Success or Failure in the Organizational Change Process Essay Example for Free

Success or Failure in the Organizational Change Process Essay With the current state of the economy today many organizations are faced with the task of implementing organizational change. The change that needs to occur can be either very successful or a complete failure if attention to the details of the change is not explored. The Concord Bookstore is an independent store that faced these challenges during a time of urgency for businesses to restructure in order to achieve a successful strategic renewal. When reflecting on the varying approaches an organization can take in order to form a strategic renewal, there were a few critical steps that the Concord Bookstore ignored. These important steps may have been what contributed to the failure of their organizational change. The Concord Bookstore is one small business that is facing economic hardship similar to what many other organizations of all shapes and sizes are. The need for restructuring was self-evident, but the manner in which the restructuring occurred led to employee and customer resistance alike. The first example I would like to address involves the history of the business as an independently owned entity that survived for 64 years. Upon tallying the staff’s time with the company collectively it outdid the existence of the company itself averaging 73 years of experience. This detail leads one to believe that it is this experience which has made the business so successful in the community for so long. When the owner of the company announced the need for organizational change, Spector (2010) noted this change as a â€Å"precipitating event [that] was a surprise announcement last month†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (p. ) This description alone illustrates a disjointed business in which decisions were made from the upper level corporate management straight to the community with no intermediate involvement from the managers and the employees of the business. When they chose to take this approach, it led to much resistance from the employees since it did not take into account any of their personal attributes as being integral parts of the businesses past successes. Although one can agree based on the current economy alone, that small business does have major challenges they need to face in order to stay profitable and successful, it is imperative to have employee support in order to achieve these objectives. During a time of strategic renewal it is important to note that an organizational change is necessary. The Concord Bookstore should have evaluated the behaviors of the employees in order to reflect a more supportive stance in order to gain acceptance of the organizational change. According to Burrows, as cited by Spector (2010) â€Å"In the corporate world, customers expect to be treated as long-term partners, actually having a say in the development of new products† (p. 5 ). This theory tends to illustrate the dissatisfaction of the customers of the Concord Bookstore that also took the announcement of the organizational change as a negative attribute. These concerns stated by both employee and customers alike are what led to the failure of the organizational change. For a successful strategic renewal to take place a business/organization should really first aim to work towards behavioral change. This can be done in a variety of ways. The first initiative that the Concord Bookstore should have taken was to work on the â€Å"motivation† of the employees. As referenced by Spector (2010), Denison noted that the advantage to behavioral change relies on â€Å"the manner in which work is organized, information is shared, decisions are made, coordination occurs, and problems are solved are [all] performance differentiators† (p 7). If these attributes are defined and utilized during the organizational change process then the advantages can sustain for the long-term. Many customers noted that the admirable qualities of the Concord Bookstore were the knowledgeable staff and their eagerness and joy to meet the consumer demands. By the corporate level management deciding how the business would be restructured with no employee or customer input, it is easily understood why there was so much resistance to the organizational change. With the â€Å"participation† of the employees and customers alike, an organizational change leading to a strategic renewal may have been more successful. The willingness to let the employees and customers alike â€Å"participate† demonstrates a value for the employees and the customers that an organization does business with. Spector (2010) noted that â€Å"participation in the process of defining problems and designing solutions will help build commitment to the new directions that result from that process† (p. 12). When one lets â€Å"participation† occur naturally, it leads to a sense of self-worth, allows the employees to feel apart of the restructuring, gives the employees a chance to be a part of finding solutions and supporting the process with more commitment and motivation. When the Concord Bookstore made their initial announcement none of these strategies took place. When there is a need for and organizational change it is hard to leave the status quo. It is even harder to leave something so familiar if not allowed to feel a valued asset of what had once in the past contributed so much to the success of a business. Had the Concord Bookstore allowed the employees to play a more active role in the organizational restructuring of the business, there may have been a much different outcome. In the end, the Concord Bookstore ended up defending its initiatives for organizational change but never had the support of the people it needed the most; its employees and customers. This case demonstrates a great example to the fact that every organizational change needs to also deal the behavioral change of the business in order to avoid any type of resistance and further meet long-term success and vitality.

