Gun Ownership by Country -- Americans Lead

Gun Ownership by Country Americans Lead The United States has the highest level of gun ownership per person of any country. This fact is startling but true. According to data compiled by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and analyzed by  The Guardian, Americans own 42 percent of all civilian guns in the world. This figure is especially startling when you consider that the U.S. makes up just 4.4 percent of the worlds population. Just How Many Guns Do Americans Own? The estimated tally in 2012, according to the UN, was 270 million civilian-owned guns in the U.S., or 88 guns per every 100 hundred people.  Unsurprisingly, given these figures, the U.S.  has the highest number of guns per capita (per person) and the highest rate of gun-related homicides of all developed countries: 29.7 per 1 million people. By comparison, no other developed countries come even close to those rates. Among the thirteen developed countries studied, the average rate of gun-related homicide is 4 per 1 million people. The developed nation with the rate closest to the U.S., Switzerland, has just 7.7 gun-related homicides per 1 million people. (There are other countries with higher rates of gun-related homicide per capita, but not among developed nations.) Gun rights advocates often suggest that the U.S. has high annual numbers of gun-related crime because of the size of our population, but these statistics which examine rates rather than totals prove otherwise. About a Third of American Households Own All Those Guns In terms of ownership, however, the rate of 88 guns per 100 people is rather misleading. In reality, the majority of civilian-owned guns in the U.S. are owned by a minority of gun owners. Just over a third of U.S. households own guns, but according to the 2004 National Firearms Survey, 20 percent of those households own a full 65 percent of the total civilian gun stock. American Gun Ownership Is a Social Problem In a society as saturated in guns as the U.S., its important to recognize that gun violence is a  social, rather than an individual or psychological problem. A 2010 study by professors Paul Appelbaum and Jeffrey Swanson published in  Psychiatric Services  found that just 3–5 percent of violence can be attributed to mental illness, and in most of these cases guns were not used. While those with certain types of serious mental illness are more likely than the general public to commit an act of violence, these individuals only make up a small percentage of people with mental illness: most people with a mental illness don’t engage in violent behavior. Moreover, individuals with mental illness are also at a higher risk of being victims of violence. According to data from the National Institute of Mental Health, alcohol is a much more significant contributing factor to the likelihood of whether someone will commit a violent act. Sociologists believe that gun violence is a social problem because it is socially created by support for laws and policies that enable gun ownership on a mass scale. It is justified and perpetuated by social phenomena too, like the widespread ideology that guns represent freedom  and the troubling discursive trope that guns make society safer, though overwhelming evidence points to the contrary. This social problem is also fueled by sensationalist news coverage and dangerous politicking focused on violent crime, leading the American public to believe that gun  crime is more common today than it was two decades ago, despite the fact that it has been on the decline for decades. According to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, just 12 percent of U.S. adults know the truth. The connection between the presence of guns in a household and gun-related deaths is undeniable. Countless studies have shown that living in a home where guns are present increases ones risk of dying by homicide, suicide, or by gun-related accident. Studies also show that it is women who are at greater risk than men in this situation, and that guns in the home also increase the risk that a woman suffering domestic abuse will ultimately be killed by her abuser (see the extensive list of publications by Dr. Jacquelyn C. Campbell of Johns Hopkins University). So, the question then is, why do we as a society insist on denying the very clear connection between the presence of guns and gun-related violence? This is a pressing area of sociological inquiry if ever there was one.

Love. Negligent Tort Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Love. Negligent Tort - Coursework Example There must have been a duty of care owed by the defendant to the plaintiff, the duty of care must have been breached, the breach must have resulted into a loss, and the immediate loss must have been attributable to the actions of the defendant (Miller and Gentz, 2009). Duty of care refers to a person’s obligation to refrain from causing harm to other members of the society and from infringing other people’s rights. The principle of duty of care therefore establishes fundamentals of peaceful coexistence in the society. The measure of degree of duty of care in the law of negligent tort is measured by the standard of a normally rational person. Further, determination of the duty of care relies on the capacity of the defendant. There are however certain exemptions to a person’s duty of care to other parties. Foreseeable risks and contributory negligence for instance reduces a defendant’s liability to exercise a duty of care to another person (Miller and Gentz, 2009). Negligent tort is further defined by failure to exercise a person’s duty of care to others. The breach of duty of care is also defined by normal standards of the defendant and the environment. A professional medical practitioner is for example more liable for breach of duty of care to a patient than an ordinary citizen under the same conditions is. The breach of duty of care must subsequently be supported by a resultant legal damage. The term legal damage means that the injury that is suffered by the plaintiff must be actionable before a legal system. This is because some losses may not be legally recognized (Miller and Gentz, 2009). The final element of a negligent tort is the proximate causation. This element defines the relationship between the damage suffered and the actions of the defendant. Negligent tort can only be instituted if the damage suffered by the plaintiff is attributable to the defendant’s breach of duty of care (Ramlogan, Persadie and

