The Underground Railroad Essay -- UGRR Slavery

Presentation Envision yourself a slave, eager, beaten, and debilitated with distress at having had your opportunity, family and every one of that makes you human took from you. However, at that point, you receive expression of a route in return all. It will isolate you from all whom you love, it will jeopardize your life, yet that is the cost for opportunity from the bondage of the south. Individual slaves start acting unusually, gathering apparatuses, apparel, and food. You glance around, and all you see is a newly washed blanket hanging out to dry. At that point you start to understand that there is another blanket like clockwork, each with another example, and with each blanket, your individual slaves correspondingly perform an ever increasing number of preparative errands. So you go along with them, understanding this is your lone opportunity to become human once more, your opportunity to trick the framework and win your opportunity as a definitive prize. At last, presently that you’ve got on to the messages contained in the blankets and otherworldly tunes, you see that hotly anticipated example, â€Å"tumbling boxes,† and you don’t think back. Starting now and into the foreseeable future, it is all depending on your impulses, and your mind. There are individuals that will support you, however twice the same number of that need to slaughter you. Good karma and god-speed, you have quite recently joined the Underground Railroad, see you in Canada! The Underground Railroad was neither a railroad nor underground. It was a mind boggling system of liberated slaves, dark supporters, and northern abolitionists. Celebrated names that embellished the railroad were Harriet Tubman, William Still, and Frederick Douglass, to give some examples. In the core of the South, there was a casual, yet profoundly complex framework developing. The foundation of subjugation had twisted the hearts of too much, and now they were discreetly revolting. Named during the steam engin... ...W. Norton and Company, 1996 Siebert, Wilber H. The Undergound Railroad from Slavery to Freedom New York: Russell and Russell, 1898 Tobin, Jacquline L. Covered up in Plain View New York: Doubleday, 1999 Web Sources: http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/ http://afroamhistory.about.com/ http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Topic/Diversity/Specific/Race/Specific/African_American_Resources/Bibliographies/ugrrbib.html http://www.cr.nps.gov/aahistory/ http://www.geneseo.edu/~brl1/Photos.html http://jfg.girlscouts.org/Talk/whoami/Culture/AfricanAmerican/FreedomSquares2.htm#Crossroads http://www.histori.ca/search.do?config=htdig-en&words=underground+railroad http://www.state.vt.us/vhs/instruct/urbiblio.htm http://www.ugrr.org

Free Essays on Violence Among Children

Brutality among kids, particularly youngsters, has become an upsetting pattern nowadays. It appears there is a school shooting on the news each other week. Guardians have accused the viciousness for television’s glorification of carnage and sex, the verses from some rap craftsman or rock gathering and games that advance brutality. They have accused everybody and everything other than themselves. Adolescent savagery has arrived at unfathomable statures, not in view of the media but since of the absence of parental mediation at home. Violations carried out in the past don't appear as far reaching contrasted with wrongdoings in the present. Consistently it appears brutality in kids is progressively common. Every year in the United States, at any rate 1000 people beneath the enchantment â€Å"adult† age of 18 years are imprisoned for acts of manslaughter. In many years, since the 1980’s, there have been altogether progressively, 1500 youthful executioners and up. By 1999, it appeared to be difficult to complete out a school year without three or four revealed slaughters on dispersed grounds, and murders in the home†¦were numbingly standard (Newton 1). For instance, on April 21, 1999, two secondary school understudies carried out an immeasurable wrongdoing. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who had a place with a gathering named â€Å"the Trench Coat Mafia†, went into their secondary school, killed 12 understudies and one educator before ending their own lives. Wrongdoings of comparable design have been happening everywhere throughout the United States and as a general public we still can't seem to concoct a sensible explanation with respect to why this occurs. Guardians are continually dislodging the obligation of the activities of their kids. Accusing music, TV and games have done nothing to tackle this issue. Eric Harris and Dylan Kelbold said all that needed to be said with an email that was sent to the nearby police the days prior to the Columbine High School slaughter. â€Å"Surely you will attempt to accuse the garments I wear, the music I tune in to, or the w... Free Essays on Violence Among Children Free Essays on Violence Among Children Brutality among youngsters, particularly adolescents, has become an upsetting pattern nowadays. It appears there is a school shooting on the news each other week. Guardians have accused the brutality for television’s glorification of carnage and sex, the verses from some rap craftsman or rock gathering and games that advance viciousness. They have accused everybody and everything other than themselves. High school brutality has arrived at inconceivable statures, not as a result of the media but since of the absence of parental mediation at home. Wrongdoings carried out in the past don't appear as across the board contrasted with violations in the present. Consistently it appears brutality in youngsters is increasingly pervasive. Every year in the United States, at any rate 1000 people beneath the enchantment â€Å"adult† age of 18 years are imprisoned for acts of manslaughter. In many years, since the 1980’s, there have been altogether progressively, 1500 youthful executioners and up. By 1999, it appeared to be difficult to complete out a school year without three or four revealed slaughters on dissipated grounds, and murders in the home†¦were numbingly normal (Newton 1). For instance, on April 21, 1999, two secondary school understudies carried out a limitless wrongdoing. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who had a place with a gathering named â€Å"the Trench Coat Mafia†, went into their secondary school, killed 12 understudies and one educator before ending their own lives. Violations of comparable design have been happening everywhere throughout the United States and as a general public we still can't seem to think of a coherent explanation with respect to why this occurs. Guardians are continually uprooting the obligation of the activities of their youngsters. Accusing music, TV and games have done nothing to take care of this issue. Eric Harris and Dylan Kelbold said all that needed to be said with an email that was sent to the nearby police the days prior to the Columbine High School slaughter. â€Å"Surely you will attempt to accuse the garments I wear, the music I tune in to, or the w...