Deforestation Essay -- essays research papers fc

Deforestation Table of Contents Introduction 1 Important Facts 1 Historical Background 1-2 Background Law 2 Causes of Deforestation 2 The Green House Effect 2-3 Reducing Deforestation 3 Case Studies 3-4 Pros and Cons 4-5 Conclusion 5 Bibliography 6 Ninety percent of our trees, 300 - 900 years old, have been cut down. The remaining 10% is all we will ever have. Deforestation is a significant issue of our time and must be taken seriously if we want to protect our remaining forests. The definition of deforestation by the Random House Dictionary of the English Language is "to divest or clear of forests or trees" and we must stop deforestation to save our planet. My intent on writing this essay is to enlighten the reader about the facts on deforestation and to express my opinions about deforestation. There are approximately 3 400 million hectares of forests in the world, nearly 25% of the world's land area. Close to 58% of the forests are found in the temperate/boreal regions and 42% in the tropics. For about a millennium, people have benefited from the forests. Forest products range from simple fuelwood and building poles to sophisticated natural medicines, and from high- tech wood based manufactures to paper products. Environmental benefits include water flow control, soil conservation, and atmospheric influences. Brazil's Amozonia contains half of the world's tropical rain forests. The forests cover a region 10 times the size of Texas. Only about 10% of Brazil's rain forests have been cut to date, but cutting goes on at an uncontrollable rate. Since pre-agricultural times the world's forests have declined one fifth from 4 to 3 billion hectares. Temperate forests have lost 35% of their area, subtropic... ... I believe that if deforestation is not reduced soon, our ecosystem will be permanently damaged and we will have lost many our resources. Until then you might want to contact these organizations to find out more about our forests and become involved: â‚ ¬ Association of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics P.O. box 11615 Eugene, OR 97440 (503) 484-2692 â‚ ¬ Global Relief P.O. box 2000 Washington, DC 20013 â‚ ¬ National Wildlife Federation 1400 Sixteenth St. N.W. Washington, DC 20036 (202) 797-6800 Bibliography Zuckerman, Seth. Saving our Ancient Forests. Los Angeles: Living Planet Press, 1991. Westoby, Jack. Introduction to World Forestry. New York: Basil Blackwell Ltd., 1989. Gallant, Roy. Earth's Vanishing Forests. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1991. Kerasote, Ted. Canada: The Brazil of the North? Toronto: Sports Afield, 1994. Deforestation Essay -- essays research papers fc Deforestation Table of Contents Introduction 1 Important Facts 1 Historical Background 1-2 Background Law 2 Causes of Deforestation 2 The Green House Effect 2-3 Reducing Deforestation 3 Case Studies 3-4 Pros and Cons 4-5 Conclusion 5 Bibliography 6 Ninety percent of our trees, 300 - 900 years old, have been cut down. The remaining 10% is all we will ever have. Deforestation is a significant issue of our time and must be taken seriously if we want to protect our remaining forests. The definition of deforestation by the Random House Dictionary of the English Language is "to divest or clear of forests or trees" and we must stop deforestation to save our planet. My intent on writing this essay is to enlighten the reader about the facts on deforestation and to express my opinions about deforestation. There are approximately 3 400 million hectares of forests in the world, nearly 25% of the world's land area. Close to 58% of the forests are found in the temperate/boreal regions and 42% in the tropics. For about a millennium, people have benefited from the forests. Forest products range from simple fuelwood and building poles to sophisticated natural medicines, and from high- tech wood based manufactures to paper products. Environmental benefits include water flow control, soil conservation, and atmospheric influences. Brazil's Amozonia contains half of the world's tropical rain forests. The forests cover a region 10 times the size of Texas. Only about 10% of Brazil's rain forests have been cut to date, but cutting goes on at an uncontrollable rate. Since pre-agricultural times the world's forests have declined one fifth from 4 to 3 billion hectares. Temperate forests have lost 35% of their area, subtropic... ... I believe that if deforestation is not reduced soon, our ecosystem will be permanently damaged and we will have lost many our resources. Until then you might want to contact these organizations to find out more about our forests and become involved: â‚ ¬ Association of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics P.O. box 11615 Eugene, OR 97440 (503) 484-2692 â‚ ¬ Global Relief P.O. box 2000 Washington, DC 20013 â‚ ¬ National Wildlife Federation 1400 Sixteenth St. N.W. Washington, DC 20036 (202) 797-6800 Bibliography Zuckerman, Seth. Saving our Ancient Forests. Los Angeles: Living Planet Press, 1991. Westoby, Jack. Introduction to World Forestry. New York: Basil Blackwell Ltd., 1989. Gallant, Roy. Earth's Vanishing Forests. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1991. Kerasote, Ted. Canada: The Brazil of the North? Toronto: Sports Afield, 1994.

