The Impact of Terrorism Enforcement on Individual Rights

The Impact of Terrorism Enforcement on Individual Rights Christine Gontarz Northern Virginia Community College Woodbridge Campus ADJ100 December 2, 2011 Professor: George DeHarde Table of Contents Introduction3 Terrorism and the First Amendment5 Early History7 The Alien and Sedition Acts of 17987 Habeas Corpus Act of 18638 World War I History9 Espionage and Sedition Acts of 1917 and 19189 Schenck v. US -9 Debs v. US10 World War II History11 Alien Registration (Smith) Act of 194011 Japanese-American Internment – Executive Order 9066 of 194211The History of Today12 Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 199612 U. S. A PATRIOT Act – 200113 Conclusion15 Works Cited17 Introduction During times of high crime, terrorism, war, and national crisis, citizens are willing to trade due process for a restriction of individual rights. At the heart of our individual rights are the first ten Amendments of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights. Although all the Ame ndments of the Bill of Rights were written to be of equal importance, to many Americans the most treasured is the First Amendment. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. † — The First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution Simply stated, the First  Amendment guarantees us the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. By examining the history of the United States, there have been times when incidents of crime, terrorism, terrorism threats, war, and national crisis have affected the rights of the people of the United States.There have been actions and reactions to those threats by the government. Restrictions were placed on citizens by limiting their rights; specifically the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments. Initially , the people of the United States understood the reasoning behind these limitations; however, as time went by, many felt the need to speak out about the injustices caused by the government and the restrictions of the freedoms of the people.Although the additional amendments in the Bill of Rights are of equal importance, it is the purpose of this paper to define examples of how the government has violated a the basic rights of the First Amendment during a presence or threat of terrorism in the United States. Terrorism and the First Amendment Freedom, as Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. — The Declaration of Independence is a God-given right provided to United States citizens. By declaring its independence from Great Britain and signing the Declaration of Independence, the Congress of the original thirteen colonies took its first steps to ensure its freedom from King George and British rule. Their goal, self-government and equal rights for the people (Fallon 14). It is because of British tyrannical rule that the United States Constitution was written.The United States Constitution outlined the rights of the government of the thirteen original colonies, but it was not until the Federalists and Anti-Federalists resolved their differences and adopted the Bill of Rights in 1791 that the people of the United States had the rights and freedoms they so desired to build this country. More than two hundred years later, on September 11, 2001, the United States was targeted by terrorists. This day is marked by atrocities beyond imagination. It is also on this day that many people of this generation say that the individual rights that our forefathers worked to provide have been changed forever.The attacks of September 11th have c aused the freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights to be restricted by the enforcement of government rules and regulations; First Amendment rights limiting the freedom of speech, Fourth Amendment rights of illegal search and seizure, and Fourteenth Amendment rights of due process come to mind (although others feel that the Fifth and Sixth Amendments have also been affected). There are specific examples in United States history where the effects of terrorism enforcement have impinged individual rights.In order to relate the impact of government actions on individual rights for the sake of national security, in the name of terrorism, terrorism must be defined. According to the FBI, there is no one definition that is universally accepted by everyone (Office of Public Affairs iv). Their definition of terrorism from the Code of Federal Regulations can be defined as: â€Å"the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives† (28 C.F. R. Section 0. 85). By observing a chronological history of the United States there is evidence of terrorism since the beginning of written history. References in the Bible refer to the cleansing of entire groups of people by eliminating the city of Jericho [ (Joshua 6. 1-27) ]. There are examples of terrorism during Greek and Roman times when the first known terror organization, the Zealots of Judea, formed campaigns and carried out assassinations of Roman occupation forces and Jews whom they felt collaborated with the Romans. (Early History of Terrorism) ] Although earlier instances of terrorism impacted the rights of individuals, it was not until the adoption of the Bill of Rights that there was recourse that could be taken by the people. It was then that citizens of the United States could declare that their individual rights were violated. Early History The Alien and Sedition Ac ts of 1798 From 1789 through 1799, during the French Revolution, the United States was forced to declare a policy of neutrality to avoid becoming involved in European conflicts and being dragged into another war.Because of an impending fear of war with France and a fear that â€Å"criticism of the government was destine to topple the Constitution,† (Willis 5) the Federalist-dominated Congress of President John Adams enacted the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 (Office of the Historian). Consisting of four acts, they introduced laws intended to suppress political opposition from Anti-Federalists. By enacting these laws, Adams was working to shield the United States from the French enemy and to protect the United States from opposition groups of Anti-Federalists.The four laws consisted of the Naturalization Act which raised the residency period of aliens from five to fourteen years, the Alien Act of 1798 which enabled the president to deport any alien (even during peacetime) if they were considered â€Å"dangerous to the safety of the US. † The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 enabled wartime arrest, imprisonment, or deportation of any alien for simply being from an enemy country. The last act, The Sedition Act made it a crime to â€Å"oppose any measure or measures of the government of the US. It also prohibited â€Å"writing, printing, uttering, or publishing any false, scandalous, and malicious writing or writings against the government of the US. It is evident that Sedition Act was the most controversial and most seriously punishable of the acts. Committing an offense against the Sedition Act was punishable by fines up the $5,000 and up to five years in prison and a second offenses were charged with a $2,000 fine and up to two years in jail.Most of those punished under the Sedition Act were journalists and politicians who aligned themselves with the Anti-Federalist party or the Jeffersonian Republicans (Willis 7). The grandson of Benjamin Franklin, B enjamin Bache who was the founder and editor of the Philadelphia General Advertiser, was the first to be charged under the Sedition Act because of his Anti-Federalist descent against John Adams and the Federalist party. Habeas Corpus Act of 1863 The presidency of Abraham Lincoln can best be described as a presidency of wartime.Just twelve hours after the president was elected, Major Robert Anderson sent Lincoln a dispatch requesting reinforcements of twenty thousand men to secure Fort Sumter from Confederate attack [ (Dirck 20) ]. It was Lincoln who set the tone for wartime presidents and he took full advantage of this power. During the height of the Civil War, Lincoln ordered a writ suspending Habeas Corpus. Lincoln’s primary focus by ordering the writ was to quell political opposition from pro-Confederate sympathizers.He justified his decision by stating â€Å"Even in such a case, would not the official oath be broken, if the government should be overthrown, when it was be lieved that disregarding the single law, would tend to preserve it? † [ (Dirck 25) ] referring to [ (Lincoln) ]. Lincoln believed that public safety was the cornerstone behind his decision. With public safety in mind, Lincoln authorized Winfield Scott to arrest anyone in â€Å"an insurrection against the laws of the United States. † [ (Dirck 25) ] referring to [ (Symonds) ] World War I HistoryEspionage and Sedition Acts of 1917 and 1918 Once again the United States and its people were preoccupied with war. In April 1917, the United States declared war on Germany and fears of espionage, anarchist activities, and the threat of terrorism loomed over the heads of the United States government. By establishing the Espionage and Sedition Acts of 1917 and 1918, the government prohibited the public from openly demonstrating or passing forth any information deemed to be detrimental to the military or the government during a time of war.Woodrow Wilson even gave the postmaster righ ts to restrict distribution of mail and documents that could be construed as harmful to the military of the United States . These offenses could be punishable by death. Because of the fear of harm to the nation and its citizens, the House and Senate almost passed the bill without any debate whatsoever even though the bill trampled on the freedom of speech and freedom of the press [ (Willis 14) ]. Schenck v. US – Led by Oliver Wendell Holmes, this would be the first case in which the Supreme Court handed down a ruling that constituted when the United States government could limit speech.Charles  Schenck, the general secretary of the Socialist party in Philadelphia was arrested for the distribution of political propaganda. These leaflets, which referenced the clause of the Thirteenth Amendment forbidding involuntary servitude, were directed at men who were drafted upon the passage of the Selective Service Act. Schenck encouraged draftees to â€Å"Assert Your Rights,† a nd that the people needed to stand up to the government for entering the war. The government claimed that these flyers contained â€Å"false† statements that could ultimately interfere with the effort to win the war.It was during this case that Oliver Wendell Holmes coined his most memorable rationale for the decision of the Supreme Court to be upheld in the Schenck case, noting that: â€Å"The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent. It is a question of proximity and degree. † Debs v. US Eugene Debs, a founder of the Socialist Party in 1901 and a strong opponent to the â€Å"Great War,† was no stranger to speaking his mind and being imprisoned because of his actions.Debs was sentenced to jail for his role as leader of a nationwide boycott of involving the Pullman Palace Car Company in 1894. After serving a two-year prison sentence, Debs held a Sunday afternoon picnic in Canton, Ohio. During his speech, Debs, phrasing his words carefully for fear of being prosecuted by the government for his â€Å"right to free expression,† encouraged the crowd to â€Å"turn their backs on the Republican and Democratic Party† and â€Å"fight for a cause [ (Debs) ]. † Debs was arrested for violating the Espionage Act and was accused of tampering with the recruiting services of the United States.He served a ten-year sentence for his speech. World War II History Alien Registration (Smith) Act of 1940 Representative Howard W. Smith introduced the Alien Registration Act of 1940. This act required aliens to register with the government of the United States within four months of their arrival in the United States. Although the prior acts were made during times of war, the Alien Registration Act was an act proposed and adopted during peacetime [ (Willis 26 -27) ]. The main objective of the act was to thwart any attempt by the American Communist Party to weaken the government of the United States.This act made it illegal to interfere with the loyalty of military personnel, to teach to violently overthrow the United States government, or to conspire to commit or to commit prohibited acts. The act also stated that the government could confiscate materials using the search warrant provision and that punishment of these offenses could result in a conviction of up to ten years in prison and a ten thousand dollar fine. In 1948, Harry Truman invoked this act to contain Soviet supporters and had eleven leaders of the Communist Party U.S. A. indicted for violations of the Smith Act. During the prosecution of the case of Dennis v. United States, the government used the works of Karl  Marx to prove that the eleven men violated the Alien Registration Act stating that they privately planned to overthrow the government of the United States. Japane se-American Internment – Executive Order 9066 of 1942 Eleven weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Executive Order 9066 was signed by Franklin Roosevelt. â€Å"Relocation Centers† were set up across the United States.Approximately 110,000 Japanese-Americans were confined to no more than an American version of Hitler’s concentration camps. Japanese-Americans serving in the military were categorized as enemy aliens and discharged from the armed forces of the United States. Minoru Yasui was the first citizen to bring a case before the government during the time of the Internment. Yasui was denied active duty service by the United States military. Yasui purposely violated curfew orders in order to be arrested.His case, although initially based on a curfew law was brought to court and a unanimous conviction was handed down to Yasui claiming that his â€Å"racial attachments† to his Japanese roots posed a danger of espionage to the American people [ (Baker and Stack 66-68) ]. The History of Today Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 In the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing, the nation was traumatized by such a deplorable act of domestic terrorism. An overwhelming public fear guided the reactions of United States and the government set limitations of individual rights to protect its people.One week after the Oklahoma City bombing, President Clinton and members of Congress swiftly approved the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty of 1996 (AEDPA). First Amendment rights were again affected. By allowing the Secretary of State to selectively define its meaning of â€Å"material support† to foreign organizations, citizens were â€Å"guilty by association† based on the purpose of their monetary contributions (Brown et al. 17-20) . The belief was that monetary and logistical contributions to an organization showed support for that organization. This was enough ammunition for the government to hold ci tizens in violation of the AEDPA.In a case brought against the Attorney General by the Humanitarian Law Project (HLP), the HLP challenged the ruling that their humanitarianism, peacekeeping training, and support of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was in violation of the constitutionality of the material support statute. The PKK was determined to be a â€Å"terrorist organization. † By supporting a terrorist organization, the HLP could have faced extensive prison sentences if they had continued to support their mission by providing monetary and logistical contributions even though the contributions were to support peaceful acts.Eventually the HLP ceased in their support of the PKK. U. S. A PATRIOT Act – 2001 With the attack of the World Trade Center and Pentagon and the takeover of Flight 93, the scope of terrorism in the United States had changed since even the bombings in Oklahoma  City. Once thought to be a crisis of foreign countries, the United States w as now faced with a new brand of terrorist attacks unlike ever before. As a result, acts aimed at preventing further attacks and protecting the security of society were invoked.The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act), was adopted in October 2001 to assist the government in gaining information on future terror attacks. Many feel that since the adoption of the PATRIOT Act, First Amendment rights have been violated in an unprecedented way. Not only does the government have the ability to limit the size and nature of demonstrations, conduct racial profiling, but they also may limit the information which can be publicized to the citizens of the United States claiming â€Å"national security interests. The National Archives and Records Administration states that â€Å"the number of classification actions by the Executive Branch rose 14 percent in 2002 over 2001 — and declassification a ctivity fell to its lowest level in seven years. † [ (Posner 220) ] Since September 11, Arab, Muslim, and South Asian populations of the United States have been profiled based on skin color and other physical characteristics. The government has the ability to â€Å"stop, interrogate and detain individuals without criminal charge †¦ on the basis of their national origin, ethnicity and religion. (American Civil Liberties Union 1) ]. By looking at the people who were rounded up just after September 11, it is evident that racial profiling based on religion and ethnicity had taken place by the Department of Justice; a clear violation of the First Amendment. In a more recent incident in The Washington Post on October 2008, Maryland State Police revealed that as a result of surveillance operations, the names of fifty-three nonviolent activists had been placed into an unknown federal database used for the purpose of tracking terrorist suspects.The judgment by the Maryland State Police to include the activists’ names in the terrorist database was met with disapproval and was criticized by senators noting that the â€Å"law enforcement officials were oblivious to their violation of the activists' rights of free expression and association. † [ (Rein, Lisa A1) ] Conclusion Through historical records, it is evident the intent of the government in times of war is to protect its citizens and prevent aggression on the homeland.The punishment and imprisonment of citizens for First Amendment violations are based on situations when governing bodies of the United States felt threatened by acts of anarchy, Communism, terrorism, or war. In most instances, the government has been proactive by halting contrary opinions from opposing parties or seeking peacetime acts as a precautionary measure. At other times, they have been reactive by enacting laws after terrorist attacks . In either case, they have adopted rules and laws based upon the fear of the people a nd the prevention of potential attacks.Their fears have limited free speech, free assembly, free press, and have punished those for freedom of religion. Historically, as time went by and threats declined, the people of the United States became more conscious of the limitations the government had set forth. In the referenced laws and actions of this paper, court cases brought to the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of First Amendment limitations have been paramount in the repeal or retraction of these acts. The decisions in these cases prove that there is a need for a balance between individual freedoms and protection of the people.

