerik. com/ScientificPublications/+Enl2009=Article_LQ_Wendt_Euwema_Van_Emmerik_Leadership_and_team_cohesiveness. pdf WordPress. com. (2009, March 10). Homogeneous or Heterogeneous Teams and Creativity. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from www. wordpress. com: http://asifjmir. wordpress. com/2009/03/10/homogeneous-or-heterogeneous-teams-and-creativity/

Racial Targeting and Profiling in the United States Essay -- Race Raci

Racial Targeting and Profiling in the United States The practice of targeting individuals for police investigation based on their race alone in the last few years has been an increasingly prominent issue in American society. Numerous magazines, newspapers, and journals have explored the issue of race-motivated police actions. Recently, the ABA Journal did a study of New Jersey and Pennsylvania traffic stops from 1998 to 2001, concluding that black drivers were more likely to be pulled over and arrested than whites. The study also delves into the legal ramifications of the 1996 United States Supreme Court ruling in the Whren v. United States case, which held that police officers subjective motivation for stopping a motorist on the highway was irrelevant as long as a probable cause was present - such as a traffic violation existed for making the stop. The Whren court decision validated the pretext stop, which occurs when police officers ostensibly stop motorists for traffic violations but are in fact motivated by the desire to obtain ev idence of other crimes. Police officers, however, argue that racial profiling is common sense and is sensible, statistically based tool that enables them to focus their energies efficiently for providing protection against crime to law a-biding citizen. In Taylor and Whitney, a study investigating the existence of an empirical basis for racial profiling and crime, they concluded that society must acknowledge the statistics behind crime rates in order to understand the concept of racial profiling; such information is available in annual crime reports. Statistics are facts and numbers which cannot be disputed and provide the experiential basis for racial profiling. The FBI Bulletin also addressed the necessity to consider statistics in addressing the issue of racial profiling. However, unlike Taylor and Whitney who argue for the use of statistics to support racial profiling, the FBI Bulletin promotes the usage of statistics in order to reduce and hopefully eliminate racial profiling. The FBI Bulletin states that if agencies were mandated to keep consistent statistical reports on the attributes and nature of their traffic stops, then racial profiling will not be as rampant. A written record of all traffic stops would do so by attributi ng individual responsibility to the police officers involved in such violations. The ... ...they were not officers would the punishment have been more severe, or if there were white officers would the punishment also have been more drastic. If the suspects in both instances had been suburban white males would the officer?fs reactions been so dramatic. Even former President Clinton recognized racial profiling within our police departments. ?gPresident Clinton called racial profiling by police, a morally indefensible deeply corrosive practice?h. (Clinton Associated Press) He also said that, ?gpeople of color continue to have less confidence and less trust, and believe they are targeted for action?h. (Clinton Associated Press) Clinton recounted that he once asked a group of black journalists if the police had ever stopped them and they all raised their hands. Racial profiling is a problem that needs to be addressed by the government and the people of America. The subject of racial profiling is not only a problem; it is an age-old disease. This disease that has plagued America for a long time, and until we decide to grow up and get past stereotypical and bias views of other races and ethnic backgrounds, this problem will continue to exist with possible fatal results.