Night World : Witchlight Chapter 14

Keller put her hands to her face. At first, she didn't recognize what was happening to her. Then she realized that she was crying. She was shaking, Raksha Keller who wasn't afraid of anyone and who never let her heart be touched. She was making those ridiculous little noises that sounded like a six-week-old kitten. She was dripping tears through her fingers. The worst thing was that she couldn't seem to make herself stop. Then she felt Galen's arms around her, and she realized that he was crying, too. He was better at it than she was. He seemed more used to it and didn't fight it as hard, which made him stronger. He was able to stroke her hair and even to get some words out. â€Å"Keller, I'm sorry. Keller†¦ can I call you Raksha?† Keller shook her head furiously, spraying teardrops. â€Å"I always think of you as Keller, anyway. It's just-you, somehow. I'm sorry about all of this. I didn't mean to make you cry. It would be better if you'd never met me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Keller found herself shaking her head again. And then, just as she had the last time, she felt her arms moving to hold him back. She pressed her face against the softness of his sweatshirt, trying to get enough control of herself to speak. This was the problem with having walls so hard and high and unscalable, she supposed. When they came down, they crumbled completely, shattering into nothingness. She felt utterly defenseless right now. Unguarded†¦ vulnerable†¦ but not alone. She could feel more than Galen's physical presence. She could feel his spirit, and she was being pulled toward it. They were falling together, falling into each other, as they had in the library. Closer and closer†¦ Contact. She felt the touch of his mind, and once again her heart almost exploded. You're the one. You're my soulmate, his mental voice said, as if this were an entirely new idea, and he was just discovering it and rejoicing in it. Keller reached for denial, but it simply wasn't around. And she couldn't pretend to someone who shared her thoughts. When I first saw you, he said, I was so fascinated by you. I already told you this, didn't I? It made me proud to be a shapeshifter for the first time. Aren't you proud? Keller was disconcerted. She still wasn't finished crying-but, yes, she was. With his warmth and passion shining into her, his arms locked around her, his mind open to her†¦ it was hard not to get swept up in it. I guess I'm proud, she thought to him slowly. But only of some parts of it. Other things†¦ What things? he demanded, almost fiercely protective. Our history? The dragons? No. Stuff you wouldn't understand Things about-animal nature. Even now, Keller was afraid of letting him see some parts of her. Leave it alone, Galen. All he said was, Tell me. No. It happened a long time ago, when I was three. Just be glad you get to pick what kind of animal you'll become. Keller, he said. Please. You don't like animal nature, she told him. Remember how you pulled your hand away when you touched my shoulder in the music room? In the†¦ ? His mental voice trailed off, and Keller waited grimly to feel the memory of disgust in him. But what came wasn't revulsion. Instead, it was a strong sense of longing that he was somehow trying to smother. And choked, wry laughter. Keller, I didn't pull away because I didn't like your fur. I did it because . . He hesitated, then burst out, sounding embarrassed, I wanted to pet you! Pet†¦ ? Your fur was so soft, and it felt so good when I moved my palm the wrong way against it-just like velvet. And-I wanted to-to do this. He ran a hand up and down her back. I couldn't help it. But I knew it wasn't exactly appropriate, and you would probably break my jaw if I tried it. So I took my hand away. He finished, still embarrassed, but half laughing. Now, you tell me what you're not proud of. Keller felt very warm, and she was sure her face was flushed. It was just as well that it was hidden. It was too bad-there was probably never going to be a time to tell him that she wouldn't mind being petted like that†¦ I'm a cat, after all, she thought, and was distantly surprised to hear him chuckle. There were no secrets in this kind of soul-link, she realized, slightly flustered. To cover her embarrassment, she spoke out loud. â€Å"The thing I'm not proud of-it happened when I was living with my first Circle Daybreak family. I used to spend a lot of time in my half-and-half form. It was easy for me to get stuck that way, and they didn't mind.