The Deep State Theory, Defined and Explained

The Deep State Theory, Defined and Explained The seed for many tantalizing conspiracy theories, the term â€Å"deep state† in the United States implies the existence of a premeditated effort by certain federal government employees or other persons to secretly manipulate or control the government without regard for the policies of Congress or the President of the United States. Origin and History of the Deep State The concept of a deep state - also called a â€Å"state within a state† or a â€Å"shadow government† – was first used in reference to political conditions in countries like Turkey and post-Soviet Russia. During the 1950s, an influential anti-democratic coalition within the Turkish political system called the â€Å"derin devlet† – literally the â€Å"deep state† - allegedly dedicated itself to ousting communists from the new Turkish Republic founded by Mustafa Ataturk after World War I. Made up of elements within the Turkish military, security, and judiciary branches, the derin devlet worked to turn the Turkish people against its enemies by staging â€Å"false flag† attacks and planned riots. Ultimately, the derin devlet was blamed for the deaths of thousands of people. In the 1970s, former high-ranking officials of the Soviet Union, after defecting to the West, publically stated that the Soviet political police – the KGB – had operated as a deep state secretly attempting to control the Communist Party and ultimately, the Soviet government. In a 2006 symposium, Ion Mihai Pacepa, a former general in the Communist Romania secret police who defected to the United States in 1978, stated, In the Soviet Union, the KGB was a state within a state.† Pacepa went on to claim, â€Å"Now former KGB officers are running the state. They have custody of the country’s 6,000 nuclear weapons, entrusted to the KGB in the 1950s, and they now also manage the strategic oil industry renationalized by Putin.† The Deep State Theory in the United States In 2014, former congressional aide Mike Lofgren alleged the existence of a different type of deep state operating within the United States government in his essay titled â€Å"Anatomy of the Deep State.† Instead of a group comprised exclusively of government entities, Lofgren calls the deep state in the United States â€Å"a hybrid association of elements of government and parts of top-level finance and industry that is effectively able to govern the United States without reference to the consent of the governed as expressed through the formal political process.† The Deep State, wrote Lofgren, is not â€Å"a secret, conspiratorial cabal; the state within a state is hiding mostly in plain sight, and its operators mainly act in the light of day. It is not a tight-knit group and has no clear objective. Rather, it is a sprawling network, stretching across the government and into the private sector.† In some ways, Lofgren’s description of a deep state in the United States echoes parts of President Dwight Eisenhower’s 1961 farewell address, in which he warned future presidents to â€Å"guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.† President Trump Alleges a Deep State Opposes Him Following the tumultuous 2016 presidential election, President Donald Trump and his supporters suggested that certain unnamed executive branch officials and intelligence officers were secretly operating as a deep state to block his policies and legislative agenda by leaking information considered critical of him. President Trump, White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, along with ultra-conservative news outlets like Breitbart News claimed that Former President Obama was orchestrating a deep state attack against the Trump administration. The allegation apparently grew out of Trump’s unsubstantiated claim that Obama had ordered the wiretapping of his telephone during the 2016 election campaign. Current and former intelligence officials remain divided on the question of the existence of a deep state secretly working to derail the Trump administration.   In a June 5, 2017 article published in The Hill Magazine, retired veteran CIA field operations agent Gene Coyle stated that while he doubted the existence of â€Å"hordes of government officials† operating as an anti-Trump deep state, he did believe the Trump administration was justified in complaining about the number of leaks being reported by news organizations. â€Å"If you are that appalled at the actions of an administration, you should quit, hold a press conference and publicly state your objections,† said Coyle. â€Å"You can’t run an executive branch if more and more people think, ‘I don’t like the policies of this president, therefore I will leak information to make him look bad.’† Other intelligence experts argued that individuals or small groups of individuals leaking information critical of a presidential administration lack the organizational coordination and depth of deep states such as those that existed in Turkey or the former Soviet Union. The Arrest of Reality Winner   On June 3, 2017, a third-party contractor working for the National Security Agency (NSA) was arrested on charges of violating the Espionage Act by leaking a top-secret document related to the possible involvement of the Russian government in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to an unnamed news organization. When questioned by the FBI on June 10, 2017, the woman, 25-year-old Reality Leigh Winner, â€Å"admitted intentionally identifying and printing the classified intelligence reporting at issue despite not having a ‘need to know,’ and with the knowledge that the intelligence report was classified,† according to the FBI affidavit. According to the Justice Department, Winner â€Å"further acknowledged that she was aware of the contents of the intelligence reporting and that she knew the contents of the reporting could be used to the injury of the United States and to the advantage of a foreign nation.† The arrest of Winner represented the first confirmed case of an attempt by a current government employee to discredit the Trump administration. As a result, many conservatives have been quick to use the case to bolster their arguments of a so-called deep state within the United States government. While its true that Winner had publicly expressed anti-Trump sentiments both to co-workers and on social media, her actions in no way prove the existence of an organized deep state effort to discredit the Trump administration.