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Learn About the Falklands War

Fought in 1982, the Falklands War was the result of the Argentine invasion of the British-owned Falkland Islands. Located in the South Atlantic, Argentina had long claimed these islands as part of its territory. On April 2, 1982, Argentine forces landed in the Falklands, capturing the islands two days later. In response, the British dispatched a naval and amphibious task force to the area. The initial phases of the conflict occurred mainly at sea between elements of the Royal Navy and the Argentine Air Force. On May 21, British troops landed and by June 14 had compelled the Argentine occupiers to surrender. Dates The Falklands War began on April 2, 1982, when Argentine troops landed in the Falkland Islands. The fighting ended on June 14, following the British liberation of the islands capital, Port Stanley, and the surrender of Argentine forces in the Falklands. The British declared a formal end to military activity on June 20. Prelude and Invasion In early 1982, President Leopoldo Galtieri, the head of Argentinas ruling military junta, authorized the invasion of the British Falkland Islands. The operation was designed to draw attention away from human rights and economic issues at home by bolstering national pride and giving teeth to the nations long-held claim on the islands. After an incident between British and Argentine forces on nearby South Georgia Island, Argentine forces landed in the Falklands on April 2. The small garrison of Royal Marines resisted, however by April 4 the Argentines had captured the capital at Port Stanley. Argentine troops also landed on South Georgia and quickly secured the island. British Response After organizing diplomatic pressure against Argentina, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered the assembly of a naval task force to retake the islands. After the House of Commons voted to approve Thatchers actions on April 3, she formed a War Cabinet which first met three days later. Commanded by Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse, the task force consisted of several groups, the largest of which was centered on the aircraft carriers HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible. Led by Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward, this group contained the Sea Harrier fighters that would provide air cover for the fleet. In mid-April, Fieldhouse began moving south, with a large fleet of tankers and cargo ships to supply the fleet while it operated more than 8,000 miles from home. All told, 127 ships served in the task force including 43 warships, 22 Royal Fleet Auxiliaries, and 62 merchant vessels. First Shots As the fleet sailed south to its staging area at Ascension Island, it was shadowed by Boeing 707s from the Argentine Air Force. On April 25, British forces sank the submarine ARA Santa Fe near South Georgia shortly before troops led by Major Guy Sheridan of the Royal Marines liberated the island. Five days later, operations against the Falklands began with the Black Buck raids by RAF Vulcan bombers flying from Ascension. These saw the bombers strike the runway at Port Stanley and radar facilities in the area. That same day Harriers attacked various targets, as well as shot down three Argentine aircraft. As the runway at Port Stanley was too short for modern fighters, the Argentine Air Force was forced to fly from the mainland, which placed them at a disadvantage throughout the conflict (Map). Fighting at Sea While cruising west of the Falklands on May 2, the submarine HMS Conqueror spotted the light cruiser ARA General Belgrano. Conqueror fired three torpedoes, hitting the World War II-vintage Belgrano twice and sinking it. This attack led to the Argentine fleet, including the carrier  ARA Veinticinco de Mayo, remaining in port for the rest of the war. Two days later, they had their revenge when an Exocet anti-ship missile, launched from an Argentine Super Étendard fighter, struck HMS Sheffield setting it ablaze. Having been ordered forward to serve as a radar picket, the destroyer was hit amidships and the resulting explosion severed its high-pressure fire main. After attempts to stop the fire failed, the ship was abandoned. The sinking of Belgrano cost 323 Argentines killed, while the attack on Sheffield resulted in 20 British dead. Landing at San Carlos Water On the night of May 21, the British Amphibious Task Group under the command of Commodore Michael Clapp moved into Falkland Sound and began landing British forces at San Carlos Water on the northwest coast of East Falkland. The landings had been preceded by a Special Air Service (SAS) raid on nearby Pebble Islands airfield. When the landings had finished, approximately 4,000 men, commanded by Brigadier Julian Thompson, had been put ashore. Over the next week, the ships supporting the landings were hit hard by low-flying Argentine aircraft. The sound was soon dubbed Bomb Alley as HMS Ardent (May 22), HMS Antelope (May 24), and HMS Coventry (May 25) all sustained hits and were sunk, as was MV Atlantic Conveyor (May 25) with a cargo of helicopters and supplies. Goose Green, Mount Kent, and Bluff Cove/Fitzroy Thompson began pushing his men south, planning to secure the western side of the island before moving east to Port Stanley. On May 27/28, 600 men under Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Jones outfought over 1,000 Argentines around Darwin and Goose Green, ultimately forcing them to surrender. Leading a critical charge, Jones was killed later received the Victoria Cross posthumously. A few days later, British commandos defeated Argentine commandos on Mount Kent. In early June, an additional 5,000 British troops arrived and command shifted to Major General Jeremy Moore. While some of these troops were disembarking at Bluff Cove and Fitzroy, their transports, RFA Sir Tristram and RFA Sir Galahad, were attacked killing 56 (Map). Fall of Port Stanley After consolidating his position, Moore began the assault on Port Stanley. British troops launched simultaneous assaults on the high ground surrounding the town on the night of June 11. After heavy fighting, they succeeded in capturing their objectives. The attacks continued two nights later, and British units took the towns last natural lines of defense at Wireless Ridge and Mount Tumbledown. Encircled on land and blockaded at sea, the Argentine commander, General Mario Menà ©ndez, realized his situation was hopeless and surrendered his 9,800 men on June 14, effectively ending the conflict. Aftermath and Casualties In Argentina, the defeat led to the removal of Galtieri three days after the fall of Port Stanley. His downfall spelled the end for the military junta that had been ruling the country and paved the way for the restoration of democracy. For Britain, the victory provided a much-needed boost to its national confidence, reaffirmed its international position, and assured victory for the Thatcher Government in the 1983 elections. The settlement that ended the conflict called for a return to status quo ante bellum. Despite its defeat, Argentina still claims the Falklands and South Georgia. During the war, Britain suffered 258 killed and 777 wounded. In addition, two destroyers, two frigates, and two auxiliary vessels were sunk. For Argentina, the Falklands War cost 649 killed, 1,068 wounded, and 11,313 captured. In addition, the Argentine Navy lost a submarine, a light cruiser, and seventy-five fixed-wing aircraft.