† I wouldn't, either, Galen said. You're beautiful like that. â€Å"Anyway, I was sitting on my foster mother's lap while she was combing my hair, and I don't know what happened, but something startled me. Some loud noise outside, maybe a car backfiring. I jumped straight up and tried to race for my hiding place under the desk.† Keller paused, made herself take an even breath. She felt Galen's arms tighten around her. â€Å"And then-well, my foster mother tried to hold on to me, to keep me from being frightened. But all I could think of was danger, danger. So I lashed out at her. I used my claws-I have retractable claws in that form. I would have done anything to get away.† She paused again. It was so hard to tell this. â€Å"She had to go to the hospital. I forget how many stitches she needed in her face. But I remember everything else-being taken to another foster family because that one couldn't handle me. I didn't blame them for sending me away, but I always wished I could have told her how sorry I was.† There was a silence. Keller could feel Galen breathing, and that gave her an odd sense of comfort. Then he said quietly, out loud, â€Å"That's all?† Keller started, then lifted her head a little and made herself answer the same way. â€Å"Isn't it enough?† â€Å"Keller†¦ you were just a baby. You didn't mean to do any harm; it was an accident. You can't blame yourself.† â€Å"I do blame myself. If I hadn't been taken over by my instinct-â€Å" â€Å"That's ridiculous. Human babies do stupid things all the time. What if a human three-year-old falls into a swimming pool and somebody drowns trying to rescue her? Would you blame the baby?† Keller hesitated, then rested her head on his shoulder again. â€Å"Don't be silly.† â€Å"Then how can you blame yourself for something you couldn't help?† Keller didn't answer, but she felt as if a crushing load was sliding slowly off her. He didn't blame her. Maybe she wasn't to blame. She would always be sorry, but maybe she didn't need to be so ashamed. She tightened her own arms around him. Thank you, she thought. Oh, Keller. You're so wonderful, and you're so set against admitting it. Everything you do†¦ shines. Keller couldn't form any words for a moment. Then she said, Galen? When you do choose a form, choose something gentle. I thought you thought everybody has to be a fitter, he said, and his mental voice was very quiet. Some people shouldn't have to be. Then she just let him hold her. Another endless time, while they both seemed to be floating in soft, gold fire. It flared around them and through them, joining them. Sometimes she could hardly tell which thoughts were his and which were hers. He said, I used to write poetry, you know. Or try. My parents hated it; they were so embarrassed. Instead of learning to be a good hunter, their son was writing gibberish. She said, There's this terrible dream I have, where I look out at the ocean and see a wall of water hundreds of feet high, and I know it's coming and I can never get away in time. Cats and water, you know. I guess that's why. He said, I used to daydream about what kind of animal it would be most fun to be. But it always came down to the same thing, some kind of bird. You just can't beat flying. She said, One thing I always had to hide from my foster mothers was how much I liked to shred things. I thought I was being so clever when I would hide their panty hose after I used my claws on them. But when I did it on the sheer curtains one day, everybody knew. They talked and talked. And Keller gave herself up to it, to the simple pleasure of his closeness and the feeling that for once she didn't have to hide or pretend or defend herself. It was such a blessed relief not to have to pretend at all. Galen knew her, and he accepted her. All of her. He loved herself, not her black swirling hair or her long legs or the curve of her lips. He might admire those things, but he loved her, what she was inside. And he loved her with a sweetness and a power that shook Keller to her soul. She wanted to stay like this forever. There was something else waiting for them, though. Something she didn't want to think about but that loomed just outside the brightness and warmth that surrounded them. The world†¦ there's still a world out there. And it's in trouble. And we can't ignore that. Galen. I know. Very slowly, very reluctantly, Galen straightened, putting her away from him. He couldn't seem to let go of her shoulders, though. They sat that way, their eyes locked. And the strange thing was that the mental connection wasn't broken. They could still hear each other as they held each other's gaze. We can never be like this again, Keller said. I know. He had faced it as clearly as she had, she realized. We can't talk about it; we can't even be alone together. It isn't fair to Uiana. And we have to try to forget each other and just go on. I know, he said for the third time. And just when Keller was marveling at his quiet acceptance, she saw tears in his gem-colored eyes. Keller, it's my fault. If I weren't the son of the First House†¦ We'd never have met. And that would have been worse. â€Å"Would it?