Critical Factors On Human Dignity And Capital Punishment

Antiepa Munatsi S00150701 This discussion is going to investigate and evaluate the critical factors in relation to human dignity and capital punishment utilising the case study of Andrew and Myuran. A discussion would be made on the issues surrounding the unfair forms of punishments that are used to deal with those who committed unimaginable crimes in the eyes of society. I believe this is an issue where human dignity is a critical factor because there is no respect for individual autonomy and Andrew and Myuran were not given the chance and hence their humanity and dignity violated. Perspectives 1 and 2 would be outlined and an analysis would be made to each in relationship to the case study. Also, understanding of human dignity in each†¦show more content†¦Question 1 Dwight Conquergood wrote about how the legal system in America tried to normalise capital punishment to make it seem less cruel by introducing other ways of execution. This was done by using the lethal injection as in McVeigh?s case (Conquergood, 2002). He advocates against the use of capital punishment and in his discussion highlighted that he attended many demonstrations with those against capital punishment. In addition, he highlights that there is bias from authorities when handling death cases. In one of the cases, the police lost documents which would have been given to the defense lawyers to fight against the sentence. However, the individual was put to death and he considered that death penalty to be unfair and unjust and that there has been instances of innocent people being on death row. He highlighted that minorities make up the largest number of prisoners on the death penalty despite representing a small percentage of the small population and argued that there was bias ag ainst certain minorities. The author indicated that African-Americans are 19% more likely to be put on death row as compared to other races even though they might have committed the same crime (Conquergood, 2002). His view can be put into quadrant 1A which refers to dignity obtained by being a human being (Kirchhoffer, 2013). However, when one is on death row, this dignity is taking away and therefore he argues that offenders

Ptsd Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - 1462 Words

PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental disorder or serious condition that can develop after a victim who has witnessed or experienced a traumatic event.(American Psychiatric Association, 2013) When PTSD was identified as an mental health condition by the psychologist? The term PTSD first appeared in the 1980s, but the concept of this disorder can be traced back to 1952 when the first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM was published. The stress reaction of PTSD in DSM-I is defined as a â€Å"normal personality established patterns of reaction to deal with overwhelming fear†. In 1978, the Committee of Reactive Disorders decided to name this stress reaction as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.(Andreasen 2010) The definition of PTSD has changed through different edition of the DSM. Definition of PTSD (DSM5) In the current edition of DSM 5th edition, PTSD is defined as a mental disorder that has a small chance to develop when a person is exposed to one or more traumatic events such as war, natural disasters, terrorist attack, accidents, different kinds of life threat, or physical or sexual assaults. Most survivors of the events might feel anger, fear, shock or even guilt, but these reactions are common. Through time and good care, survivors usually can get better and move on. However, some survivors might experience serious stress reactions, numbing memories and hyper arousal of the traumatic events. When the symptoms get worse for aShow MoreRelatedPost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )990 Words   |  4 PagesPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder is a common anxiety disorder characterized by chronic physical arousal, recurrent unwanted thoughts and images of the traumatic event, and avoidance of things that can call the traumatic event into mind (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, Nock, 2014). About 7 percent of Americans suffer from PTSD. Family members of victims can also develop PTSD and it can occur in people of any age. The diagnosis for PTSD requires one or more symptoms to beRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1471 Words   |  6 PagesRunning head: POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER 1 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Student’s Name Course Title School Name April 12, 2017  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental disorder that many people are facing every day, and it appears to become more prevalent. This disorder is mainly caused by going through or experiencing a traumatic event, and its risk of may be increased by issuesRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) Essay1401 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to the Mayo-Clinic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD is defined as â€Å"Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event† (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014). Post Traumatic Stress disorder can prevent one from living a normal, healthy life. In 2014, Chris Kyle playedRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1198 Words   |  5 Pages Post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) is a mental illness that is triggered by witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. â€Å"PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, but it can result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as mugging, rape, torture, being kidnapped or held captive, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes(NIMH,2015).