Democratic Outlaws Essays - International Criminal Law, Piracy

Democratic Outlaws DEMOCRATIC OUTLAWS ? Pirates, the outlaws of the sea. If like me, the first idea that comes to mind regarding pirates is a group of raiding and plundering individuals. This is due to todays society glamorizing the pirates as fascinating characters. Historically, not much written information has been left behind. The pirates did not leave ship logs or accounts of plunders, because it could be used to incriminate them. Society today has invented the pirates to fit a romantic mold. Therefore, we grew up thinking of treasure hunts, sea battles, sword fights and plank walkers, when in actuality the pirates of old were loathed by society. During the Golden Age of Piracy, during the 17th and 18th centuries, pirates were regarded as common criminals of the seas without thought to democracy/justice or civility. In short, the pirates had no decency. However, is there some truth to the glamorized legends? Could the legendary characters have upheld the same ideals? In the course of the semester, we have learned some of the truths behind the glamorized pirate facade. Throughout life I have seen that good is more often than not overshadowed by bad. I decided to give these characters the benefit of the doubt and do some investigating. In this essay, I will attempt to prove that human decency among the pirates could have existed. Civility is one trait rarely associated with pirates. Why should civility be associated as a trait of pirates? After all, pirates raid, plunder, steal, rape, drink and swear. Civilized people do not participate in lowly, unlawful behavior. Pirates were know to be excessive drunks, ruthless killers, indulgers of women and unruly individuals. In defense of pirate civility, I must point out a few examples. Lord Byrons The Corsair is an excellent example of pirate decency. Conrad, Byrons hero and captain of a pirate crew, shows remarkable civility for a pirate. While The Corsair is a fictional work, many of the pirate tales, as in other fictional works, derive from actual occurrences. While Conrads crew is toasting spirts and carousing about, he remains composed. Neer for his lip the purplng cup they fill, That goblet passes him untasted still . . . But while he shuns the grosser joys of sense, His mind seems nourished by that abstinence (Byron 152). Conrad does not overindulge and does not become unruly. Conrad does not kill unnecessarily and when forced to kill, it is in defense. Conrad does not ravage women. He is married but loves only one. Jean Lafitte is a factual example of civility. Lafitte was a pirate masked in gentlemans clothing. It is said, Lafitte hobb-knobbed with high society. The majority of the descriptions of Lafitte portray him as well dressed, well mannered and well spoken, as a gentleman should be. Lafitte was also a patriot playing a significant role in the Battle of New Orleans, in which he received honors. Democracy/Justice among the pirates is another unlikely topic to ponder when thinking of pirates. How can outlaws be democratic or just? The pirates bluntly disregarded the law when raiding and plundering. However, within the pirate community, was a democratic structure. The community had its own way of government and enforcing justice. Life amongst the pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries was more democratic than those of most countries. Esquemelings Buccaneers of America, gives an account of pirate democracy. Each ship had a code they lived by. The crew aboard a pirate vessel selected their captains by casting votes. Although the captain is an elected position, the captain of the vessel was in complete control and was to be obeyed and respected. However, if a captain loses the favor of his crew, mutiny occurs and he is voted out. The replacement captain is then voted in usually coming from within crew. The quartermaster is the chief authority save in battle. He acts as ships magistrate for small offenses. Serious offenses are tried before a pirate jury. In addition, the quartermaster served as the trustee for the whole ships company in Defoes words, for the captain can do nothing which the quartermaster does not approve of . . . for he speaks for and looks after the interests of the company (Mark 202). Before setting off on a voyage, the pirates called a council to delegate duties in preparation for departure. The council delegated a duty to each crew member such as getting needed provisions. Another council was