How Technology Has Impacted Criminal Investigation Essay

How Technology has Impacted Criminal Investigation? Today, technology has affected our global surroundings in a number of ways. Technology has created a more advanced society and economy. We use technology in every aspect of life today. New innovations and technology helps create a safer atmosphere and reduces the rate of crime. Technology is the usage and knowledge of techniques or is systems of these things. Usage of technology in the criminal justice system is not new but more apparent today. Technology in criminal justice will continue to challenge us to think about how we turn information into knowledge. Due to new technology, criminal investigations are able to maintain and improve their processes. Forensic science, DNA, other†¦show more content†¦Now a day’s evidence can change a person’s life in the blink of an eye. â€Å"People were often punished for crimes based on the word of one or two individuals, with little concern given to sorting out the t ruth of the affair† (Hunter 12). But today a person must be tried and some physical evidence is needed in order for a person to be convicted of a crime. â€Å"Forensic science has become in the early 21st century what the space race was in the 1960s- an accessible and inspiring (Gaensslen) into the world of science† (Gaensslen ix). This may be true but forensic has not always existed forever. Many people began hearing about forensic science during the 1990s when many of crime shows became popular. In actuality forensic science goes as far back as ancient China. Sculptors used fingerprints to identify their artwork from that of others. This may not be what forensics has evolved into but it had to begin somewhere. The first text reference of forensics first showed up in Hsi Duan Yu, which was published in about 700 CE (Hunter 18). It noted that many bodies have various characteristics that make them different. Many of the early forensic advances took place in the 1700 and 1800s. In 1784 the physical matching of evidence began. It was first used in the case of John Toms to link him and a piece of pistol wadding to a murder (Lotter). From then on forensics began to grow exponentially. â€Å"A major landmark in forensic science, the discovery thatShow MoreRelatedInvestigation Of A Criminal Investigation Essay1447 Words   |  6 PagesInvestigation Research A criminal investigator can be described as an individual who collects, records, and analyzes evidence and information related to a criminal offense. The main goal of criminal investigation is to discover the truth regarding the events and processes that contributed to the occurrence of a criminal offense. Generally, the investigative process has four major objectives i.e. establishing the occurrence of an offense, determining and arresting the suspect, recovering stolenRead MoreCsi Effect Essay1231 Words   |  5 Pagesis the use of science and technology to investigate and establish facts in criminal courts of law (free-dictionary, n.d). But there is an upcoming issue which involves the exaggerated details of forensics science. This paper explores the CSI Effect, compares and contrasts criminalistics which involves the nature of the crime and criminology which is the study of the criminal behavior, explores how criminalistics and criminology is fictionally portrayed in the medi a and how the CSI Effect influencesRead MoreHow Technology Has Changed Our Lives Essay1285 Words   |  6 Pagesdress and behave, but also there are many changes in forms of entertainment. In the past when technologies had not developed much, people usually entertained by getting together to dance, sing, or listen to music; many of them went to a small bar in the community to drink or play cards. Today is completely distinct from the time in the past. With innovative science and modern technologies, the entertainment has become easier and more convenient for all people. Everyone can relax and amuse themselvesRead MoreThe Fight Organized Crime Regime1692 Words   |  7 PagesSince the beginning of the 21st century, organized crime has grown in complexity. With this new era, law enforcement has been made to change and improve the ways in which they try and fight organized crime. With the use of technology, the new organized crime regime have used technology to its advantage and are seen as a very real threat to US law enforcement. Most members of law enforcement, anti-mafia NGOs and academic and journalistic analysts insist upon the fact that from the mid-1990’s on upRead MoreThe Uses Of Dn Dna Fingerprinting1486 Words   |  6 PagesDNA Fingerprinting Sir Alec Jeffreys’ 1984 discovery of DNA fingerprinting in England has revolutionized the criminal justice system by enabling legal entities to determine innocence or guilt of a suspect to a much higher level of accuracy(Butler). This discovery has also provided the ability to identify victims of natural disasters or catastrophes like 911(Lippincott). Additionally, DNA testing or profiling, has helped doctors and researchers to identify medical conditions and illnesses, determineRead MoreOffice Of Personnel Management ( Opm )1378 Words   |  6 Pagesbreach incidents that impacted information of Federal government employees and contractors. OPM discovered that the background investigation data of current, former, and future Federal employees and contractors had been stolen y hackers. OPM found that sensitive information, including the Social Security Numbers of 21 million individuals were stolen from the background investigation databases. This includes 20 million individua ls that applied for a background investigation, and 2 million non-applicantsRead MoreHistorical Development of Police Agencies Essay1536 Words   |  7 Pagesto change as did society, industrialism and urbanization, brought with it a rise in crime, causing police to shift towards a