† PTSD is recognized as a psychobiological mentalRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1423 Words   |  6 Pages Mental diseases and disorders have been around since humans have been inhabiting earth. The field of science tasked with diagnosing and treating these disorders is something that is always evolving. One of the most prevalent disorders in our society but has only recently been acknowledged is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Proper and professional diagnosis and definitions of PTSD was first introduced by the American Psychiatric Association(APA) in the third edition of the Diagnostic andRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) Essay1162 Words   |  5 PagesSocial Identity, Groups, and PTSD In 1980, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD,) was officially categorized as a mental disorder even though after three decades it is still seen as controversial. The controversy is mainly founded around the relationship between post-traumatic stress (PTS) and politics. The author believes that a group level analysis will assist in understanding the contradictory positions in the debate of whether or not PTSD is a true disorder. 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We can express our appreciation to our veterans by creating more support programs, help them go back to what they enjoy the most, and let them know we view them as a human not a disgrace. According to the National Care of PTSD, a government created program, published an article and provides the basic definition and common symptoms of PTSD. Post-traumaticRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1780 Words   |  8 Pagesmental illnesses. One such illness is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental illness that affects a person’s sympathetic nervous system response. A more common name for this response is the fight or flight response. In a person not affected by post-traumatic stress disorder this response activates only in times of great stress or life threatening situations. â€Å"If the fight or flight is successful, the traumatic stress will usually be released or dissipatedRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1444 Words   |  6 PagesYim – Human Stress 2 December 2014 PTSD in War Veterans Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that is fairly common with individuals that have experienced trauma, especially war veterans. One in five war veterans that have done service in the Iraq or Afghanistan war are diagnosed with PTSD. My group decided to focus on PTSD in war veterans because it is still a controversial part of stressful circumstances that needs further discussion. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD amongst war

Gay Teenagers and Suicide Essay Example For Students

Gay Teenagers and Suicide Essay Community and School Support for Gay YouthMany gay and lesbian youths are fortunate to have families that are supportive. Some are fortunate to go to high schools that have gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender groups that met on the premises. Some schools make outstanding efforts to be safe places, both physically and emotionally. But this is some, not all and certainly not most. Most efforts to organize for teen gays are met with disdain in communities and schools. Efforts are often rallied against. Fortunate gay youth have family and friends that support them and keep them out of the grip of adolescent depression. Being homosexual in the conformist and often homophobic atmosphere of junior and senior high schools drives many to make extreme choices. If untreated, the sense of despair kids feel when they dont flow with the mainstream can lead to suicide. Although a recent University study said homosexuality and bisexuality are not significant factors in suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts or suicide intentions for teenage girls, the same cannot be said for the boys. The study, published in an August edition of the American Journal of Public Health, claimed homosexual or bisexual junior high school and senior high school boys are seven times more likely than heterosexual boys of the same age to report suicide attempts. The research said 131 male respondents identified themselves as â€Å"bisexual or mostly/100 percent homosexual.† More than 28 percent of them reported suicide attempts. That is compared to more than 4 percent of heterosexual counterparts claiming suicide attempts. Traditionally, females are up to nine times more likely to attempt suicide than males, according to American Association of Suicidology documents. Males, though, are six times more likely to complete a suicide, a fact attributed to greater handgun use for suicide by males. The University findings placed heterosexual girls in the 14 percent range for reported suicide attempts. About 20 percent of homosexual or bisexual teenage girls responded similarly. Researchers used the findings to suggest that homosexuality/bisexuality in itself is not a lone determiner of suicide risk for teens. Heterosexual and homosexual or bisexual girls had nearly uniform rates of suicidal thoughts or intent. These statistics led researchers to conclude that sexual orientation is not the cause of suicide attempts because it does not operate that way in girls. Instead, researchers point to other factors for the high rates of reported suicide attempts for gay males. Factors such as verbal and physical harassment, substance use or isolation of boys thought of as sexually different than their heterosexual peers contribute to their high rates of suicide. In 1989, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a report stating that up to a third of all teen suicides were committed by gay youths. The validity of these findings has been at the heart of heated debate ever since. The University study is one attempt to legitimize the relationship between homosexuality/bisexuality and suicide. The study utilized data from a 1987 survey of more than 36,000 Minnesota students in grades seven to 12. The survey was filled out by 95 percent of the students. Researchers from the University’s Youth and AIDS Project said their â€Å"unbiased† findings end contentions over whether there is a relationship between homosexuality and suicide.