Bible vs. Native American Creation Stories from the Southwestern United States Essay

Bible vs. Native American Creation Stories from the Southwestern United States Human curiosity is shared between both the Biblical creation story and the Native American myths . Both the Bibles account of creation and the Native American myths tell about an intelligent creator that created complicated beings. Creators in both of the stories have a dwelling in the sky. In Genesis, the creator God dwells in heaven. In Native American stories, the creator lives in the sky and is known as the Sky God. However much these two stories have in common, their differences are considerably stronger. One story places human above nature, while the other place animals above humans. The creation of humans is different, and the worlds in which human life began are unalike. The Bible and the Native Americans both value the importance of human life inversely. In the Bible, it is understood that God places the humans above nature,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (53). The Native American myths say that the animals ruled over the humans, because in each myth the animals were the ones that could talk and reason and think for themselves. In the intro to the Native American Stories, it is stated, â€Å"Generally, these creation myths hold that life began below ground and that the first creatures were prehumen, insect-like beings. They developed physically and socially into recognizable ancestors†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (90). The Bible states the importance of human authority, while Native American myths find more intelligent life elsewhere. Additional information that shows how unlike these stories are is how the human form looked when first created. The Native American myths tell of humans that were first created in a form/shape other than what anyone today would expect. The Zuni Emergence Myth says, â€Å"Their hands and feet were webbed and they had tails and no mouths or exits† (93). However, when God created humans he created them in his own image. In Genesis, Chapter one; verse 26, it says, â€Å"Then God said, â€Å"Let us make man in our image† (53). When God created humans, they needed no adjustments. In the myths of the Zuni, Hopi, and Navajo, the humans had to be cut in certain places and certain ways so that they could eat, work, and carry out daily tasks. The prime distinction in the story from the Bible and the myths of the Native Americans is where humans began their existence. In the Bible, God speaks of only one world which is earth. The Bible says, â€Å"God call the dry land Earth. †(52). With the Native American creation myths, all forms of humans began in the first of four worlds. In the Zuni Emergence Myth, â€Å"They were living in the fourth world. † (91). The Hopi Creation Story is similar as well. â€Å"†¦ The Hopi Creation Story represents the first creatures as passing through four worlds†¦ † (94). The Navajo Creation Story is like these two as well, only they fly instead of climbing through the four worlds. It is stated in the Navajo Creation Story, â€Å"Rather than climbing, as in the Zuni story, the Navajo Air-Spirit People fly† (95). When God created humans, they began life in the only one world, while Native American myths have humans go through extensive searches in other worlds before they come to the one they are to live in. The Bible creation story and the Native American myths both give credit to a higher being for their creation. This is probably as close to similar as these two stories come. However much these two stories have in common, the differences are stronger. One story places human above nature, while the other place animals above humans. The creation of humans is different, and the worlds in which human life began are unalike. They follow the same paths just different journeys.

Art Mediums Collage Making, Charcoal Drawing, Acrylic Painting and Research Paper

Art Mediums Collage Making, Charcoal Drawing, Acrylic Painting and Water Color Painting - Research Paper Example The paper "Art Mediums Collage Making, Charcoal Drawing, Acrylic Painting and Water Color Painting" discovers the Collage Making, Charcoal Drawing, Acrylic Painting and Water Color Painting - four art mediums. Collage making involves a lot of creativity. Pieces can be put together in a number of ways to create two different types of collage; two dimensional collage, and three dimensional collage. When pieces of paper are glued on the canvas or base-board, we get a two dimensional look; this is a 2D collage. Three dimensional look or 3D collage is obtained when broken pieces of wood, glass, stones etc., are glued on a base-board or canvas. As early as 1912, some great artist such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Juan Gris were already doing some amazing collage art. Just like any other form of art, collage is not difficult once you understand the technique and theme, it only becomes complex or simpler depending on what one as an artist is trying to achieve. Below are some sample collage artwork by some famous contemporary artists of the 20th century. Charcoal is undisputedly one of the oldest art materials so is charcoal drawing. Our ancestors used charcoal to draw on cave walls. Charcoal is very easy to manufacture and thus it is an essential artistic tool. Since it is made from selected woods in little or no oxygen conditions, charcoal as an artistic material is stable over a long period of time. However, charcoal has less color saturation when compared to other artistic materials. which have greater saturation but do not last long (Goldman 71). One major disadvantage of using is its dusting-off tendency. Despite this, charcoal drawing as an artistic medium is superb. The sensitivity and spontaneity of using charcoal as a drawing medium gives charcoal drawing an edge above the other drawing media (Fitzgerald 55-63). With charcoal drawing, very painterly drawings, as if done using a brush can be made. Charcoal drawing is so responsive, direct, and fast and is considered to be a less inhibiting medium. Charcoal drawing can produce both fluid and bold lines with greater host of textures as well as fine gradations for shadings. Several drawing techniques such as gestural drawing, contour drawing, and volume drawing can be used with charcoal. The soft nature of charcoal gives an artist a painterly feel. Charcoal is the only drawing medium which gives an artist the ability to imitate Chinese ink brush painting. This is because it is easy for an artist to imitate the contour lines o a Chinese painting in charcoal. With charcoal drawing, an artist is able to gesture without doing big shapes and getting down into detail. Just as many other drawing media, charcoal strongly responds to grain of the paper it is used on. Acrylic painting This painting medium is one of the newest. It was introduced as recent as 1955. Since its introduction, acrylic paintings have come a long way and now there is a wide-range of paints. Acrylic painting is a paint ing technique that offers both experienced and new artist a very flexible painting method. It is a water-based painting medium. The consistency and the usual texture of acrylic paintings is some-what similar to that of oil-paints. However, acrylics are available in a variety of densities unlike oils. They range from ink-like, very thin consistency that can be used in air brushes to various flow degree. This enables an artist to achieve 3Dlike effects (impasto). This