5 Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid in Business Writing - BestEssay.education

5 Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid in Business Writing 5 Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid in Business Writing If you own, operate or represent a business, it is extremely important that you are able to communicate effectively in writing. This includes communicating in advertisements, in blog posts, when sending emails, when posting on social media, and when interacting with customers or vendors. A big part of this is learning to avoid embarrassing grammar mistakes. The problem with bad grammar is that it damages credibility. If your writing is riddled with spelling and grammar errors that you have left uncorrected, people will wonder about the care you put into your products and services. Grammar errors also make your writing less effective. In fact, if you are stating a strong opinion, or you are making an emotional appeal, poor grammar can make your words unintentionally humorous. There are many grammatical errors that you can make in business writing. However, there are 5 that we believe are most common. Here they are, along with some advice on how to recognize and avoid them 1. Confusing i.e. and e.g. The reason that these two abbreviations are commonly confused is that they both have Latin roots and they have somewhat similar meanings. The translation of the abbreviation i.e. to English means 'that is'.   When you see this abbreviation, replace it in your head with the phrase, 'in other words'. The abbreviation e.g. means for example. You would use this at the beginning of a list of supporting examples after you make a statement. Usage Examples: We aren't getting the foot traffic we used to get on Sunday afternoons, i.e., we only had five customers come through our door last Sunday. We employ several different methods of measuring the success of our brick and mortal location, e.g., number of customers per day, dollars in sales per week, and the feedback on our customer comment cards. 2. Using I Instead of Me and Vice Versa For some reason, many of us instinctively want to replace the word me with the word I when we are referring to more than one person. How many times have we sent or received emails with sentences like the following: Will you follow up with David and I via email? Just tell David and I when you are ready to go forward with the project. At first glance, they might seem okay, but they are both incorrect. How do you tell? One way is to take the other person out of the equation, then look at the sentences again. Will you follow up with I via email? Just tell I when you are ready to go forward with the project. Grammar Hint: Now, it is easy to see the difference. It may help to try and remember that... I do something, and something is done to me. 3. Writing Utilize Instead of Use This one is fairly black and white. If you are writing the utilize in your business writing, you should stop doing that. It is one of those words that appears to be more formal and more professional, but it simply is not. If you find yourself typing the word utilize, back space and replace it with use. Better yet, set up an auto correct option to change the word when you type it. 4. Participles that Dangle Any word that ends in 'ing' is a participle. They are intended to modify the word or phrase that follows them. If you place the noun following the participle in the wrong place, you can unintentionally change the meaning of your sentence. Here's an example: Working more efficiently than ever, the computer room staff were thrilled with the new servers. This sentence appears to say that the computer room staff was working more efficiently than ever. However, if that is true, what about the servers? Here is the sentence after it has been corrected: Working more efficiently than ever, the new servers thrilled the computer room staff. 5. Using Quotation Marks Where They Are Not Needed For some reason, many people believe that placing a word or phrase in single or double quotes indicates emphasis. It does not. In fact, single quotes around a word or a phrase, especially one that makes a claim is read as an indication that something is not quite true. For example: We keep your financial information 'safe' and 'secure'! Customers will read this as if you are stating that you won't keep their information safe or secure. It may help to visualize a very sarcastic man using air quotes while reading your statement aloud. There are times when it is okay to use quotes around a word or phrase. If you are indicating to the reader that something isn't exactly true, it is acceptable to use quotes. Here is an example: We offer a vegan wrap with hummus, diced cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, and 'cheese'. Your readers would know both from the context clues and the apostrophes that you were referring to a cheese like food, but not to real cheese. Replacement Options: Try using bold print, underlining, or even beginning and ending a word or phrase with an asterisk. Each of these indicates emphasis. Just remember to avoid using all capital letters for emphasis. This is often interpreted as anger or hostility.