Why did Certain Groups Revolt Against Peter the Greats Policies

Throughout the course of known history, it has always been the case that the implementation of various innovations in particular country’s socio-political, cultural and scientific life, would initially be met with a fierce resistance, on the part of self-proclaimed ‘guardians of tradition’.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why did Certain Groups Revolt Against Peter the Great’s Policies? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nevertheless, it had always proven to be only the matter of very short time, before such resistance would be subdued. In this paper, we will aim to substantiate the validity of an earlier statement, by reflecting upon the specifics of how Peter the Great went about modernizing Russia through 1689-1725. Within the matter of few years, after having ascended to Russia’s throne in 1689, Peter had made it clear to Russian boyars (nobles) and to Orthodox Church’s clergymen that struggling with Russia’s social and cultural backwardness represented his life’s foremost priority. And, Peter’s activities throughout his early tsardom, leave few doubts as to the fact that it was namely the undisputed dominance of Orthodox Church in country’s socio-political life, which he perceived as the actual root of Russia’s backwardness. For example, in 1692, Peter parodied the functioning of Orthodox Church by establishing a so-called ‘Vseshuteishyi, Vsepyaneishyi I Sumasbrodneishyi Sobor’ (Most Drunken Council of Fools and Jesters) – a carnivalesque mockery of Church’s High Council, which was perceived by Peter’s contemporaries as the clear proof of his sinful-mindedness. Yet, as many historical studies on the subject matter indicate, there was nothing new about drunken orgies that occurred in times of Peter Sobor’s gatherings – these orgies used to be an essential part of Ort hodox clergymen’s lives, just as it was the case with their Catholic counterparts.1 By establishing his Synod of Fools and Jesters, Peter simply exposed Church’s dirty laundry – hence, contributing to the establishment of initial preconditions for Russia’s rapid transformation from essentially a barbaric little principality, to one of the world’s greatest empires.Advertising Looking for essay on eastern europe? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Apparently, Peter was perfectly aware of a simple fact that the concepts of ‘tradition’ and ‘spirituality’ are innately counter-productive, for as long as the process of facilitating cultural progress is being concerned. Being at the time one of Russia’s only few intellectuals, Peter knew well that only science provides people with practically valid answers to life’s dilemmas. This why, upon having decided to set R ussia upon the course of progress, Peter realized that he had no choice but to travel to Europe, in order to study a variety of different sciences, such as shipbuilding, mathematics, philosophy, ethics, etc. In its turn, this explains why Peter’s ‘Grand Embassy’ to Europe lasted for an year – during the course of this time, Peter and his closest associates never ceased studying and even indulging in physical labor on full-time basis. It is not by a pure accident that Peter’s contemporaries used to refer to young Russian Tsar as ‘carpenter on the throne’ – so strong was his desire to turn Russia into civilized country that he did not mind working himself to exhaustion at Zaandam and Deptford’s shipbuilding yards as a commoner.2 Nevertheless, whatever the ironically it might sound – it was exactly to due to Peter being endowed with rationale-driven intellect and due to his willingness to work hard, in order to be able to benefit Russia, that the number of Russians began to perceive him as ‘evildoer’. Given the fact that Orthodox Church have traditionally strived to discourage people from taking an active stance in life, it comes as no surprise that in 17th-18th century’s many Russians seriously believed that material riches should just fall out of sky, for as long as one prays hard enough. This explains why these people considered Peter’s hardworking qualities as the proof of his ‘ungodliness’. After having returned to Russia in 1698, in order to take care of streltsys’ rebellion, instigated by overly-traditional princess Sophia, Peter had dealt with rebellions rather decisively – eight hundred of them were executed in the center of Moscow, within the a matter of days. The rumors about Peter’s cruelty began to spread throughout the Russia.