American constitution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American constitution - Assignment Example Secondly, it should provide social infrastructure wherein the citizens can interact well and establish connections and ties with one another. Thirdly, it is tasked in protecting human rights and upholding and ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and accorded with the things that are of the essence to being human. Citizens should be safeguarded against violations of human rights. And lastly, it is the government’s role to provide public safety. In relation with its other roles, this dictates that it should protect the state from both internal and external threats, be it in whatever nature such as, but not limited to, political, military, health, etc. 2.Define democracy and discuss 5 bases of democracy(five bases to use are, self-government john locke-2nd treaties on government, social contract, majority rule, minority rights, limited government, democratic institution, free election, free expression of ideas ). In the modern era of politics, democracy as a form of government has risen as the most widely practiced form of government. The word can be literally translated to mean as the Government of the People/Majority (Becker and Raveloson 4). It is easily distinguishable from other forms of government such as monarchy, aristocracy, and dictatorship simply because the governing body comes from the people themselves. Leaders of such government and elected and empowered by the people in the rationale of them serving the common interest of its citizens. 3. Discuss 5 types of powers (Reward-ability to provide what others don’t have, Coercive-ability to punish, Authority-based on titles and position, Expert-based on knowledge, Referant-based on charisma or respect. The reward-ability power is anchored in the ability of the authoritative entity to grant and motivate its constituents by its desires and undesirables. This regards the work of

PERSONAL STATEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PERSONAL STATEMENT - Essay Example I have had a good record in performance right from my elementary studies with my high school GPA being 4.0 while the current college one is 3.7. I have developed some interest in pursuing my summer programs in photography within Italy at the American University within Rome having been attracted to the program through the institution’s website. Am currently 19years old and have been brought up in Venezuela with my family currently living in Rome and am sure that the photography sessions will be instrumental in my major in journalism. I must admit that the love of the country (Italy) has also triggered my interest to study there as I have been visiting there at least twice a year. An opportunity to study there would not only present an opportunity to re-unite with family and moot of my friends but also an opportunity to study in a beautiful and historic country. Besides, I have deep appreciation of different cultures and such an opportunity to undertake studies during the summer season within Italy would give me an opportunity to interact and appreciate cultural diversity. I am disciplined, dedicated and much focused in my studies and success is all that matters to me. I therefore believe that if accorded the opportunity, I would gain the most from the program while contributing positively towards the success of other students and the course at large within the

Occupational Health and Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Occupational Health and Safety - Essay Example Employees are also required to inspect hoses for leaks at every start of each shift. Further, hoses of oxygen and fuel gas, when taped together, should not exceed one-third of the entire length of the hose (osha.gov, 1996). Grease and oil are also potential hazards and OSHA requires that oxygen cylinders be kept away from grease or oil. Greasy clothes and oily surfaces should be kept away from getting in contact with oxygen cylinders, hoses or any other parts of the valves and regulators (osha.gov, 1996). The scenario showed that the cylinders were lying on the floor and were all stored together in the area. This poses a tripping hazard and greater tendency for the cylinders to roll and bump on each other. The smell of the room being similar to a nail-polish remover suggests that there is a leak in the acetylene cylinder. This suggests that the employee was not able to check the cylinders or the hoses for leakage. Further, the welder, not recognizing the smell is in a very dangerous situation because of the high flammability of acetylene. His activity of chipping the welding slag with the torch tip is high risk of creating sparks that can ignite the room and cause an explosion. With him wearing greasy gloves puts him at even greater risk because the material will immediately catch fire since he was already using the welding slag. The scenario given suggests a very unsafe working condition. It is then very important that employees in construction sites, in this case, those involved in welding and cutting, must be aware of the guidelines set by OSHA to be able to prevent any accidents that may occur in the work

Hamlet's Failure as a Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hamlet's Failure as a Leader - Essay Example In order to be a great leader, it is imperative that a king displays confidence in his own self. Hamlet lacks this quality from the very beginning when he immediately over-thinks the request, by his mother, to stay in Denmark. He puts his own desires aside to obey her, but then he over-analyzes his life instead of believing that he has made the right choice: â€Å"Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His conon’gainst self-slaughter! O God, God! How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world†¦ (1.2.130)† Hamlet shows that he is not strong enough to execute his self-made plan for his life, thus showing a lack of value in himself. Furthermore, once he does make the decision to stay, he feels sorry for himself instead of being confident and devising a new plan. As a responsible leader, Hamlet should have carefully weighed the merits and demerits of stay ing in Denmark, and should have stayed confident with whatever decision he thus made. If he later found that decision inappropriate, he should have left Denmark instantly rather than regretting. His philosophizing again takes over when a ghost appears to him revealing how Claudius had murdered the King. Hamlet casts aside his own beliefs and concerns and only thinks about what his father, in the form of a ghost, has told him. Hamlet is â€Å"from himself be tak’en away† (5.2.220) as madness overpowers his moral beliefs. â€Å"It is not a character marked by strength of will or even of passion, but by refinement of thought and sentiment† (Hazlitt, 1819). Hamlet is a philosophical character who possesses the determination to concentrate his thoughts and come up with a plan of action necessary to achieve results; but his over-thinking habit hinders his ability to carry out the necessary actions. This quality is shown in the following lines in Act 1 Scene 5: Yea, fr om the table of my memory I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past That youth and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and volume of my brain, Unmixed with baser matter (1.5.106). When Hamlet speaks these words, he casts aside his Christian morals, in order to avenge his father’s death. Although this could show strength, yet Hamlet lacks the will power to convert these thoughts and plans into actions. He sets out to avenge the death of his father, against all his beliefs of right and wrong as dictated to him by his Christian values. However, if he really didn’t care, he should have killed Claudius immediately rather than waiting to collect evidence to be sure that Claudius is the culprit. His constant thinking and planning shows that Hamlet lacks one of the most vital qualities of a true leader; the commitment and determination of following through on plans and goals i n order to achieve solid results. A final flaw that Hamlet displays is his indecisiveness as he wastes time going back and forth between what he should and should not do. In seeking to get revenge on his Uncle, Hamlet struggles with his inability to act: "Now whether it be , Bestial oblivion ,or some craven scruple, of thinking too precisely on th' event - A thought which , quarter'd , hath but one