E-commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

E-commerce - Essay Example e mysterious flu virus that originated in Southeast Asia, soon spread throughout the world and many countries so affected had been crossed out as travel destinations. As for the surging oil prices, all kinds of transportation systems were logically the first and worst sufferers. The airline industry received the hardest blows. In effect, the airline industry was among the sectors of the world economy lying prostrate as the old millennium changed to the new. Many flag carriers, notably Swissair of Switzerland and Sabena of Belgium, could not hang on and wrote finis to their operations. In the US, a number of domestic airliners filed for bankruptcy proceedings as an option for folding up completely. Going into 2005, the airline industry as a whole was estimated to have suffered losses to the tune of $43 billion (Watson, J., 2006). This was equivalent to the combined capitalization of 13 American airlines in today’s terms. The British Airways (BA), which for many years held the distinction of being the world’s most profitable airline, found itself hemorrhaging by 2 million pound-sterling per day in operating costs during those troubled years, following the 9/11 tragedy and the added one-two punch of SARS and the almost doubling cost of fuel. From 2001 onwards, BA went through an almost uninterrupted four-year decline. As the world’s largest international airline, BA is regarded as the industry leader, its profit ledger the bellwether of the market. Had it collapsed in the aftermath of 9/11, there would have been serious repercussions for both the aviation industry worldwide and global business as a whole. Airlines have precisely taken to forming an alliance among themselves to consolidate their resources so they can joined hands in warding off industry-wide problems like rising fuel costs, overcapacity and under-capacity. Such an industry grouping is the American Alliance which consists of Cathay Pacific, Qantas and other airlines. BA, an

Write about a real contemporary problem where you see the status quo Essay

Write about a real contemporary problem where you see the status quo as lined up against something that is just or in favor of something that is unjust - Essay Example Although American slavery was abolished more than one hundred and fifty years ago, the legacy of slavery continues to have important ramifications on the lives of African-Americans today. Accordingly, African-Americans have lower-life expectancies than their white counterparts and the insidious legacy of slavery has continued health ramifications. Unequal access to healthcare is a contemporary problem with broad ramifications. Seeking to address inequality in health as a feature of the United States healthcare system, this essay will persuasively argue that African-Americans face a variety of health challenges in the United States and these challenges are a legacy of centuries of racism, represented today through discrimination and institutionalized racism in this country. (DHSS, National Healthcare Disparities Report, 2005). In the United States, health insurance coverage ensures that there is financial means by which basic health care can be accessed. Individual comprehensive health insurance plans depend on an individuals’ age, level of employment, residency, and race/ethnicity. Studies have shown that African-Americans do not receive the same care even if they have the same government funded insurance as their white counterparts, such as Medicare. For example, in a study conducted by the Brown and Harvard Medical Schools, researchers found that there were significant racial disparities within Medicare plans. In addition, they found that the quality of care was a factor concerning race and ethnicity among Medicare beneficiaries. This suggests that in addition to access to care, quality of care is different among ethnic groups. To this extent, racial difference in coverage may influence health disparities and inequities within the healthcare system. Medicare is a federal government funded insurance program for disabled young adults, persons above the age of 65, and those with permanent disabilities who become eligible for