more proactive approach to law enforcement. In the 1800’s new technologies began another change with better response times and communications. The 20th century brought even more technologies which continue to aid law enforcement today. This era also brought to the attention of agencies that there was a lack of cooperation between police and communities and community policingRead MoreThe Evolution of Forensic Science699 Words   |  3 Pagesterm that refers to the use of science or technology in a court room environment. Forensic science plays an important role in modern popular culture; the police procedural is highly dependent upon cutting-edge forensic science. Moreover, many people are aware of the impact of DNA testing on the modern criminal justice landscape. However, forensic science actually predates many modern scientific advances; almost as long as there have been controversies, there has been some type of forensic science. Read MoreHistory Of Police. The United States’ Early Policing Was1265 Words   |  6 PagesHistory of Police The United States’ early policing was rooted in the ancient system of British common law (Reppetto, 2010). The system depended heavily on watch groups and citizen volunteers. The U.S. has taken up a lot of initiatives to reform its system of policing since the 1960s. President Lyndon Johnson played an integral part to facilitate early reforms to policing. The primary functions of police in the US include law enforcement, protection of property, and limiting of civil disorder. PoliceRead MoreOffice Of Personnel Management ( Opm )1745 Words   |  7 Pagesbreach incidents that impacted information of Federal government employees and contractors. OPM discovered that the background investigation data of current, former, and future Federal employees and contractors had been stolen y hackers. OPM found that sensitive information, including the Social Security Numbers of 21 million individuals were stolen from the background investigation databases. This includes 20 million indiv iduals that applied for a background investigation, and 2 million non-applicants

Management and Business Free Essays

string(78) " IT function will need to be brought in alignment with the enterprise vision\." John Ottersbach Info I-303 Organizational Informatics June 17, 2009 Project # 4 This is the project report from evaluating the AgCredit mini-case (Textbook pages 131-134) 1. Synopsis This case focuses on an agriculture credit and loan company whose core competency is based around its customer knowledge. The organization’s IT structure and function does not suit the business well. We will write a custom essay sample on Management and Business or any similar topic only for you Order Now The current setup is not enterprise architecture and staff issues are rampant. There has been a lot of preparatory work done in analyzing the situation and a new team was formed to chart a course of action to transform IT. With much of the information gathering completed, the team now must convince the business leadership of the changes and be brought on board. Communicating the goals and future plans to involve the business will be vital for the company’s IT to become effective. 2. Key Issues 1. The company’s executives are very busy with day to day operations and new initiatives. IT competence has slipped over time and the structure was never aligned with organizational vision. 2. Although some backend tinkering has made company wide information accessible in some cases, the current systems are not compatible and interaction between them is poor. . IT does not have credibility within the lines of business. This is a know shortcoming and will be addressed in the reorganization of IT. 4. Business processes are not understood by IT staff and often the business itself lacks a thorough gasp on their processes. The interconnections of the processes are unclear to both sides of the organizatio n also. 5. The divisions do not understand their role within the organization and they must figure out how they should support the enterprise. Aligning their individual goals with strategic drivers will need to be done. There are four business divisions within AgCredit. 6. The company’s strategic drivers are continuous growth, expanse of customer relationships, ability to spend more time with the customers, ability to cross-sell services, and provide a consistent experience to the customer. 7. A CIO position was created to align IT and the business and to guide the IT transformation. The new CIO has run a successful campaign with e-business and comes to the position with fresh eyes, but a lack of formal technical experience. He is comfortable utilizing contractors and taking in multiple points of view. 8. No IT governance or architecture is currently in place. Rather a divisional structure has existed and enterprise vision is shallow. IT decisions are made to fulfill short-term needs and initiatives. IT function is viewed as a support service for the business. 9. Some of the IT staffing issues are: low morale, high job ambiguity, unqualified staff filling positions, technical skills lacking in some areas, no senior IT manager positions, and many unfilled job roles. Part of retooling the IT architecture must be to sort out these staffing needs. 10. An application-centric attitude rules the company. This has led to four separate databases, one per division, and huge data untidiness and redundancy. 11. An SOA approach has been suggested based on organizational needs, to transform IT. Those needs include integrating technologies and platforms without replacement. Vendor choices will have to be narrowed and an approval process put in place backed with execution metrics and processes. 