Public Health Reform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Public Health Reform - Research Paper Example The primary objective of the healthcare reforms is to render excellence and affordable medical attention to all the citizens of the U.S. (Kronenfeld & Kronenfeld, 2004). The public health reforms have been put underway. The government has come up with strategies and approaches to warrant that all citizens profit from the medical access. Previously, it was optional for anyone to buy healthcare insurance policy. But since the passage of the healthcare reform bill into law, all members of the public are required to purchase medical insurance policy. This process is referred to as the individual mandate. The government has placed a deadline by which all citizens should have purchased an insurance policy (Kronenfeld & Kronenfeld, 2004). The Affordable Care Act is a portion of the healthcare reform law that was put in place aimed at reducing the cost of healthcare. The act aims at expanding medical coverage to all citizens of the U.S at the lowest costs possible. The act has clauses that hold insurance of its clients. The act also avails citizens with options on whether to choose private health insurance or the public health insurance. Quality of healthcare at the lowest costs is also a major factor that was included in the act. This act advocates for healthcare equality throughout the United States. The act consists of two separate pieces of legislation. These include the Healthcare and Affordable Care Act and Education Reconciliation Act and the Patient Protection. The Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act aims at educating the public on the best ways of staying a healthy life. The Act has initiated policies and programs that will ensure that citizens will be educated and informed on how to counter some disorders such as diabetes and cancer. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act aims at protecting the needs and rights of all patients, regardless of their social status (Kronenfeld & Kronenfeld, 2004). It has policies that aim at healthcare

The Impact of Maternal Iron Deficiency and IDA on Childhood Essay

The Impact of Maternal Iron Deficiency and IDA on Childhood - Essay Example This leads to the complication during pregnancy and may trigger post-pregnancy complications to the mother and child. In a bid to determine the impact of maternal iron deficiency and IDA on childhood, an extensive literature review was conducted. The review identified sources that exhibited relevance to the research question and that were recent. After analysis of the sources, which were both primary and secondary sources, the findings were compiled and have been presented in the discussion. From this literature review, it emerges that children and women are the risk groups likely to develop anaemia. Iron deficiency has been described as the leading nutritional condition in the globe. Moreover, 52% of expectant mothers do not meet the recommended iron level. Deficiency of iron in expectant mothers presents several symptoms such as fatigue, paleness, faint feeling, sour mouth and tinnitus. The causes of iron deficiency will be described in depth in this paper. In pregnant women, lack of sufficient weight gain may present a higher risk to the development of iron deficiency. Iron deficiency has adverse effects on both the mother and the unborn baby. In some cases, effect on the unborn babies my progress to early childhood. Prop er diet and iron supplementation are some of the leading interventions. The World Health Organization (1) states that anaemia is a haemoglobin level of less than 13 g/dL for males 15 years and above, less than 12 g/dL in non-expectant women 15 years and above, and less than 11 g/dL in women who have conceived. The criteria used to diagnose anaemia are not standardised. Moreover, there is a lack of clarity as to the differentiation between functional iron deficiency and absolute iron deficiency (2). Additionally, what is defined as the standard range for haemoglobin also differs within a given population.

The Extraction of Aluminium Essay Example for Free

The Extraction of Aluminium Essay The metal aluminium is a very important to many of the worlds industries how ever it requires a special process called electrolysis to extract it form other metals which is commonly found with. As i mentioned aluminium is an extremely useful metal and has many uses which we depend on in our daily lifes which are any thing from packaging to being used in transportation. This means that we have to to be able to extract aluminium, as it is extremely rare to find aluminium as a free metal. In fact, it is know to combine with over 270 other metals. Extraction is a major problem for aluminium and there is no ideal solution. However there are many not so perfect solutions that are currently being practiced today. In this essay I will look into some of the limitations and benefits of the current extraction techniques. I will also look at some of the economic and environmental effects the extraction of aluminium has. When aluminium is extracted from the other metals it must go through processes called electrolysis. Aluminium is not an easy metal to extract from other metals it is found in nature with, therefore it takes a lot of electricity to extract aluminium. Because it is such an energy consuming processe researchers have found ways to cut down the energy usage by adding different compounds to the aluminium. The most common way to do this is to add molton cryolite to the molton aluminium. With adding molton cryolite to the molton aluminium alone it effectively lowers the temperature needed extract from 2000à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C to 950à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, that is more than a 50% decrease in the required temperature 2. However due to the fact that the oxygen reacts with the carbon positive electrodes this can cause an inconvenience. When oxygen (O) reacts with carbon (C) it forms carbon dioxide (CO2). When the carbon dioxide forms it eats away the positive electrode over time. As the positive electrodes are eaten away they must be replaced on a frequent and regular basis, this is a negatieve inconvenience that further adds to the cost of producing aluminum which is already high form the large amount of energy that is needed 3. In the remainder of this essay I will look at the aluminium electrolysis plant located in Reydarfjordur, Iceland. I will look at some of the environmental and economic consequences of this plant run by Alcoa. When a new plant or factory is created it can either be good or a bad thing and have both positive and negative effects on the economy and the environnent. With this plant in Reydarfjordur it has a great effect on the economy as it brings many new jobs to this not yet developed region of Iceland. In order to build this plant it requires around 1800 temporary jobs. After the plant is in a running and stable condition it will require about 450 people on a daily basis as well as another 300 jobs that will be indirectly created 1. As jobs in the eastern Iceland or Reydarfjordur area have been steadily decreasing over time this will hopefully boost the employment rate and provide jobs for many. When extracting aluminium there is no environmentally friendly solution however many new plants, including the Alcoa plant in Reydarfjordur have much lower emissions than others that are older or less environmentally friendly. The new plan for the Alcoa plant in Reydarfjordur has significantly lower emission rates than other Alcoa plants which are all within local standards. Alcoa claims they are a large supporter of sustainable development and for this plant alone they have over 60 experts looking in to and implementing ways to preserve our environment. This new factory meets and exceeds all European Union and Icelandic emissions requirements, this is the first step to creating a sustainable plant. In fact, a recent study regarding this factory shows Alcoa factory located in Iceland had 35% lover CO2 emissions than other leading aluminum plants. As well as having lower CO2 emissions they also boast 40% less PFC emissions and a 80% lower nitrogen oxide emissions 1. Bibliography: 1. Alcoa. Acoa. 2 Feb. 2008 http://www.alcoa.com/iceland/en/info_page/reydarfjordur.asp. 2. Various. Alumiumum. Wikipedia. 1 Feb. 2008. 2 Feb. 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium. 3. Extraction of AL. BBC. 2 Feb. 2008 http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/chemistry/usefulproductsrocks/electrolysisrev3.shtml.