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why did Certain Groups Revolt Against Pete r the Great’s Policies? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, it is not the fact that Peter was a cruel individual with rather short temper, which had won him a strong disfavor with the great number of Russians, while he was on the throne. The real reason why, throughout Peter’s reign, people continued to revolt against implementation of his progressive innovations, in the fields of national defense, industry, trade, tax system, state administration and education, was their mental primitiveness. Russian boyars and high-ranking members of Orthodox Church’s clergy were aware of the fact that, if Peter was allowed to proceed with modernizing Russia unopposed, it will only be the matter of short time, before their parasitic mode of existence would end. It goes without saying, of course, that while articulating their grievances against Peter, these people did not act in intellectually honest matter – instead of admitting that Peter’s reforms simply threatened their bellyful idleness, they wanted to represent these reforms as such that undermined Russia’s ‘spiritual foundations’. According to Slavophiles, Peter’s reforms caused a great deal of damage to Russia’s natural path of development, as in their eyes, this path was inconsistent with the ways of the West.3 In other words, there was absolutely no rationale behind some traditionally-minded Russians’ unwillingness to accept Peter’s reforms, just as today there is no rationale behind some Muslim immigrants’ refusal to live by Western secular laws, after having relocated to Western countries. What gives Peter a huge credit is that, even as far back as at the end of 17th century, he had shown the whole world of what represents the best way to deal with intellectually inflexible people’s ‘traditionalist’ prejudices – if they want to proceed with deny ing the light of civilization, let them be taxed.Advertising Looking for essay on eastern europe? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There is a famous story of how Peter the Great addressed the issue of Russian boyars refusing to take baths, to wear Western costumes and to shave off their flea-ridden beards. Peter simply issued a decree, according to which, those who wanted to stick to ‘traditional values’ had to pay taxes. Bearded Russians were given a few weeks of time to whether find necessary sum of hundred rubles, in order to be able to retain their beards for a lifetime, or to dispose of their beards altogether. Those who could not afford paying that much but still wanted to maintain their barbaric appearance, had a option to pay for keeping their beards on annual and monthly basis.4 As practice showed, Russians’ willingness to pay taxes, in order to be able to retain their beards, did not last for too long, even though initially, ‘traditionalists’ used to threaten Peter with ‘God’s vengeance’ for his ‘unholy’ intention of popularize the noti on of personal hygiene among them. The ‘God’s vengeance’ also did not fall upon Peter, on account of his other ‘unholy’ deeds, such as collecting Church’s bells, and making cannons out of them, adopting Julian calendar, subjecting Church’s authority to the secular authority of the state, creating Russia’s Navy out of nothing, introducing the principle of draft for sustaining Russian Army of 210.000.000 strong at all times, establishing Russia’s first newspaper Vedomosti (News), building the great city of Petersburg as Russia’s new capital, etc.5 Nowadays, some historians suggest that, in order for just about anyone to be able to even partially grasp the extent of Peter’s contribution to the process of building and civilizing Russian Empire, he or she would have to take a stroll along this city’s streets.6 Just as any political figure of a great historical significance, Peter used to be focused on fulfi lling long-term objectives, which is why it comes as not a particular surprise that many of his simple-minded contemporaries did not fully appreciate the role he was playing in the history of Russia. Just as Napoleon, Peter the Great believed in secularization and modernization as the only pathways towards building a better society. Just as Napoleon, he had no choice but simply to crash those who resisted him, due to their intellectual backwardness. And, just as it was the case with Napoleon, who never ceased being perceived as an ideal ruler by famous intellectuals of the era, such as Ludwig van Beethoven and Thomas Jefferson, the legacy of Peter the Great’s never ceased inspiring Russian intellectuals, well after his death.7 For example, Peter’s vision of Russia as a modern European state was shared by such Russia’s renowned scientists as Lomonosov and Tatischev. In their turn, they strived to communicate this vision to Peter’s successors on the throne. 