12. The next steps will be consolidating the customer data and strengthening its foundation. A single set of customer information is the expectation and this will also help build trust and credibility toward IT, within the organization. . Case Evaluation Strategy that was used This report looks at a â€Å"horizontal† slice of many interrelated issues (refer to Section 5 – later in the report – for further explanation of these issues). Mixing the details of the case with the general issues into a relevant and cogent analysis was the main concern and involved various methods. a. Setting the Context In order to formulate an organizational structure I role-played possible structures and looked for effective relationships. The case lent many good starting points and I just carried the ideas forward with an eye on the future. . Major Initiatives and Priorities of AgCredit After getting an idea of how the structure would look I applied knowledge from the other cases and best practices mentioned from the textbook to suggest a prioritization process for project selection. After developing textbook scenarios further for the new SOA model to test I looked at the possible outcomes and largest advantages. The recommendations are used in the answer section 4. c. Looking back Ideas for the capabilities and governance also came from the lectures, readings, and previous case work. Although the specifics are much different in that the standardization of equipment is not common between them, the cases all need better business-IT partnerships and oversight. Looking for what makes them similar and different gave a unique perspective to each case. 4. Discussion Questions The following are the answers to the discussion questions on page 134 of the textbook. Propose an organizational structure for the IT department that you feel would support the transformation of AgCredit into a processcentric organization. Recognition of business ownership will be vital to the organizational structure. Having the business sign on and join the conversation about IT and related projects will be instrumental. A steering committee will be need to be part of the approval process of all projects is needed to make sure an enterprise view is taken. The multidivisional committee will need to ensure all projects fit within a SOA framework. The CIO should be involved in the boardroom and have access to senior management, including the CEO. The CIO should hire senior management that can convey departmental and business objects and help guide IT employees. Account managers for each LOB that reside in the business but report to senior IT management should be installed. The entire IT staff will need to be reassessed to ensure the proper people are in the right job roles. The IT function will need to be brought in alignment with the enterprise vision. You read "Management and Business" in category "Papers" One option is to try to promote internally for vacant IT positions and insource the roles that cannot be filled. Insourcing will have the distinct advantage of training IT personnel while getting the job done as well. Outsourcing IT functions that are not core competencies can also be employed if desired. Outline a project selection process for AgCredit to ensure alignment with the enterprise business vision. As mentioned in the last question, a steering committee that represents many LOBs will need to be formed and giving decision making capabilities. The process should begin by examining how a project ties to the overall vision of the company. Next the committee members should outline how the project effects their division and could be used to meet departmental needs if possible. Additionally it will need to make sure it fits within the SOA and is not duplicated by other software nodes or current processes. If it is an enhancement or add-on to another project, communication with the end user to see potential benefits should begin. Making sure it can be modularized and standardized for the business will be vital for the organization’s architecture. Additionally making sure all project types are considered and funded through a tax upon all LOBs will be required to support SOA. How should Manley â€Å"make the case† for SOA to ensure that the executive team at AgCredit buys in? Manley will need to present the key strengths of SOA and make sure to focus on how it will support the company’s vision and goals. The transition will simplify the organization and speed up product implementation. * Current services and products will be available or modified for usability. * It supports web services that align with continuous growth opportunities, expanded customer relationships, and ability to cross-sell between the divisions. * It will immediately offer up opportunities for th e divisions both in terms of possible financial gains and stretching development dollars. * Existing services can be purchased and implemented quickly within the SOA. This increases our capabilities and ensures we stay caught up with the larger firms. In essence this can level the playing field providing valuable resources and systems. * Once the customer information is centralized, which is required for SOA, the savings from reducing database needs will be realized. * Having common processes will align the business as a whole and ensure value from increased communication and decreased uncertainty. * This kind of technology base may allow the way we work to change, for example working from home or on the road working through a VPN. What new internal IT capabilities will have to be developed in order to create an IT department to support AgCredits future business architecture? The capabilities needed to support the SOA from the IT perspective are management tools, information management tools, Information delivery options, development cycles, and a customer service attitude toward the divisions. Role clarification will be important in setting up these capabilities. Management tools include visioning and business alignment processes, funding methods, measurement metrics and focus, and monitoring methods. Information management tools include collection activities, organize process including schemes and taxonomy, process modules to use the information, and maintenance procedures that support business functions. Development cycles must conform to SOA standards and guidelines, using compliant hardware and software to make systems that breakdown the functionality, and complaint with regulatory needs, including system proficiency in creating reports for audit purposes. The customer service attitude will be needed to manage perceptions and keep close ties with the business. What aspects of IT governance do you think would be important in supporting this transformation? Before governance structures are formalized the enterprise and divisional vision and objectives should be outlined. With IT working alongside the business some guiding principles must be drafted up. This may involve setting up account managers within the LOB and forming a multidiscipline steering committee with considerable decision power. This steering committee should work closely with the CIO and have high level approval and corporate sponsorship. The governance system should focus on guiding the transformation process and keeping key issues in focus, such as sox and regulatory compliance. Stakeholder involvement in the steering committee will help the business and IT structures become partners and work together. It will ensure all voices are heard and considered in the decision making process. They should outline policy decisions that support the organization’s vision early on. 5. Issues I have Discussed