The History Of The Community Mobilization Sociology Essay

The History Of The Community Mobilization Sociology Essay The term community has various meaning. We can define community is a place where people living in the particular geographical area and they shares their common values, interests and they follows a particular way of living. The term community may refer to the national community or international community. In biology a community is a group of interacting people sharing a populated environment. Apart from a geographical area a community is a group or society, helping each other. In human communities belief, resources, needs, interest and a number of other conditions may be present in common, which also affects the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness. In every society various types of communities may take place. Some categorizations are as follows:- Geographic communities: It ranges from the local neighborhood, suburb, village, town or city, region, nation or even the planet as a whole. These refer to communities of location. Communities of culture: It ranges from the local clique, sub-culture, ethnic group, religious, multicultural or pluralistic civilization, or the global community cultures of today. They may be included as communities of need or identity, such as disabled persons, or frail aged people. Communities are nested; one community can contain another-for example a geographic community may contain a number of ethnic communities. Identity is also one of the important factor to assess the type of community. For example if a group of people indicates the common identity other than location then it would be a community based on their common interest. Also a professional community can also exist in society where a group of people are with the same or related occupations. There are different things that bind people together to their different communities or that they may have in common with the other people living around them, which includes beliefs and values, language, territory, religion, culture and occupations. Community Mobilization: A strong community feeling is also evident at times of crisis and change for families, such as marriage and death. In a community people shared their we feeling with each other. As we know that proper management and utilization of resources is the best possible way for the development of the community. Therefore community mobilization is always prominent for the development and upliftment of any community. For mobilizing the community people make their plans and then do the things accordingly. They take charge, transforming, developing their community and their lives as well. Community mobilization is a process which allows people in the community to: Identify needs and promote community interests. Promote good leadership and democratic decision making. Identify specific groups for undertaking specific problems. Identify all the available resources in the community and mobilize or generate new resources. Communities can mobilize to work for changes that will fulfill the social, emotional, financial and physical needs of people. Community mobilization is a process to create awareness among people regarding the present situation of the community in order to encourage positive change in the future For community mobilization communication is one of the important tool to achieve it. Through proper and effective communication various methods of mobilizing the community can be implemented. Here we are discussing the various methods for community mobilization by given actors as per the fig 1.1. Mobilizing the community Political Parties Social Movements Individual groups Political Parties The use of social networking sites by political parties and other politically active groups has been increased. These groups have realized that using of social networking potentially increases people mobilization. The Internet has become a fast and low-cost communication tool and enables quick and easy aggregation of political information among potential voters. For instance Mr. Barack Obama successful used Twitter, Flicker, You Tube, Facebook among others to communicate and mobilize people. He also had a $2 million dollar custom campaigning and social networking site built called MyBarackobama.com. As political parties are now actively engaging with social networking sites as part of their strategies to mobilize the maximum people in the community. In the present scenario, the use of social media is really important to mobilize the people and communities for collective action. We know that today millions of people are connected in one way or another to the internet. People are easil y accessible on internet. It is another way of reaching large numbers of people to mobilize them for a group effort. Facebook, Mixit, Twitter can also be effective for the above. To generate awareness among people and to mobilize them in large number to make a community independent. Newspapers, radio stations and the TV have the authority to inform thousands more people about various campaigns for mobilizing any community. By writing a press release, a political party can highlight the facts, peoples demands, and what people want the media to talk about regarding the development and continuous empowerment of their community. Parties can also organize a press conference. So they can invite the reporters to come to a meeting where spokespeople from the community organization speak out publicly about the problem and the solution of the problems of community. All these strategies political parties can apply to mobilize the community and people as well to generate awareness among them and to provide them a platform where people can discuss issues their community problems also mobilize the resources. Apart from above, Political rallies and the use of local languages are instrumental in the mobilization of groups for social action. Social Movements Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals or organizations which focus on specific political or social issues for their development. In other words, they carry out, resist or undo a social change in the society. Social movement campaigns play a critical role in mobilizing and maintaining the submerged networks of social movement communities. We discuss the importance of such movement campaigns and their effects on movement communities, subsequent collective action, and cultural and political change. Our research contributes to an understanding of the shape of social movement communities and the connections between local and international campaigns. Community mobilization is often used by grassroots-based social movements, which includes revolutionary movements. The process usually takes the form of large public gatherings such as mass meetings, marches, parades, processions and demonstrations. Those gatherings usually are part of a protest action. These are the different ways by which a community can be mobilized and can raise voice for the demand of development of the community. In other words, community mobilization seeks to facilitate change within the community for its development. Modern Western social movements became possible through education (the wider dissemination of literature), and increased mobility of labor due to the industrialization and urbanization of 19th century societies. Social movements have been and continued to be closely connected with democratic political systems. Occasionally, social movements have been involved in democratizing nations, but more often they have developed after democratization. Modern movements often utilize technology and the internet to mobilize people globally. Adapting to communication trends is a common theme among successful movements. Research is beginning to explore how advocacy organizations linked to social movements use social media to facilitate civic engagement and collective action. It is a type of political organisation we need to think about is the social movement. A movement, by its very nature, is not something that can be easily pinned down since, as Glaser (2003) suggests, it represents a loose community of like-minded people who share a broad range of ideas and opinions. This type of definition, therefore, covers a range of behaviours, a good example of which might be something like the environmentalist movement a very broad category of people who, in a variety of ways, are concerned with protecting the physical environment. Della Porta and Diani (1999) refine this general idea by thinking about social movements in terms of Informal networks the movement as a whole is loosely structured. People come together, at various times, on the basis of: Shared beliefs and support for a general set of ideas, usually based around: Conflictual issues, especially, although not necessarily, issues of national and global significance. Part of the reason for social move ments is that issues of concern to movement adherents/members are either not being addressed by political parties or, if they are, the movements adherents are strongly opposed to the policies being proposed/ enacted. This is one reason why such movements often involve: Protest in a range of forms (such as civil disobedience, demonstrations or publicity stunts). In other words, as Schweingruber (2005) puts it, social movements involve: Continuous, large-scale, organized collective action, motivated by the desire to enact, stop, or reverse change in some area of society. Social movements are any broad social alliances of people who are connected through their shared interest in blocking or affecting social change. Although social movements do not have to be formally organized. Social movement is always an important tool to bring the change in society and as well as to mobilize the communities for their own development. By arranging people in mass meetings, parades, marches, discussions on various issues, movements for stressing the education of people, bringing the concept of democratization in light communities can mobilize through theses social movements. Social movements are always a part of society, and people may compare their options and make rational choices about which movements to follow. As long as social movements wish to be success, they must find resources (such as money, people, and plans) for how to meet their goals. Social movements are competing for a piece of finite resources, and the field is growing more crowded all the time.McCarthy and Zald (1977) conceptualize resource mobilization theory as a way to explain movement success in terms of its ability to acquire resources and mobilize individuals. For example, PETA, a social movement organization, is in competition with Greenpeace and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), two other social movement organizations. Taken together, alo ng with all other social movement organizations working on animals rights issues, these similar organizations constitute a social movement industry. Multiple social movement industries in a society, though they may have widely different constituencies and goals, constitute a societys social movement sector. Every social movement