† he said out loud, as if he needed reassurance. Yes. She gave the answer mentally, so that he could feel the truth of it. Oh, Galen, I'm so glad we met. I'm so glad to have known you. And if we live through this, I'll be glad all my life. He took her into his arms again. â€Å"We have it, Boss,† Winnie said. Her eyes were sparkling. Beside her, Nissa looked calmly enthusiastic. â€Å"What?† Keller asked. She herself felt calmly alert, in spite of almost no sleep the night before. She and Galen had stayed up late, reading over the scrolls, making sure that there was nothing they had missed. They had already explained what they'd found to the others. Now Winnie was grinning at her. â€Å"How to protect Iliana at the party on Saturday. We've got it, and it's foolproof!† Nothing is foolproof, Keller thought. She said, â€Å"Go on.† It's like this. We put wards all around the Ashton-Hughes house, just like the wards Grandma Harman made for this house. The strongest possible from Circle Daybreak. But we put them around the house now, as soon as we can. We key them so that only humans can get in.† â€Å"And we add another layer of protection,† Nissa said. â€Å"Circle Daybreak agents posted around the house, starting now. Nothing gets in, nothing gets out that they don't know about. That way, when we go to the party on Saturday, we know it's safe.† â€Å"We just whisk her from one safe place to another,† Winnie said. â€Å"As long as we can keep her in here until Saturday night, there's-no chance of any danger.† Keller considered. â€Å"We have to make sure the limo is safe, too. Absolutely safe.† â€Å"Of course,† Winnie said. ‘Ill take care of it.† â€Å"And I'd want agents to check the people who go hi somehow. Not just monitor. Would there be any way to do that?† â€Å"Without the family knowing?† Nissa chewed her lip gently. â€Å"What if we set up some sort of road crew near the front gate? There's bound to be a gate; this is a mansion, right?† â€Å"Check it out. And we'd better get plans of the house, too. I want us all to know the place by heart before we get there.† â€Å"City planner's office,† Nissa said. â€Å"No, more likely the local historical society. The house is probably a historic monument. I'm on it.† Keller nodded. â€Å"Hmm.† She tried to think if there was anything else to worry about. â€Å"Hmm, it sounds†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They watched her, breath held. â€Å"It sounds good,† Keller said. â€Å"I think there's just the tiniest, slightest possibility that it might actually work. But I'm probably being overoptimistic.† Winnie grinned and socked her on the shoulder. â€Å"You, Boss? Perish the thought.† ‘It's so difficult,† Iliana said. â€Å"I mean, what can you wear to both a birthday party and a promise ceremony?† â€Å"And a Solstice Ceremony,† Winnie said. â€Å"Don't forget that† â€Å"You're trying to make things worse, aren't you?† Iliana held up one dress, then another. â€Å"What's right for a Solstice Ceremony?† â€Å"Something white,† Winnie suggested. â€Å"That would be good for a promise ceremony, too,† Keller said. She was doing her very best to be patient, and finding it easier than she had expected. The last three days had been very quiet Iliana had agreed to stay home from school even when her cold got better. Galen and Keller had scarcely spoken in that time, and they had never been alone. And that was†¦ all right. There was a quietness inside her to match the quiet air outside. They both had jobs to do. And they would do them as well as possible. Keller just prayed that what they did would be enough. â€Å"White? I don't know if I've got anything white. It has to be fancy because everything at Jaime's is fancy. I hope she's really okay.† â€Å"She's fine,† Keller said. â€Å"You talked to her an hour ago.