The Case of Socrates essays

The Case of Socrates essays The great mind has always attracted controversy, may it be the past or the present. Socrates was no exception in this regard and had more than his fair share of conflicts with the ones whose beliefs and ideas he had dared to challenge, even though the challenge was on intellectual basis. If one raises the questions, Why invite trouble Socrates? Why irritate the masses? Socrates would simply reply that an unexamined life is not worth living for. In this regard Socrates considered himself to be a pest, a gadfly to be more precise, for he knew that his arguments serve to be a source of annoyance for the ones who feel that their ideas and beliefs are threatened by him. Socrates questioned, scrutinized and analyzed all from government to religion, from morality to reality because one thing was clear to Socrates that the wisdom he possess is actually, knowing the extent of his own ignorance. The fate of a revolutionary thinker is always riddled with opposition and Socrates paid a high price for that, for he was sentences to death by the ones who felt he threatened their ways of living. The account of his trial is given in the Apology by Plato. Socrates was mainly the target of three accusations by Meletus. The first accusation directed at Socrates was that he always makes the worse argument look stronger. Socrates very firmly denied the allegation and his response was that he had never engaged in topics which interest the natural philosopher. Quite rightly so, in fact Socrates never bothered with teaching others for a fee and his poverty is a sign of his sincerity. Socrates never said he was a sophist for he never claimed to have the knowledge Sophists have. Socrates then faced a second allegation that he is corrupting the youth by misguiding them and making them question their traditional patterns of belief and character. In response to this charge Socrates started off by building a defense b ...

Air Quality and Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Air Quality and Health - Essay Example Environmental Protection Agency 2006, 2009). Before the start of clean air laws in advanced nations, the fatal impacts of air pollutants,because of fuel burning were obvious throughout numerous severe air effluence incidents. It turned out to be clear to the civic that huge numbers of people deceased and several were fell sick by way of dust and sulphur dioxide, the ‘Great Smog’ incident in 1952 (Davis 2002, Bell 2001). The incident was occurred because of combustion of coal, petroleum fuels and gas in blend with stagnant climate environments. The awfully high levels of contamination affected huge and noticeable upturns in the number of day-to-day demises and sicknesses due to lung and cardiac ailment, obvious regardless of the absence of refined statistical analyses. These episodes created consciousness that free burning of fossil fuels in and near metropolises was injurious to civic well-being. Ultimately, state, local and, centralized rules and guidelines for instance ‘The Clean Air Act’ initiated in monitoring pollution from burning of fossil fuels (Stevens, ND). Air Quality Air effluence can have a grave consequence on publics’ wellbeing. ... Air pollution as well has undesirable influences on the atmosphere, together with straight impacts of contaminants on flora, andsecondarily, by properties on the acid and nutrient status of soils and waters. The UK Government’s main goal is to make certain that all people must have right to use open air devoid of substantial menace to the well-being, everywhere this is financially and technically feasible. (DEFRA,2007) The AQI (Air Quality Index) is an index used for to assess daily air quality. It gives an idea how fresh or contaminated the air is, and what related health impacts might be an alarm for the concerned. The AQI emphases on health impacts one might experience in a period of time after exposing to contaminated air. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analyses the AQI for five most important air contaminants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle matter, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. For all of these co ntaminants, EPA has given national air quality standards to safeguard civic wellbeing. Consider the AQI as a gauge that calibrated from 0 to 500. If the AQI value is higher, the greater is the level of air contamination and the greater is the health disquiet. For instance, an AQI value of 50 signifies good air quality with no risk to civic wellbeing, whereas an AQI value over 300 signifies harmful air quality. An AQI value of 100 normally agrees to the national air quality standard for the contaminant that the level set by EPA to protect community wellbeing. AQI values under 100 are normally considered as acceptable and when AQI values are higher than 100, air quality is harmful for some delicate clusters of persons, and then for all people as AQI values get more and higher (EPA, 2003).