Introduction to Buffer Solutions

Introduction to Buffer Solutions Introduction Buffer solution is a solution consisting a mixture of weak acid and its conjugate base . Furthermore they declare that buffer solutions are very essential to keep the pH value nearly constant in variety of chemical application. ( Crowe and Bradshaw 2010) Many life forms thrives only in a relatively small pH range so they utilize a buffer solution to maintain a constant pH, one common example of a buffer solution found in nature is blood. buffer solution is very vital t keep the pH at a constant value in variety of enzymes in many organisms to work this is due to different enzymes work at different prà ©cised pH. On the same way they state that if the pH range moves above or below the range, the enzymatic action either stops or can denature where there are many cases denaturation can permanently disable their catalytic activity. ( Kotz, Treichel and Townsend ,2009) Buffer of carbonic acid and bicarbonate is present in blood plasma maintain pH between 7.35 to 7.45.Over more they clarify that there are two main types of buffer system, Acid buffer system: the solution containing large amount of weak acid and its salt with strong base is termed as acidic buffer solution. pH = pKa + log [salt] / [acid] Basic buffer system: the solution containing large amount of weak base and its salt with strong acid is termed as basic buffer solution. pOH = pKb + log [salt] / [base] (Moore, Stanitski and Jurs (2009) In living organisms including human the important buffer solution to maintain the ph of the blood is bicarbonate buffering system. On the other hand they state that this bicarbonate buffer system tends to maintain relatively constant plasma pH, where carbon dioxide combines with water to form carbonic acids which in turn rapidly dissociate to form hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions.( Lanham et al ,2011) CO2 + H2O H2CO3 HCO3 + H+ Blood is dumped by excess hydrogen ions, some of those hydrogen ions associate with bicarbonate forming carbonic acid results in increase in acidity of the blood. As well as they elaborate that due to this incident the buffering system becomes powerful regulator of acidity by accompanying with respiratory compensation in which breathing is altered to modify the carbon dioxide in circulation which results in increase in ventilation therefore increase the loss of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. (Rhoades and Bell (2012), pH meter is a electronic device that is used to measure the ph of the solution, where a typical pH meter consists of a special measuring probe connected to an electronic meter that measures and display the reading. (Kenkel,2013) Objectives To know how to prepare buffer solution. To practice again how to prepare standard solution. To know how to measure the pH using pH meter. Materials Used Electronic balance Pipette Measuring cylinder Watch glass Beaker pH meter Volumetric flask (100ml) NaHPO4 powder (0.7 g) Na2HPO4 powder (1.56 g) Sodium hydroxide pellets Ammonium chloride powder Glass rod Spatula Methodology At pH 7 NAHPO4, 0.70g and Na2HPO4, 1.56g was taken and measured using the electronic balance. Then both NAHPO4 and Na2HPO4 were mixed together into the volumetric flask. First half of the volumetric flask was filled with distilled water and dissolved by inverting. Later on the flask was filled with distilled water till it reaches the meniscus level. Finally the pH was measured. At pH 10 NH4OH NH4+ + OH; pKb = 4.74 pOH = pKb + log [NH4+] / [NH3] pKw = pH + pOH 14 = 10 + pOH pOH = 4 pOH = pKb + log [NH4+] / [NH3] 4 = 4.74 + log [NH4+] / [NH3] [NH4+] / [NH3] = 10 -0.74 = 0.181 NH4CL, 0.1m standard solution was made. Afterwards NaOH, 0.34g was measured using the electronic balance. NaOH of 0.34g was obtained by, NH4+ + OH- NH3 + H2O x 0.1 – x 0 x [NH4+] / [NH3] = 0.181 X = 0.085M of OH- Number of mole of NaOH = 0.085 x (100 / 1000) = 0.0085 mols