I utilized the chart, Dr. Ramachandran offered, to find the connections between the subject matter we have studied and the case. My analysis follows: From Lecture 4 and the Textbook reading assignment pages 37 – 50. * In this case IT often takes a backseat to other business concerns. The CEO having to be approached on the weekend to look at IT issues shows a lack of perceived IT value. * The company has a reputation of customer knowledge and that has allowed for competitive advantage. * The CEO believes IT supports the business. This belief is reinforced with the way IT is set up to function and furthermore with its failure to meet the minimum standards of competency and credibility. The instinctual desire to outsource all of IT by Paul Manley is a good indicator of IT’s inability to deliver value to the business. * It commonly believed and accepted that IT and business are not aligned at a high level. The desire for the alignment exists and the CEO’s decision to promote a strong business head into the CIO position reflects this understanding. * IT possesses a low self worth due partly to poor organizational engagement and role ambiguity. Without high-quality, business-minded leadership the internal perspective of IT has suffered. OCBs are far less likely to occur in this weakened environment. Without a solid enterprise architecture in place IT lacks a unifying vision and single â€Å"brand†. This lack of oversight has not helped promote IT to the business. * With IT being viewed negatively at the executive level, as at the start of the case, IT is at a disadvantage when trying to return value to the organization. The increased bond between t he CEO and CIO will dramatically increase a positive perspective for the IT transformation. * The competency and creditability of IT is still highly suspect. The new CIO has acknowledged and is addressing the deficiency. There is an understanding that it will take time and energy to change the perception of the company. This is a prerequisite to having the business units buying into and taking a chance on IT. * The structural changes of IT should address perceptual issues as well at technical ones. The SOA will ensure the business, through their active role as data owners, views IT as a partner rather than just a service for the business. * The perceptual challenge ahead will involve a lengthy temporal component, the organizations view will not shift overnight. IT will have to build confidence and show the business that it adds value. Additionally perceptions will need to be continually managed with IT’s rocky history. From Lecture 6 and the Textbook reading assignment pages 72 – 85. * A good exercise before starting the restructure or even the consolidation to a single customer service file would be to get with the business and develop a technology roadmap. The entire process does not need to be completed before beginning other initiatives but this will give the organization focus and set current expectations. This will involve the business greatly and will open the lines of communication for IT and business operations. Since a large part of a technology roadmap is how technology will be implemented to support the enterprise vision, strategy, and objectives this will help ensure the divisions are working toward organizational unification. * Once the enterprise and divisional vision and objectives are lined out the process can begin. Working alongside the business some guiding principles must be drafted up. This may involve setting up account managers within the LOB and forming a multidiscipline steering committee with considerable decision power. IT staffing cannot be done correctly until business needs are communicated. It will be important to make sure the guiding principles map to the vision. * The vision from the textbook would consist of: continuous growth, expanse of customer relationships, ability to spend more time with the customers, ability to cross-sell services, and provide a consistent experience to the customer. Additionally implementing an SOA environment would need to be considered in the process. * Taking an inventory should be split into two sections. The first is coming up with a classification schema, which should work well with planning the SOA objectives. The second is assigning a technology custodian which will help build credibility by increasing transparency of responsibility. * A gap analysis of the current technology to required technology will also need to be completed. This will help build the relationship to the business and show competency for IT if done well. The level of business involvement must be high so an opportunity to influence perception is created. After identifying the missing links a scan of the available technology will need to be undertaken. SOA design will play a vital role in deciding on which software and hardware need to be developed or purchased. In order to get from point A to point B, point B being an SOA for the company, a solid migration strategy must be created. This will affect the projects that have been put on hold within the organization and future projects as well. This will need input from the business since they will be severely impacted. The steering committee should be well established and able to make informed decisions on this type of endeavor. A governance body will need to be installed that oversees this process and its future revisions. From Lecture 7 and the Textbook reading assignment pages 98 – 126. In order to succeed in the organization vision AgCredit has an Information Management system needs to be instituted. This will be housing the single customer information file. Visioning exercises will help develop policies to support the IM. * The IM will be a great first step toward changing the culture to acceptance of IT function and the partnership role in the organization. A SOA will be supported by this move also and will bring the company focus together. * Shaping the culture to accept the responsibility and a steer ing committee’s authority will take time to develop especially with such a weak IT role in the current organization. Bring them on board will be vital to success though. With all of the expected growth and centralizing of information security policy will have to become standardized and thorough. If any of the IT functions get outsourced this move will help make the transition and usefulness operate more smoothly and efficiently. * The initial SOA will be created through a process that needs full organizational representation and support. The final acceptance will need to be at the senior level though. * Adjusting the perspective and culture toward acceptance will be instrumental to the initiatives success. Paul Manley will need to take an active role in convincing the business to sign on and support the initiative. 