organization (a single social movement group) within the social movement sector is competing for your attention, your time, and your resources. Individual groups It is always easy to start a fire and involve a number of people. Community members need to choose certain people whose role will be to keep the fire of community mobilization burning. In this guide these people will be called motivators. People in the community know each other very well. Take time to carefully choose honest people who are respected by others, and who can encourage others to work well together. They need to have some time and energy available, have a desire to bring change and be willing to work free of charge. Each community should select two or three motivators. The people chosen will need equipping and support in their role. Each local area has a number of different kinds of resources. People use these resources to keep alive and to cope with changing seasons, political change and cultural pressures. Helping people to understand and to value the different resources they have is very important. These are the main kinds of resources: _ Natural resources include land, trees, forests and water. _ Human resources include the skills, knowledge, understanding and labour of local people. _ Financial resources include money, access to credit and loans, credit unions and government support. _ Social resources include the culture, traditions, organizations, friends and extended family. _ Physical resources include buildings, tools, roads, water pumps and transport. _ Spiritual resources are the strength and encouragement that people gain from their faith. Local people already know more than any outsider about their community and the people living there. Many people assume they know everything about their local area, but there is always more to learn and understand before making new plans. Take plenty of time to help people in the community to tell their story together. One very effective way of doing this is to draw maps, either using clear ground with sticks, leaves and stones, or if available, large sheets of paper and pens. Encourage small groups to draw different maps to show: the natural and physical resources in the area (hills, forests, roads and rivers, for example) -where people live, noting important people and organisations -how the area looked 50 or 20 years ago (only for older people). So for mobilizing communities, individual groups can do the social mapping of the community so that the people can aware about the present problems in the community. Another helpful way to focus on key issues within the local area is to encourage people to prepare a role-play to express their concerns. As people discuss what subjects to use, they will often focus on important issues. However, they are also likely to share these in funny ways. Laughter has a way of taking the pressure out of a situation, helping people to discuss sensitive issues, sometimes for the first time. Again, encouraging people to work in small groups is another way to mobilize the communities. Having chosen their first priority for action, local people need to decide whether they have enough information to take action. For example, if education is identified as the priority, people may need more information about the problems and whether they are at primary or secondary level. The problem may be poor attendance and, if so, there is a need to find out why. Considering electing teams of local people to gather relevant information is another way to mobilize the communities. Choose people who can be trusted and who know their community well. Before sending teams out to gather information, take plenty of time to decide exactly what kind of information is needed. Apart from this, conducting role plays- street plays in the community is always a good strategy to mobilize the maximum number of people and to preparing them for a social action. By Arranging a community meeting to share all the information gathered is showing information clearly to the people. A large number of people can mobilize for the collective action after getting all the facts and problems of the community. Also, motivation plays an important role in this activity. As keep motivating the people in right direction is always worthy and will be fruitful for attaining maximum development of the community. Initial contact with the community is another way to mobilize people. Understanding community practices and traditions prior to establishing contact can help identify the appropriate approach for engaging with different groups and members of the community. It is important to focus on learning from the community, especially during the initial contact.  Taking every opportunity to meet informally with diverse members of the community (at the health post, during registration, at distribution points, in the queue for water). Also utilizing community leaders also increases the chances of reaching a cross-section of the population and not just a narrow representation. It is essential that all members of the community receive word about mobilization and how they can be involved.  Outreaching to those who are isolated, vulnerable or considered. If they cannot personally attend a meeting, it is important that they be represented in some way. So as per the above discussion, motivating peop le, arranging meetings, initial contacting with the communities, utilizing the community leaders, conducting role-plays, street plays, community outreaching are different ways to mobilize the maximum people of community by individual groups. Also, identifying an existing committee or a community-based organization which can give individual groups access to the community and facilitate distribution of  messages. Meeting the host community and the authorities is important to reach out the goals for community development and mobilization.   Messages might only reach certain groups, such as community leaders, and not all members of the community.  Developing outreach strategies with the leaders and others to ensure that everyone is informed, including women, girls and boys, minority groups, and people with mental and physical challenges. Making sure that information is delivered in a language everyone can understand, is culturally sensitive and is correctly perceived and understood.  As always communication should be effective and strong for the mobilization. Arranging meetings at mutually convenient times. As far the mobilization concern, for development of any community individual groups should make positive rappor t building among the community with key people- like facilitator, leaders, service providers etc. and whole community as well. A good rapport building is effective strategy to mobilizing the people.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Transparency, respect and consistency are essential for building trust, confidence and collaboration between organizations and partners, including members of the community.  Also individual groups have to make ensure that after the first contact immediate follow-up action is taken or not.   Orienting the Community is another way to mobilize the people. The first step in mobilizing the community is to orient them to the process.  This can be done in a number of ways, including written communication, television, radio, or an organized meeting.  Meetings are more personal and conducive to building relationships.   They also facilitate two-way communication where questions can be answered efficiently. As groups can motivate community people for their maximum participation in every discussion as they should feel that they are the key part of it.   Also to start these meetings as soon as possible, so that trust and a positive working relationship can be built between parties. Having the meeting sponsored or hosted by a respected individual or group within the community can add credibility to its agenda.  This may happen through a church, school, tribe, or other local group.   Utilizing community leaders also increases the chances of reaching a cross-section of the population and not just a narrow representation. It is essential that all members of the community receive word about mobilization and how they can be involved.  Outreach is prominent to those who are isolated, vulnerable or considered marginal is critical. If they cannot personally attend a meeting, it is important that they be represented in some way. Individual groups should take care of these things before conducting any activity as part of the community or within the community. An only arranging meeting is not as sufficient. The goals of the meeting must be carefully considered and reflected in the agenda.  Community leaders can provide assistance presenting the information in a culturally appropriate manner. Some of the community leaders may be chosen to convey topics with which they are familiar.  During this meeting, it is important to invoke the input of the community. Identify their needs and begin to priorities how those needs will be met.   Individual groups sho uld know that this meeting will be an opportunity to develop an awareness of what the contributing organizations can provide, and also an opportunity to learn about the strengths and resources of the community. It will be important to define mutual goals and develop a plan as to how to reach these goals.  This will include organizing individuals to work together and coordinate services.   Proper organization of every resources and management is necessary to mobilize the people. Also individual groups should develop ongoing ways to communicate for mobilizing the people. Once goals have been defined and a plan has been developed, it will be important to identify ongoing ways to communicate.  Rather than having large meetings, cluster meetings of project staff, community leaders and community members working on similar tasks are more manageable and efficient.  The groups should begin team building with all team members (international  and national staff, community leaders and community members). It is vital that marginalized and vulnerable people are included in these teams.  Intervention with the community may be required for them to allow marginalized or isolated members of their community to participate in a team.   Working in small teams that include affected people as well as outside helpers.  Team leaders should meet daily for sharing of information, planning and coordination. Not all teams will be required for all emergency response projects. Some people may be a member of more than one team. Conclusion: It is to be concluded that for continuous community development mass awareness, people mobilization is very important. In our society there are different resources which can perform to mobilize the community. But one should only need to generate these resources within the community or outside the community. Maximum resource utilization and mobilization of people are key things for developing any community. Community development emphasizes participation, initiative and self-help by local communities but should be sponsored by national governments as part of a national plan.