† To her own relief, Jaime had stayed quietly at home for the past three days, too. The last thing she wanted was for that girl to be attacked again. But the Ashton-Hughes house, at least, was safe. For three days, it had been buttoned up tight, with Circle Daybreak agents watching every person who went through the gates. And checking them, using the same wards that protected the house. No Night Person could cross the invisible line that encircled the grounds, and no person who tried to cross and was turned back by the wards would be allowed to leave without being tracked. All we have to do is keep her safe during the drive, Keller thought. First to the mansion, then to the meeting place in Charlotte. We can do that. I know we can do that. She checked her watch. â€Å"Come on, kid, it's after eight,† she said. â€Å"We should be moving soon.† Iliana and Winnie were both ransacking the closet â€Å"Pale blue,† Winnie said, â€Å"pale lavender, pale pink†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It has to be white,† Iliana said. â€Å"I'm sorry I mentioned it.† A knock sounded on the door, and Nissa looked in. â€Å"We're back. You guys ready?† â€Å"In a minute,† Keller said. â€Å"How're things at the mansion?† â€Å"Perfect. The witches say the wards are strong.† â€Å"Who's come in?† â€Å"Caterers and a college band. That's all so far. All one hundred percent human according to the wards-and to Galen, who kept running up to the cars at the gate and trying to sell them Christmas Benefit teddy bears.† Keller almost grinned. Galen would be good at that. â€Å"The family must have thought he was crazy.† â€Å"They never came out and complained. Nobody's come out, in fact, which makes things easy on die surveillance team.† She sobered. â€Å"Boss, why do you think the dragon hasn't tried something yet? He's cutting it awfully close.† â€Å"I don't know. I think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What?† â€Å"I think he must be betting it all on one throw of the dice. One all-out attack, fast and decisive.† â€Å"At the party.† â€Å"At the parry,† Keller said. â€Å"So we'd better be on our toes.† â€Å"We've got him locked out, though. Those wards are secure.† â€Å"I hope so.† From the closet, Iliana squealed, â€Å"I found it!† She was holding a dress almost the color of her own hair, white with some sort of sparkling thread woven in. It draped in soft folds across her hip as she held it up for Winnie's inspection. â€Å"Perfect,† Winnie said. â€Å"You can get engaged in that dress; you can go to a birthday parry; you can celebrate the Solstice-you can probably get married in it if you want† â€Å"You can do whatever you want, but you have to do it now,† Keller said, checking her watch again. â€Å"But do you like it? I think I bought it last year.† â€Å"It's beautiful,† Keller said, and then, as she saw the hurt in Hiana's violet eyes: â€Å"Really. It's beautiful. You'll look wonderful in it, and Galen will be-very impressed.† Where had that sudden hitch in her breath come from? She had gotten over it quickly, but she noticed that Diana gave her an odd look. â€Å"Now, come on, everybody,*' Keller said briskly, looking at Winnie and Nissa. â€Å"Are you two ready?† They both looked down at their ordinary outfits, then looked back up and shrugged in chorus. â€Å"Yeah.† ‘I guess they can think we're the help,† Keller said. â€Å"Everybody check your transmitters. I want to be in constant contact once we get there.† â€Å"Right, Boss.† â€Å"Got it, Boss.† Iliana had put on the dress and was looking in the mirror. â€Å"My hair,† she began, and then she glanced at Keller. â€Å"Ill just leave it down,† she said. â€Å"Okay?† â€Å"Down is fine, down is great.† Keller glanced at her watch and tightened her belt. â€Å"Down is just right for a Solstice Ceremony,† Winnie said. She added in an undertone as Iliana started for the door, â€Å"Don't mind her. She's always like this before a big operation.† ‘It's a good thing I didn't ask her about my shoes†¦.† Keller looked around to make sure there was nothing they were forgetting. Then she looked at the other three girls. They smiled back at her, eyes alert and ready for anything. Even the smallest one, who looked like a Christmas tree angel somebody had taken down and brought to life. â€Å"Okay, people,† Keller said. â€Å"This is it. It's show time.† Galen was wearing a dark sweater and pants that set off his blondness. It was casual but still appropriate for the promise ceremony later on. His eyes met Keller's briefly as Iliana said good-bye to her parents, and they both smiled. Not fake smiles, either. Simply the quiet, undemanding smiles of comrades with a job to do. â€Å"Kee-kee!