Mass of NaOH = 0.0085 x 40 = 0.34g Then afterwards 0.34g of NaOH was dissolved in 0.1 M of NH4Cl to form a buffer solution. NaOH, 0.1m standard solution was made. Afterwards NaOH, 0.34g was measured using the electronic balance. NH4Cl of 0.63g was obtained by, NH4+ + OH- NH3 + H2O x 0.1 x – 0.1 0 0.1 [NH4+] / [NH3] = 0.181 X = 0.1181M of NH4+ Number of mole of NH4Cl = 0.1181x (100 / 1000) = 0.01181 mols Mass of NH4Cl = 0.01181 x 35 = 0.63g Then afterwards 0.63g of NH4Cl was dissolved in 0.1 M of NaOH to form a buffer solution. Later on using the pH meter the final ph of each buffer solution was measured approximately. Results Discussion / Conclusion Every precise work the pH meter should be calibrated before each measurement, at every experiment the calibration is done because the glass rode does not give reproducible electro motive force over longer periods of time. Additionally further he states that pH meter calibration should be performed with at least two standard buffer solutions that span the range of pH values to be measured. (Hauser 2001) Single measurement the probe should be rinsed with distilled water to remove any traces of solution being measured and then it should be blotted using the scientific wipe to absorb any remaining water which could dilute the sample which alters the reading. (Prichard 2003) Reference Crowe, J and Bradshaw, T (2010). Chemistry of biosciences: the essential concepts. Google Books [Online].Availableat:http://books.google.lk/books?id=onacAQAAQBAJpg=PA578dq=buffer+solutionhl=ensa=Xei=UkOuU7OtJJO78gXkvIDYDQredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=buffer%20solutionf=false(Accessed: 28 Aug 2014) Kotz, J., Treichel, P and Townsend, J (2009). Chemistry and chemistry reactivity, enhanced edition. Google Books [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=IBESYmQcb0sCpg=PA851dq=buffer+solutionhl=ensa=Xei=u0CuU4PYBYS78gXVpoGIAwredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=buffer%20solutionf=false (Accessed: 28 aug 2014) Moore, J., Stanitski, C and Jurs, P (2009). Principles of chemistry: the molecular science. Googke Books [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=ZOm8L9oCwLMCpg=PA575dq=buffer+solutionhl=ensa=Xei=u0CuU4PYBYS78gXVpoGIAwredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=buffer%20solutionf=false (Accessed: 27 aug 2014) Lanham, S.A., Stear,S., Shirreffs,S and Colins, A (2011). Sports and exercise nutrition. Google Books [online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=YePJM98Np5MCpg=RA1PT115dq=blood+acting+as+bufferhl=ensa=Xei=E0KuU8ypKYb_8QWLh4G4Awredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=blood%20acting%20as%20bufferf=false (Accessed: 28 aug 2014) Rhoades, R.A and Bell, D.R (2012). Medical physiology: principles of clinical medicine. Google Books [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=1kGcFOKCUzkCpg=PA457dq=blood+acting+as+bufferhl=ensa=Xei=E0KuU8ypKYb_8QWLh4G4Awredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=blood%20acting%20as%20bufferf=false (Accessed: 28 June 2014) Kenkel, J (2013). Analytical chemistry for technicians fourth edition. Google books [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=JZAAAAAAQBAJpg=PA400dq=ph+meterhl=ensa=Xei=0LOuU8T0Os7r8AWY0oHwAgredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=ph%20meterf=false (Accessed: 27aug 2014) Hauser, B (2001). Drinking water chemistry: laboratory manual. Google Books [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=SVxcRu68YGwCpg=PA28dq=calibration+of+ph+meterhl=ensa=Xei=lQ2wU_GhI8yB8gWx9oDAAwredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=calibration%20of%20ph%20meterf=false (Accessed: 26 aug 2014) Prichard, E (2003). Measurement of pH. Google books [Online]. Available at: http://books.google.lk/books?id=HNJy5rtJLjACpg=PA2dq=ph+meterhl=ensa=Xei=0LOuU8T0Os7r8AWY0oHwAgredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=ph%20meterf=false (Accessed: 28 aug 2014)