War in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

War in Iraq - Essay Example Earlier this year, President Bush rejected a war funding bill offered by the Democratic-controlled Congress because it mandated a partial troop withdrawal beginning in October 2007, and continuing until all U.S. military personnel in Iraq were back home by April 2008. Bush responded with a veto stating that deadlines for troop withdrawals would be â€Å"irresponsible.† The Congress soon acquiesced and approved an Iraq spending bill with ‘no strings attached.’ Even congressional Democrats who are bitterly opposed to the war acknowledged that quickly withdrawing from Iraq would irreparably damage America’s long-held image of strength. This eventuality would be a political coup for Al Qaeda, as well as other terrorist groups, who could then credibly claim that the U.S. cannot back up its rhetoric with successful actions. CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen echoed the sentiments of the Bush administration by saying Iraq must not be another base of operations for Al Qaeda, that this would make this well-financed and growing terrorist organization much larger than ever. Leaving, in essence, would allow terrorism to become a much larger threat to the U.S. and western nations. Iraq’s neighbor Iran and Al Qaeda are predominantly Sunni Muslims. If the U.S. were to leave, the entire country would be ‘up for grabs’ dividing into Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish regions. Militant Sunni groups would control certain areas and would quickly establish training bases and encampments from which to launch terrorist’s actions worldwide.

Financial statements Accruals Prudence and Going Concern concepts

Financial statements Accruals Prudence and Going Concern concepts Discuss the problems for companies in applying the accruals, prudence and going concern concepts when preparing financial statements, and explain why at least two other concepts might also be important. Accounting concepts and conventions as used in accountancy are the rules and principles applied when recording economic events and in the preparation of financial statements, that all accountants abide by. Some of the fundamental accounting concepts that will be discussed are the accruals, matching, prudence, going concern and consistency concepts. In drawing up accounting statements, you have to make sure that they fairly reflect the true value of the business and the results of its operation. Whether they are external financial accounts or internally-focused management accounts, a clear objective has to be that the accounts fairly reflect the true value of the business and the results of its operation. Therefore we use the true and fair view. The true and fair view is applied in ensuring whether accounts do indeed portray the business activities. To support this view, accounting has adopted certain concepts and conventions which help to ensure that accounting information is presented accurately and consistently. Accounting concept and conventions [online], Available from: http://tutor2u.net/business/accounts/accounting_conventions_concepts.htm, Date accessed 12/11/12. Under the accruals concept revenue and costs are accrued (that is, recognized as they are earned or incurred, not as money is received or paid), matched with one another so far as their relationship can be established and recorded in the accounting records and reported in the financial statements of the periods to which they relate.. Thomas, A 1996, An Introduction to Financial Accounting, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill Having decided on the point at which revenue and expenses are recognised we turn to the matching convention. The matching convention in accounting is designed to provide guidance concerning the recognition of expenses. This convention states that expenses should be matched to the revenue that they helped to generate. Applying this convention may mean that a particular expense reported in the profit and loss account for a period may not be the same figure as the cash paid for that item during the period. McLaney E, Atrill P 1999, Accounting an Introduction, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall Europe All expenses should be matched to the period for which the sales revenue to which they relate is reported. In practice, this may be difficult to do for certain expenses such as gas charges incurred, as this is unlikely to be linked directly to particular sales. As a result, the gas charges incurred would be matched to the period to which they relate. Lets say that the gas company has yet to send out bills for the quarter that ends on the same financial year end. In this situation, an estimate will have to be made of gas expense outstanding. If the expense is predicted reasonably accurately it will have the desired effect of showing that, at the end of the accounting year. Businesses may face a difficulty in making an accurate prediction especially if its their first year in business or the usage of gas varies constantly. Continuity (going concern) this states that in the absence of evidence to the contrary it is assumed that the business will continue into the indefinite future. This convention has a major influence on the assumptions made when evaluation particular items in the balance sheet. This allows us to assume that stock will eventually be sold in the normal course of business (at normal selling prices). It also allows for the principal of depreciation. If we assume a car will have a useful life to the business of five years, we depreciate this fixed asset over five years. Alexander D, Britton A 1999, Accounting An Introduction, 5th edition, Gray Publishing, Kent. Problems may arise for companies applying the concepts of accruals and going concern. Under the accruals concept, revenue and costs are charged to the profit and loss account for the accounting period in which they were earned or incurred, not when cash is received or paid. Hence on the profit and loss account income or expenses shown is not what the business received/spent and then the concept of continuity attempts to spread the cost. Thus the concept displays a false picture as to what cash reserves are available within the business, which could result in serious cash flow problems. For example, the sales ledger may show many sales, while in reality the bank account may be empty because debtors havent paid yet, therefore the problems will arise when the debtors find it hard to pay off their debt, or delay in payment which will then affect the companys working capital. Thus, the profit indicated in the annual accounts is unrealistic as this shows a false picture on the actual busi ness performance at the end of the financial year. The Isab Argues That The Accruals And Going Concern Concepts Are Key Underlying Assumption In The Preparation Of Financial Statements. [online], Available from: http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Isab-Argues-Accruals-Going-Concern-Concepts/148529 [Accessed: 12.11.2009]. Prudence is the exercise of a degree of caution when conditions are uncertain. The aim is to ensure that income and assets are not over-stated and expense and liabilities are not under-stated. Financial Accounting an Introduction 2008, Accounting An Introduction, Ashford Colour Press, Hampshire. The prudence concept dictates that if the resulting future revenue (advertising, research) cannot be assessed with reasonable certainty, the expenditure should be treated as an expense in the profit and loss account of the year in which it is incurred. Managers should also not be over-optimistic in financial reporting, i.e. overstate profits, overstating profits is potentially dangerous because it can lead to a reduction of capital and dividends being paid out of profits that have not been earned. The prudence concept may be inconsistent with the matching principle and problems may arise for the business. Certain costs such as development expenditure should be carried forward to future years as a fixed asset and matched with the sales revenue generated by this expenditure. However, the prudence concept dictates that if future revenues are difficult to predict accurately, costs such as development expenditure should be written off to the profit and loss account in the year in which they are incurred. The business may overstate its expenses for the year when the benefit from the expense may be beneficial for many future years, like depreciation. Thomas, A 1996, An Introduction to Financial Accounting, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill The consistency is concept is also of vital importance for businesses. The consistency concept dictates that there should be consistency of accounting treatment of like items within each accounting period and from one period to the next. For example deprecation should be calculated the same way for every financial year and the purchase of certain tools and equipment should also be treated as fixed assets in subsequent years. This is to ensure meaningful comparisons can be made between different accounting periods and limit the possibility of misrepresentation. Thomas, A 1996, An Introduction to Financial Accounting, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill

Learning children to play percussion instruments Essay

The role of a teaching assistant is to maximise learning, create a safe and positive learning environment and to minimise behaviour problems. I would contribute to the lesson by trying to achieve this goal in the following way: I would ensure all the instruments are ready for the lesson, having checked they are in good repair and unlikely to cause injury. I would supervise the children using the instruments, i.e. check they hold them correctly, use them appropriately be a good role model demonstrating how instruments should be held and used. I would support children who are experiencing difficulties I would monitor children’s ability to use instruments, follow instructions, achieve outcome of lesson Safety would be about the state of the instruments, children’s use of them and ensuring mouth pieces are hygienically treated and maintained Making sure that music sheets are available if needed. I would also monitor their behaviours by supervising and to try and minimize disruptive behaviour, which will help the children keep interest in the lesson. I would also ensure that I carry out observations on the children to make sure they have the ability to use the instruments and to achieve the outcome of the lesson. As a teaching assistant I should also be prepared to offer feedback at the end of the session to either the children or the teacher.

The Appeal of College Essay Help Wise Essays

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Jean Melies s The Moon, By Georges Melies - 1334 Words

Science fiction films have been captivating audiences for almost as long as filmmaking has been around. Georges Mà ©lià ¨s’s overtly theatrical, 1902 masterpiece A trip to the moon, is one of earliest pieces of cinema of the 19th century. The film set the stage for a genre that would captivate audiences for decades to come. The definition of science fiction is somewhat fluid, but loosely defined as a sub-genre of fantasy that incorporates hypothetical, science-based themes into the plot of the film. The genre consists of many characteristics, one of which is the specific backdrop for the story being told. Primarily science fiction stories are set in the future, and depict in some way a utopian or dystopian society. Utopia in a science fiction would be portrayed as a perfect world. A peaceful government, and moral code would be prevalent, and there would exist no problems such as war, disease, inequality, and so forth. The latter would feature a world that is overrun with vio lence, oppression, and disease, â€Å"in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control.† (Chung, n.d.). Political and or social commentary is also portrayed in many science fictions. They’ll often deal with issues that were immediate concerns at the time of release, or potential issues society could face if change is not enacted. Finally, the most prominent element to the genre is the presence ofShow MoreRelatedHistory of Film6962 Words   |  28 Pagespress present. The purpose of the exercise was to determine whether a running horse ever had all four legs lifted off the ground at once. The cameras were arranged along a track parallel to the horse s, and each of the camera shutters was controlled by a trip wire which was triggered by the horse s hooves. They were 21 inches apart to cover the 20 feet taken by the horse stride, taking pictures at one thousandth of a second.[5] Roundhay Garden Scene 1888, the first known celluloid film recorded