6. Organization Chart CEO Jim Finney CIO Paul Manley COO Steve Stewart Kate Longair Samantha Secord Dirk Schader 7. Further Issues From Lecture 2 and the Textbook reading assignment pages 14 – 25. * IT and the business are not aligned. The business is not even aware of how the different divisions come together to work for the organization. The business will have to sort itself out as well as build a partnership with IT. * They have begun to revisit the business model and are aware there is a lot of work to be done. Since the business is aligning itself that leaves IT in a good position to tie itself to all LOBs. Strategic themes have not been capitalized upon but with the SOA the chances of identifying and being able to act on them will be greater. Getting strong leadership in place within IT and partnering with IT will be a major task that needs to be undertaken. * The different project types are currently not broken up and funded appropriately. The architecture projects seem to be falling behind and definitely not aligned with business strategy. The focus on all dimensions of IT strategy will need to be a priority for the new steering committee. Building these processes and methods alongside the business will ensure commitment and success. This has not been the case with AgCredit in the past but in order to get IT working for the company it will have to be adopted and maintained. * Account managers that report to the CIO or senior IT managers will need to be hired or found internally. IT and the business’s disconnect between must cease and they should unify. From Lecture 9 and the Textbook reading assignment pages 230 – 244. * IT has not kept pace with were it needs to be for the organization. They are not prepared to take on the expanded roles IT is expected to recently. The company will need to correct the IT organizational structure and then figure out what competencies they possess. They will need to chart the maturity and make sure they teach or hire staff that can fill the roles the company wants to keep internal. The notion of outsourcing all of IT was raised at the start of the case, but the executives need to get together and chart a course for the organization. After getting an idea of where they want to be they can actually start to consider what IT functions can be outsourced. Customer service functions and capabilities will need to remain in-house since this is the business’s competitive advantage in the environment. * The staffing issues in the company are a direct result of not realizing which IT functions the business needs to cultivate and rely on. There are too many functions for this company to be able to turn around perform well so something will have to give and other alternatives, either insourcing or outsourcing, need to be considered. Without knowing how the business divisions and processes fit together it will be hard to complete, but IT and the business need to work together to create a solution. How to cite Management and Business, Papers

The Effect of Prohibition on Organized Crime

During this prohibition of 1920 in United States, all activities contributing to the sales of alcohol were illegal. Such activities included import and export of raw materials and the final products, as well as the initial production and the transportation of alcohol. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Effect of Prohibition on Organized Crime specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This action of prohibition came because of realized rate of crimes and corruption among the top people, high levels of social conflicts, and increased taxes. The tax rate was too high although there was need for the government to collect money for supporting prisons, reconstructing poor houses, and to concentrate on the high risk areas where health and hygiene were at stake (Goldberg 214). As much as the government was in effort of prohibition, the consumption of alcohol became relatively high resulting to organized crimes. The hi gh level of organized crimes, made the court and the prisons working system overworked making the police and the public officials to practice corruption. The effect of alcohol prohibition act gave the Mafia group an opportunity of exercising their criminal acts. This is a big group of organized criminals from various ethnic groups. They operate in various nations including the United States and Canada. They deal with all illegal acts like drug and weapon smuggling, murder, and frauds among other disgusting activities (Thornton 114). During this period of alcohol prohibition there were widely involved in smuggling alcoholic drinks into the country to the capable and interested buyers. They discovered that the alcohol was scarce in United States and so decided to supply the citizens with alcohol illegally. They made a lot of money out of the illegal smuggling of alcohol, which was an indication of an act to benefit the organized criminals. This group used to bribe the public officia ls for their entry into the United States with illegal alcohol. The money they received from this illegal business funded this group to continue with their other organized crimes like prostitution, trafficking drugs, and other immoral activities. The United States prohibition act came into being through the eighteenth Amendment, where the police received the authority to enforce the law. The sale of alcohol was illegal in the United States, although in some places the alcohol beverage was still on sale especially the underground places where security would struggle to find them. Much of the alcohol that was on sale in the United States was from Canada, and the vendors used to sell it in private bars (Spiller 98).Advertising Looking for research paper on criminology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Immediately after the National Prohibition Act came into practice, an illegal system of criminals began its actions, whereby some o f them made millions and millions of us dollars by transporting alcohol illegally. During this period, the smuggled alcohol became too expensive such that some people would not afford it, and hence relied on the denatured alcohol. This denatured alcohol had some serious impacts on the users’ bodies like causing paralysis to major parts like hands and legs. Things became worse when increased death rates were realized in the United States because of this alcohol without the prohibitionist taking any action (Albanese 316). Some of the prohibitionists claim that the users of such kind of alcohol deserved that king