School Crime And Violence

Crime and violence in schools are issues that are of significant public concern, especially after the series of tragic school shootings recently. The schools have exercised care in making the students safe but many schools are now facing serious problems so that effective strategies can be devised to prevent school violence and increase school safety. (Small and Tetrick). The terms â€Å"school violence† and â€Å"school safety,† are still terms that need to be commonly defined. The authors maintain that â€Å"Multiple approaches can prove beneficial as each discipline brings to bear the full force of its knowledge and experience, but they complicate the task of summarizing the state of school violence. For instance, should school violence be considered a subset of youth violence? †(Small and Tetrick). Most of the violence in schools are involved in gangs. A gang is a group of people who form an allegiance for a common purpose and engage in unlawful or criminal activity. Gangs give members companionship, guidance, excitement and identity. When a member needs something, the others come to the rescue and provide protection. Gangs members have significantly lower levels of self-esteem compared to their non-gang peers. They also could name fewer adult role models than did their non-gang ,peers. It is no doubt that America has become a violent society. Television programs alone show gruesome murders and violence as if they are normal incidences in our lives. It is said that children learn to imitate the violence that they see on television. These take root in a lot of issues, foremost of which is on gun control. The positive effects of the strict enforcement of gun laws are readily seen. The Brady Campaign, for example believes that â€Å"background checks nationwide stopped over 600,000 felons and other prohibited purchasers from buying handguns from federally licensed firearm dealers. † Some say this is one big reason why there is a need to advocate gun control. Once people realize that there is a direct correlation between the increases in violence as correlated with gun possession, they would also be against gun violence in society. However, opinions are at odds with regards to the issue of gun control. Remarkably, both advocates and opponents of gun control policies in the United States use statistics to back up their stance. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that: According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), in 2003, 449,150 victims of violent crimes stated that they faced an offender with a firearm. Incidents involving a firearm represented 7% of the 4. 9 million violent crimes of rape and sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault. The FBI's Crime in the United States estimated that 67% of the 16,503 murders in 2003 were committed with firearms. â€Å"Gun Control vs. Gun Rights). Advocates of gun control directly use statistics such as this to assert that the increase in violence is positively correlated with gun possession. Organizations such as the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) and other proponents of gun rights oppose such view. Alexander, for one, insists that such arguments contradict factual studies. He contradicts the correlation, saying that â€Å"cities with the most restrictive gun laws, like Washington, D. C. , and Atlanta, Georgia, in fact, have the highest murder rates in the nation. At the center of the gun control issue is the Second Amendment to the Constitution: â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed. † Arguments usually focus on the interpretation of the law. The Second Amendment is the main banner of gun rights activists. Gun control advocates, on the other hand, feel that gun control opponents misinterpret the law when they assume that it means absolute right to ownership of guns by private individuals (Krouse). They assert that the Second Amendment only refers to gun ownership in situation of â€Å"militia† and not for general purposes. Gun control supporters feel that gun possession by just anybody is a contributing cause of increased incidence of crimes in the United States. In Guns and Terror, Berger and Henigan present studies to support their statement that â€Å"Gun shows are a breeding ground for gun sales to terrorist [and that] nothing in federal law prevents terrorists from quickly amassing arsenals of weapons† (4). Opponents to the gun control movement also believe that there is not enough factual evidence to the other side’s claim that banning the sale of some kinds of guns result to lower crime rates (â€Å"Gun Control vs. Gun Rights†). Alexander accuses gun control groups of ‘demagogue-ing’ the issue and maintains that the root of the problem is culture, and not the gun. He even notes that â€Å"many of the problems in question are the result of Leftist doctrines. † The Brady Campaign believes that stricter rules on gun ownership will result in communities with minimal crimes since they correlate guns with most crimes committed. Proponents of gun control also base this belief on what they see as positive effects of enforcement of gun laws. The Brady Campaign, for example believes that â€Å"background checks nationwide stopped over 600,000 felons and other prohibited purchasers from buying handguns from federally licensed firearm dealers. † Gun rights proponents maintain that stricter rules could actually cause crime rates to rise as criminals only tend to go places with stricter gun rules. Alexander quotes Thomas Sowell as saying, â€Å"Most criminals aren’t that stupid; they tend to go where the guns aren’t. †(Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence). Proponents of gun control continue to push for the passage of new laws and/or amendments to existing laws to restrict gun ownership. For one, they are lobbying for legislation covering what they refer to as loopholes, specifically in issues such as juvenile access to firearms, and sales at gun shows and through the Internet (Brady Campaign). Opponents are also continuing efforts to gather support to counter the move of gun control advocates. The NRA is drawing support through massive information drive advocating Second Amendment rights and the protection of Americans’ hunting heritage. The NRA also performs studies and surveys contradicting the position of gun control supporters. In their survey on what Americans think of Right-to-Carry laws, results show that 79% of the voters stood in favor of such laws (National Rifle Association of America). The Brady Campaign notes, â€Å"according to an analysis of the FBI Uniform Crime Report, the percentage of violent crimes committed with firearms has declined dramatically after the Brady Law went into effect. † Supporters of gun control assert the need for more restrictions in gun ownership, especially in the federal level. They call for stricter background checks for people who intend to purchase licensed firearms. Gun rights supporters do not see additional laws and amendments to laws as a solution to increase in crime rates. Alexander writes, â€Å"Gun restrictions have not protected citizens in Atlanta, Washington, D. C. , New York or Boston, much less anyone in Columbine or Red Lake. Nor did such laws protect Jews from Hitler or Stalin or Chinese peasants from Mao, etc. , ad infinitum. † Alexander also advises politicians and gun controllers alike to look at the cultural aspects of the problem and not the instruments. The National Rifle Association of America has opposed every effort by gun control advocates, specially the Brady Campaign group, which they think will encroach on their rights under the Second Amendment. They maintain that gun ownership is their constitutional right and should not be limited to recreational purposes only. The NRA, in fact, is supporting enactment of laws involving Self-Defense and â€Å"freedom† to carry guns (Alexander, Mark 2005). Indeed, the right of law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms for purpose of self-defense has become a hot and controversial topic and one that will continue to be so for a long time. Schools need to protect the children from these gun-toting individuals and avoid another Columbine or Virginia Tech incident.

Common Prepositions for ELS/EFL Students

The following list contains the key English prepositions for English language learners. There are more than 150 English prepositions in English. However, this list contains the most commonly used and serves as an excellent starting English prepositions list for most learners and classes. These English prepositions are divided into one word, two-word prepositions and three-word prepositions. The two word and three words English prepositions are also known as prepositional phrases. One Word Prepositions aboutaboveacrossafteragainstalongamongaroundasatbeforebehindbelowbeneathbesidebetweenbeyondbydespitedownduringexceptforfrominincludinginsideintolikenearnextofoffonontooppositeoutoutsideoverpastthroughtotowardtowardsunderuntilupuponwithwithout Two Word Prepositions according toahead ofaside frombecause ofclose todue toexcept forfar frominside ofinstead ofnear tonext toout fromout ofoutside ofregardless of Three Word Prepositions as far asas well asby means ofin accordance within addition toin case ofin front ofin place ofin spite ofon account ofon behalf ofon top ofwith regard to