8 Thus, just as we have stated earlier, the only reason why certain groups in Russia did revolt against Peter the Great’s policies, is that the representatives of these groups could never appreciate the sheer significance of Peter, as a historical figure. They wanted to continue living in patriarchic society, unaffected by the rapid pace of cultural and scientific progress that was taking place in Europe. They wanted to continue professing ‘traditional values’ (read – prejudices), as if outside world did not even exist. The closer analysis of these people’s stance, in regards to Peter’s reforms, reveals an undeniable fact that it was namely their religious fanaticism, which added to the strength of their resolution to defy Peter the Great. For example, after the functioning of Russian Orthodox Church was reformed by Peter’s adoption of Julian calendar, it resulted in creation of so-called Movement of Raskolniks, the affiliates of which would go as far as referring to their Tsar as the ‘Son of Satan’. Just as today’s Jehovah Witnesses, Raskolnics used to indulge into social withdrawal, in full sense of this word. They refused to pay taxes, to serve in the army, to take part in administering country and to obey even the basic secular laws.9 There used to be whole villages of these fanatics, who would rather burn themselves, then criss-crossing their foreheads with three fingers instead of two, as they were accustomed to. Thanks to Peter the Great though, these people did not succeed with their agenda of keeping Russia in the state of primeval savagery. Despite the fact that there were very many controversial aspects to Peter’s reforms, the laws of history dialectically predetermined his triumph over the enemies. References Anemone, Anthony â€Å"The Monsters of Peter the Great: The Culture of the St. Petersburg Kunstkamera in the Eighteenth Century.† The Slavic and East  European Journal 44.4 (2000): 583-602. Burbank, Jane Ransel, David. Imperial Russia: New Histories for the Empire.  Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1998. Kamenskii, Alex Griffiths, David. The Russian Empire in the Eighteenth  Century: Searching for a Place in the World. Armonk, N.Y. : ME Sharpe, Inc., 1997. Kohn, Hans â€Å"Napoleon and the Age of Nationalism.† The Journal of Modern History 22.1 (1950): 21-37 Lewitter, Lucjan â€Å"Peter the Great and the Modern World.† History Today 35.2 (1985):16-23. Mackay, Charles. Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions. London: Richard Bentley, 1841. Raeff, Marc â€Å"The Bureaucratic Phenomena of Imperial Russia, 1700-1905.† The  American Historical Review 84.2 (1979): 399-411. Raleigh, Donald Iskenderov, Akhmed. The Emperors and Empresses of  Russia: Rediscovering the Romanovs. New Russian History. Armonk, N.Y.: ME Sharpe, Inc., 1996. Waliszewski, Kazimierz. Peter the Great. New York: Haskell House Publisher s, 1897 (1969). Footnotes 1 Anthony Anemone, â€Å"The Monsters of Peter the Great: The Culture of the St. Petersburg Kunstkamera in the Eighteenth Century,† The Slavic and East European Journal 44.4 (2000): 591. 2 Lucjan Lewitter, â€Å"Peter the Great and the Modern World.† History Today 35.2 (1985):18. 3 Donald Raleigh Akhmed Iskenderov, The Emperors and Empresses of Russia: Rediscovering the Romanovs. (Armonk, N.Y.: ME Sharpe, Inc., 1996) 4. 4 Charles Mackay, Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions. (London: Richard Bentley, 1841) 232. 5 Marc Raeff â€Å"The Bureaucratic Phenomena of Imperial Russia, 1700-1905,† The American Historical Review 84.2 (1979): 400. 6 Alex Kamenskii David Griffiths, The Russian Empire in the Eighteenth Century: Searching for a Place in the World. (Armonk, N.Y.: ME Sharpe, Inc., 1997) 77. 7 Hans Kohn â€Å"Napoleon and the Age of Nationalism,† The Journal of Modern History 22.1 (1950): 21-37. 8 Jane Burbank David Ranse l, Imperial Russia: New Histories for the Empire. (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1998) 50. 9 Kazimierz Waliszewski, Peter the Great. (New York: Haskell House Publishers, 1897/1969) 159. This essay on Why did Certain Groups Revolt Against Peter the Great’s Policies? was written and submitted by user Spirit to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.