Quality Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Quality Management - Case Study Example The objective of any business organisation is to generate profit. Quality Management System (QMS) ensures improvement in business situation and for attaining long term growth. In the today's competitive world, quality is crucial factor for survival in any type of organisation. QMS mainly focus on ensuring Quality Assurance and Quality Control. Quality assurance focuses on overall process and to verify that it is carried out in required manner. Quality control is the accepting or rejecting the product. QC is mainly product oriented approach. QMS involves QC, QA and overall business management process. ISO 9001:2000 is a Quality Management Standard. ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) is established to develop international standard for management or product or services. They used to conduct auditing process for acquiring ISO certification. This can be applied in all kinds of organisation irrespective to its size and type of business. In the today's shipping service sector, ISO 9001:2000 is crucial for meeting customer satisfaction and thus for ensuring profitability. ISO 9001 is the most suitable standard for quality assurance in shipping sector. Shipping sectors are pressurised to provide a proof of quality management system by their clients as well as by authorities. ... Customer Satisfaction usually determines the growth of the company. Customer satisfaction can be attained by quality of products or services. Dissatisfaction of the customer is mainly arises due to failure in meeting their expectations and demand. IDO is providing more sophisticated services to its passengers and this reflected in their in number of customers increased over the years. Generation of profit is the main objective of shipping companies and so they mainly focused on reducing the daily operational expenses rather than providing efficient services. Cost cutting measures can be seen at everywhere but International Maritime Organisation has made rules and regulations. Cost cutting measures might affect the company in the long run. In the short run it may bring additional income. It is not practical to adopt cost cutting on customer service and maintenance of efficiency. 2 Company Profile: Istanbul Deniz Otobusleri (IDO-Istanbul Seabuses and Fast Ferries Inc.) was established in the year 1987 by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mainly with the emphasis on public transport by sea. Firstly they started with 10 seabuses and now they are grown into world's largest seabuses and Ferry service provider. Today they are carrying about 90 million passengers and 5 million vehicles yearly. It has been seen that they are continuously developing year by year. Seabuses are reliable and comfortable for passengers of Istanbul and Marmara Sea. Each seabuses has a capacity of about 500 passengers. In addition, they are allocating more funds for investment and development of vessels. There was tremendous increase in the number of passengers travelling over the last few years. IDO

The Bean Eaters Essay Example for Free

The Bean Eaters Essay Gwendolyn Brook’s poem, â€Å"The Bean Eaters† as depicted in eleven lines, is symbolic to a more mature couple that has endured a journey filled with togetherness, obstacles, and peace. Although, its setting is surrounded with restraints, limitations, and isolation, they have lived their better days and have what’s left of their future together. The image portrayed by the author presents a quiet, sensitive, grim yet humble atmosphere. The author emphasize that the couple is of maturity, â€Å"Two who have lived their days† (6). They live in a small rental with only each others company. It is obvious that they have lived the best of their days working closely together and surviving on a strict budget, â€Å"They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair† (line 1). The setting portrayed by the author presents restraints, and limitations, â€Å"Plain chipware on a plain and creaking wood† (3), Tin flatware† (4). In this setting, it appears that the couple is conservative and lives with the same routine in their tight rented space. In this poem, there is no other family or friends, â€Å"this old yellow pair† (1), Two who are Mostly Good† (5), â€Å"Two who have lived their days† (6). This is evidence that they were loners. The key word that continued to arise is giving distinction of just a pair. â€Å"Remembering, with twinkling and twinges† (10), they have endures their past together and are holding on for their final destination. In conclusion, Gwendolyn Brook’s poem, â€Å"The Bean Eaters†, is built on the lives of a couple who have lived and laughed throughout their journey together.

Sports Narrative - Track Competition :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Track Competition The moment of truth was upon me. The official times, this includes whom qualified for finals, for the 400m relay had been posted. My eyes scanned the page for the bold letters that spell ANDERSON. As I ran my finger across the page to where the times were posted, my ears began to shut out all outside noises, leaving me alone with the thump of my heart and the inhale and exhale of my lungs. Both began to increase in speed as my eyes narrowed in on the time. My sophomore year had begun and I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to do track this year. Last year I played football in the fall and soccer in the spring. Not really enjoying it, the decision was made to play " real futbol" (soccer) in the fall, leaving the spring sports season open. My friend kept telling me how fun track was, so I decided to give it a try. As the first meet neared, things were going well. I made it onto the 4x100 team making me the third fastest kid on the team. The other members of the relay were Jason Schmidt, Jeremy Willard and Rodney Schmidt. Jason and Jeremy were both the top dogs and Rodney and I were second from the bottom of the barrel. The 400 relay was my best event. We placed in every meet and even took home some medals as the season progressed. As the track year rounded for the home stretch, we had only three more meets to compete in: the Tiger Invitational, regionals, and state. As the Tiger rolled around, there arose a question of whether or not to keep the team together or break it up and give the two seniors a chance to compete in other individual events at regionals. I actually didn't know about this possibility until about five minutes before the race began on Saturday. We were all huddled together preparing for the start. Jeremy came up to Rodney and me and told us that if we didn't do well the team might be dropped. Kicking our motivational drive into high, the four of us focused on only one thing: running the time we all knew we could. Getting into the blocks I felt more ready than ever. At the sound of the gun, I shot out of the blocks. I sprinted around the track, concentrating on making a great hand-off.

Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Essay

Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Is homosexuality a choice or genetic? Homosexuality is becoming more and more common all over the world. There are many different perspectives and theories regarding homosexuality. There are historical, culture, species, scientific, and psychological perspectives on being a homosexual person but which is true and which is simply a theory. Homosexual Perspectives Historically being a gay man or a lesbian was a sin. According to the reading sodomy is a sin and was most likely the reason why Sodom was destroyed all those years ago. Historically any release of sperm not meant for procreation is a sin. However, in ancient Greece it was common for established men to form sexual relationships with young men about the age of growing a beard. There are pictures on vases that depict a man inserting his penis between a boy’s legs but not in the anus. I think that given the historical views of homosexual behaviors it makes some people think that it is still wrong and should still be hidden from people. It also depends on how a person was raised in my opinion. If a person was raised to believe that it is a sin to enter into homosexual relationships then they will try to hide it from everyone for as long as possible. However, if a person was raised to believe that there is nothing wrong with being homosexual then they will be more likely to be open about it. (Rathus, 2011) A study was done in 76 preliterate countries as to if male-male relationships were considered to be acceptable. In 49 of these countries it was considered to be normal and acceptable for male-male relationships. However, the other 27 countries had sanctions if you were caught in male-male relationships. Another study was done years later that was of 70 of the world’s non-European societies and the prevalence of male-male relationships. 41% of the 70 found that male-male sexual relationships were present but uncommon. The other 59% claimed that it was rare or absent in their societies. In some countries  li ke New Guinea it is considered a rite of passage for boys between the ages of 7 and 10 to leave their homes and move into a â€Å"clubhouse† with adolescent boys and adult males. While living there they would fellate the older boys and drink their semen. They are encouraged to drink as much semen as possible to give them a rise in puberty. However, in their late teens early 20s they are expected to take a bride and enter in exclusively into male-female relationships. I think that homosexuals would be more open about their homosexuality depending on if it is accepted in the society that they live in. There are many reasons as to why people hide that they are homosexual from those around them but I think that the most common reason is that they feel that they will not be accepted by others if they tell. (Rathus, 2011) In the animal kingdom it is not uncommon for there to be male-male or female-female sexual relationships. However, in male-male relationships in the animal kingdom it is usually an act of dominance not pleasure. This is very similar to the behaviors of male and female inmates or those with limited access to the opposite gender. In prison there is a dominant and submissive person involved in these male-male and female-female sexual relationships. (Rathus, 2011) Coming Out and Adjusting When a gay male or a lesbian announces that they are a gay male or lesbian it is commonly referred to as coming out. I think that depending on the person and the society that they live in it is easy to come out. If you live in a society that accepts it even if they do not approve of it then it is easier to come out to people. It also depends on the support that a person has around them. If a person has a good support system than they will have an easier time coming out. However, if they feel that they will be scorned, mocked, harassed, or any other form of teasing then they will be less likely to come out. (Rathus, 2011) I think that the adjustment is the same for homosexuals as it is for heterosexuals. It is more of a lifestyle choice and therefore depending on how you live your life you will be happy. However, before a person comes out they may be very stressed, tense, overwhelmed, or any number of other feeling and emotions because they are hiding who they are from the world. Pers onal Beliefs I do not think that the historical or scientific reasons from the reading  have really shaped my sexual orientation. I think that religion might have a part in some people’s lives but me personally I think that a person should be judged for who they are not for their sexuality. Scientifically, I think that there is possibly a gene in the human body that causes you to be gay or lesbian but I do not think that I have that gene if it does exist. I think that I like who I like regardless of what other people think. Homosexuality is different for every person. There are people who are proud to be homosexual and there are people who are ashamed of being a homosexual. I think that this all depends on how a person is raised and what their beliefs are on the subject. No two people are exactly the same and this is true of homosexuals as well. What works for one person might not work for another person. Homosexuality is only on aspect of a person’s life and thus a person should not be judged and treated differently for this one aspect of their life. References Rathus, S. A., Nevid, J.S., and Fichner-Rathus, L. (2011). Human sexuality in a world of diversity (8th ed.) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.