† Alex said from the door as they went to the car in the garage. That kid is up way too late, Keller thought She turned and waved. â€Å"Blow him a kiss,† Diana prompted helpfully. â€Å"He likes that.† Keller gave her a narrow sideways look and blew him a kiss. â€Å"Kee-kee!† Suddenly, his round little face crumpled. â€Å"Bye-bye,† he proclaimed sadly. â€Å"Oh, that's sweet,† Diana's mother said. â€Å"He's going to miss you. He probably thinks you're going for good.† â€Å"Bye-bye,† Alex said, and huge tears rolled down his cheeks. â€Å"Bye-bye! Kee-kee! Bye-bye!† He began to sob. There was a little silence among the group standing by the car. Winnie stared at Alex, then glanced at Iliana. â€Å"He doesn't-he's never had any precognitions, has he?† she muttered. â€Å"He's a baby,† Iliana whispered back. ‘1 mean, how could you tell?† â€Å"He's just tired,† Keller said briefly. â€Å"Come on, let's go.†

The Pros And Cons Of Freedom Of Speech - 1007 Words

It is widely accepted that free speech is not an absolute right to all speech, at all times. This is impossible because one individual’s freedom of speech will necessarily impose limitations upon another individual’s freedom of speech. To give a very basic example, let us use a town hall meeting analogy, in which an individual’s speech must sometimes be stopped, or they may be ‘denied the floor’, in order to allow others to speak and allow the conversation to progress. What we must therefore turn our attention to is when and how speech can be regulated, within the paradigms of freedom of speech. In this essay, I will explore if it is ever permissible to ban offensive publications that are not expressions of hate speech, and if so, when it†¦show more content†¦However, I will examine both paradigms in this essay, as such a discussion could not be complete without doing so. John Stuart Mill proposed in On Liberty that the only time an individual’s liberty may be interfered with and that ‘power can rightfully be exercised over’ them against their will, is to prevent harm to others. It is not enough to justify a certain law or opinion as a coercive force simply because it is believed to uphold proper morals, or is for an individual’s own good; coercion by the many toward the individual is only acceptable when an individual presents a threat to others. Although it is acceptable (and even beneficial) to argue with a person about his actions, it is not acceptable to control his actions. Mill writes, ‘over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.’ Mill argues with regards to freedom of speech that we should not adjudicate on moral issues for all people or disallow others the opportunity making their own judgments, because to do so would be to make the assumption of our own infallibility. The biggest danger to liberty of opinion comes from people’s confidence in their own righteousness, or in the infallibility of the world they have contact with. Such confidence cannot be justified, as all humans are fallible, and therefore silencing speech has a negative effect on society, as potential truths may be suppressed. Therefore, in order to determine if it is ever permissible to ban offensiveShow MoreRelatedImportance Of Censorship In Society1406 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent opinions on it, but when used properly, censorship absolutely has a place in society. Censorship, at it’s core, has been around for a few hundred years, dating back to the 1700’s. Censorship can be confusing but the First Amendment gives us free speech. This Amendment basically defines the United States as a nation (Bishop Ke). â€Å"Despite the First Amendment, the federal government has also censored the press at various points in United States history, especially during war time.† (usagu.com) DatingRead MoreHistory Of The Preval Of Prayer In Public Education1538 Words   |  7 Pagesthe statistical analysis which illustrates Americas public schools it reveals that the removal of prayer from our nations schools since June 25, 1962, has violated 39 million students the freedom of choice to acknowledge a higher power. While exploring history, it reaffirms the thoughts of John F. Kennedy speech which includes, his thought that he believes in an America which is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish. With the hope, there is no religiou s body that will be able to directlyRead MoreThe Debate Over The Legalization Of Abortions1172 Words   |  5 PagesCourt agreed