of punishment and people continued loosing their lives. The level of corruption was very high during this period than any other. The public officials were facilitators as they asked for bribes from the illegal alcohol traders. According to the public officers, they wanted the prohibition period to last forever, and continue taking the advantage of the situation as the level of crime went up. Instead of benefiting from the alcohol prohibition, the nation suffered greatly from loosing its people, experiencing high levels of crime and corruption and violation of authority among others. During this period, some of the strong supporters of prohibition like Rockefeller confessed that instead of the society’s morals to improve from this act, the overall condition of the nation is getting worse. The negative effects of the act were far many than the positive ones. Through the alcohol prohibition act, an important source of government revenue was removed, and on the other hand, government spending shoots up. Some people who were already addicted to alcohol and could not afford the smuggled alcohol turned to dangerous drugs like opium, cocaine, and bhang among others (Freel 58). These are among the dangerous drugs that these people would never have used if alcohol were still legal. At he initial stages of the prohibition act the levels of alcohol consumption decreased but soon after increased a lot.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Effect of Prohibition on Organized Crime specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The government put several restrictions on alcohol consumption on land, although there was an exempt on the ships sailing at a distance of 3 miles and many people took advantage of this situation. During prohibition, some people also practiced both legal and illegal brewing at their houses, and became somehow popular. This came because of the alcohol that was in use such as wine and hard cider, as people produced it at residential places (Maisto and Galizio 306). In some areas still, the production of commercial wine was done in United States, and later stored in the government warehouses, only to be used in churches and other holy ceremonies. Some people decided to start selling malt extract for cooking and beverage uses, although some pe ople used it for alcoholic purposes. The main reason of the government to practice these restrictions on alcohol consumption was to reduce the crime rates that were very high in United States. So far, the crime rates were decreasing day by day as the prisons reduce the number of the inmates. Some wines like Whiskey were available for medical purposes. The labels on the bottles indicated clearly that the purpose of taking whiskey would be strictly be recommended by a doctor. The hospitals drug stores were full with whiskey bottles, because of increased patients who came with the same symptoms leading to whiskey as the right prescription (Dills and Miron 11). The government did not try to put some control on this, and hence the majority used this method to obtain whiskey from healthy facilities. The 1920 prohibition only put some restrictions on the production, selling and transporting the alcohol, but not in consuming or possessing. It was also possible to see people taking alcoho l after the amendments because those who had already manufactured or bought were allowed to use it throughout that period until they exhaust it.Advertising Looking for research paper on criminology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More During the prohibition period, the famous people in the country and the politicians were still taking alcohol. These politicians had widely voted for prohibition but thy later confessed that they were still making use of alcoholic drinks. This difference between the law and the actual practice by the lawmakers and other citizens resulted to disrespect of the government authority (Mildred 78). Although the government was trying as much as possible during the prohibition period to curb the use of alcohol in the country, more people still drunk illegally and criminals still continued taking advantage of the situation. The effects of prohibition ended up positively to some parts of the nation, but on the other hand increased the disrespect of the law and several cases of lawlessness. The 1920 prohibition also gave a good opportunity for the organized crime to take over the production, and transporting of the alcoholic drinks. Several bootleggers were able to prosper in their work of o rganized crimes through the much cash gotten from the illegal alcohol. In conclusion, criminal acts increases whenever there is a product that people want in large quantity, and yet only few who can act as suppliers. In such circumstances, the mafia group of the organized criminals and other criminals takes the advantage of supplying the item on demand (Lowinson and Millman 930). That is how even the ordinary citizens who were alcohol addicts before turned to be outlaw. The act of prohibition did not only increase the actions of the organized crimes, but also caused an increased government spending in efforts of trying to prosecute the criminals and to reduce the levels of the increased corruption. The government wasted much money, and on the other hand, the organized criminals gained a lot of money through the illegal transactions. As a result, the organized criminals developed and grew so much assuring their continuity through a strong financial base. There were no remarkable im pacts of alcohol prohibition, but only negative effects that were felt by one generation to the another for instance deaths and crimes. Works Cited Albanese, Jay. Organized Crime in our Times. New York: Elsevier, 2010. Dills, Angela and Jeffrey Miron. Alcohol Prohibition and Cirrhosis. New York: Cengage Learning, 2003. Freel, Brian. Passing the Mississippi Subject Area Testing Program in United States History. New York: American Book Company, 2002. Goldberg, Raymond. Drugs Across the Spectrum . New York: Cengage Learning, 2009. Lowinson, Joyce and Millman Robert. Substance use: a comprehensive textbook. New York: Lippincott Williams Wilkins, 2005. Maisto, Stephen and Galizio Mark. Drug Abuse and Use. New York: Cengage Learning, 2010. Mildred, Geoffrey. Drug Use in 1920 Prohibition. New York: Cengage Learning, 2006. Spiller, John. The United States 1920. New York: Routledge, 2004. Thornton, Mark. The economics of Prohibition. New York: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2004. This research paper on The Effect of Prohibition on Organized Crime was written and submitted by user Mckenzie Gentry 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.