that the State law was â€Å"regulating content of speech, instead of where speech was taking place. Such regulations are extremely limited and not within the rights of the court†. (quote) Holding In the McCullen v. Coakley the Supreme Court decided to rule in favor of the protestors, overruling the previous court’s decision. Agreeing that the amended â€Å"Reproductive Health Care Facilities Act did in fact limit freedom of speech† quote granted to all United State citizens by the 1st andRead MoreCensorship And Censorship Of The Internet985 Words   |  4 Pagesseditious libel by publishing material against the crooked Governor of New York. Zenger s defense attorney Andrew Hamilton gave his famous speech, in which he said, nature and the laws of our country have given us a right to liberty of both exposing and opposing arbitrary power (in these parts of the world at least) by speaking and writing truth.. This influenced freedom of the press rights and embracing those rights to the constitution (Linder). Recently the issue of Censorship of the Internet in AmericaRead MorePros And Cons Of Facebook987 Words   |  4 Pagessite, comes with its own pros and cons. Facebook though is an enemy to society and single handedly controls the lives of many people. Now, despise what I believe let’s look at some of the ways Facebook can be useful, and a positive experience. Making connections is what Facebook was built off of, originally created so a small group of friends could communicate. Today Facebook allows people all around the world to communicate with friends and relative. The Pros and Cons (2016). This social mediaRead MoreCensorship in the US Essay1136 Words   |  5 Pagesother parts of the world. Many people argue that the First Amendment to the constitution provides freedom of speech. Therefore, fining television stations for not censoring explicit materials could be a violation First Amendment rights (Ruschmann). Most people agree that the reason that the United States survives as a democracy is because of the freedoms provided by the First Amendment. With these freedoms revoked, the government could become too controlling (Ruschmann). Censorship also occurs when politiciansRead MoreThe Right Block Free Speech997 Words   |  4 Pagesonly a form individual freedom but it is also a form of freedom from a religious doctrine. If these cartoonists were to not express themselves because they fear they are disrespecting other people’s religion, then they themselves are also giving concessions to the principles of that religion. Thus if one views infringement of liberty by the definitions set through the harm and offense principle, it is clear that the interest of a civil society is to protect freedom of speech not to block or regulateRead MoreEssay about Cyber Bullying and Hate Speech1161 Words   |  5 Pages Free speech is both a universal and national liberty. The United Nations and the United States of America believe that free speech is something that humans should be allowed to exercise. However, each respective group has their own limitations. These limitation, although broad, protect against free speech being taken too far. Like any liberty or privilege there must be a line in the sand to keep extremists from aggressively using and abusing this right. The United Nations formed The UniversalRead MoreInternet Censorship Of China, South Africa And Other Countries1851 Words   |  8 Pagespornography is allowed but not another). This paper will show why Internet censorship can be interpreted in both positive and negative ways depending on the perspective that one adopts (whether one is pro-Statist or anti-Statist). In short, pros and cons depend wholly upon one’s worldview and outlook. The first pro may be, as Lorentzen (2014) notes, that â€Å"a partial censorship strategy† is an effective way for governments to control the levels of discontent in their respective countries (p. 405). LorentzenRead MorePersuasive Speech On School Dress Code1316 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Congress shall make no law... prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech...†. This is what our first amendment speaks about. The freedom of speech and expression. Schools have been violating this law in the place of school dress codes. There should not be a dress code in school because it violates the first amendment, they do not support creativity and they are expensive. Dress codes violate the first amendment. Students should have the ability to express themselves