Thoughts on Organization :: Writing Education Essays

Thoughts on Organization "We learned about thesis and antithesis and five paragraphs and the whole bit, and learned to do it faster and faster. We repeated it in just the same way you throw basketballs at hoops over and over until you're good at it....All this indicated that I was a 'good writer' and I and teachers both probably believed I really was, and strictly because of this motor skill they'd trained me in." Dave wrote that in an e-mail discussion about theme writing. It made me wonder what the actual guidelines were for the so-called "Official Style," and what, if anything, was wrong with its formula. After all, this is what Universities demanded of us on a quarterly basis. If the scholars and the academe found it to be the standard, what could be wrong with it? I had done it, been good at it. I could turn out one of the "official" papers in a two hour time frame and get an "A". Big deal. Didn't that make me a good writer? What else is there? So I read Strunk and White's version of The Elements of Sty le to find out exactly what I had been doing while fulfilling assignment after assignment. Not that the subject matter was all that entertaining, but couldn't they have spruced up their writing with a little creativity, a little humor? I was so bored, I had a hard time wanting to pick the book up once it had fallen from my bored hands. Ah Ha! I do believe I had inadvertently stumbled upon the result of "Official Style" writing. It stifled the creative, humorous, and personal tendencies that I, and most creatively-intended people, personally look for in a piece of work we would like to tag as interesting. My thoughts then wandered to what the non-official style would set for writing guidelines. Would it be a writing revolution? Would it swim circles around Strunk or would it merely allow more flexibility while still holding Strunk's words as truth? Would I find out that what I had previously written and considered a brilliant paper was actually a regurgatation of someone else's work. And worst of all, would it be as boring as Strunk? Naturally I knew I would find my answer on MCMorg's homepage and bookshelf. So I dug around a little in Aristotle, Finnegan's Wake , Nevin Liab, and our previous reading assignments.

Successes and Failures of Signals Intelligence :: essays research papers

SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE The United States must be prepared to deploy against sophisticated and unsophisticated adversaries on a moments notice. The enemy may have little concern for the Hague Convention, which seek to limit collateral damage and noncombatant casualties. Signal Intelligence provides foreign data that analysts can collect, process and analyze into intelligence information. Whoever has the ability to control and exploit the electromagnetic spectrum, which ranges from zero to infinity, will know their enemies vulnerabilities, create opportunities, achieve tactical surprise, and result in mission accomplishment. Considerations such as successful and unsuccessful collection in Signal Intelligence will be a tremendous factor in planning and the execution of U.S. military operations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are numerous accounts of the successful gathering of Signal Intelligence that prove to be of use. The rapid advancements in microelectronic technology forces the government to design and manufacture sophisticated new radars, airborne reconnaissance, and surveillance platforms; they offer superior capabilities over previously employed systems. Having accredited systems and networks, in accordance with Department of Defense guidance, will ensure that units are within regulations while collecting signals. To obtain the most beneficial information, analysts need to be properly trained in the latest and greatest data sets. Staffing 100% qualified personnel in strategic locations will lead to optimal performance in signals analysis; commanders should provide the capability of target redundancy with different forms to ensure that collection requirements are met. Lastly, understanding commander’s intent and the focus of effort are critical ingredients for su ccess. Despite the factors that lead to success, there are just as many failures, which need to be discussed. Failures are the temporary or possible permanent annihilation of the ability of a mechanism to perform its required purpose. The number one failure in signal intelligences is bureaucracy. All of the policies, guidelines, rules, procedures, course of actions, and laws, create so much red tape, that signal analysts cannot do their jobs, which is to collect, process, or analyze foreign intelligence information. Once the analyst work through the political rubbish, the opportunity for collecting Signal Intelligence may have disappeared. Units that try to use lethargic and robust radars against state of the art Electronic Security will provide marginal data if any; the Electronic Security provides firewalls, secure logins, and offers protection resulting from measures that are designed to deny unauthorized persons access to information. Some radars have the ability to use passive tracking , which means that there is no target illumination by the tracking system.

Privacy :: Business Information Essays

Privacy Globalization is the tendency of businesses to spread throughout the world to offer their products and services. To reflect their global market presence, multi-national companies have adopted management models such as region-specific management, and product-specific management to maximize the potential to offer efficient products and services to their customers. One such management model that has been successful in the past few years is the business process outsourcing model. Businesses outsource processes such as back office operations and customer support services offshore. In some cases, these include access to personal information to a third-party agency leading to violation of personal information privacy. One may argue as to what constitutes personal information, as many theories of privacy exist. This paper addresses some noteworthy such theories. The paper also addresses ethical issues surrounding privacy of personal information in the context of business process outsourcing. Webster’s dictionary defines privacy as freedom from unauthorized intrusion. Alan Westin defines Privacy is the claim of individuals, groups, or institutions to determine for themselves when, how and to what extent information about them is communicated to others.1. Parent defines privacy as the condition in which others do not possess undocumented personal information.2 Lin and Loiu address the issue of privacy as undocumented personal knowledge.3 Privacy as Control of Information can be described as the information that can be made accessible to the public. The information that is available to the public is controlled by an individual. Any other information found about the individual other than that released by him can be considered as an invasion of the individual’s privacy.4 The meaning of what privacy is to an extent is driven by the society and its moral norms. Lin and Loui observe that reasonable expectations of privacy in public places must change as our social environment changes.5 As moral and social norms change in a society, the expectation from an individual towards society changes and thereby the individual’s privacy values. For example, slavery was an accepted practice in the late 19th century, today it’s not in practice. In the current information technology age, when an individual submits his personal information for purchasing merchandise online, it is within his expectation that his personal information be protected by the website. In future with the increasing use of technology in the day to day activities, new issues of privacy will arise making today’s notions of privacy out of date. One such issue is the privacy of personal information in business process outsourcing.

Management Decision and Control Systems

CSC 546: MANAGEMENT DECISION & CONTROL SYSTEMS SPRING 2007 METTLER TOLEDO INTERNATIONAL INC. PAPER 1: COMPANY PROSPECTUS Due March 2, 2007 Submitted by: SUDEEPTHI MOGALLA DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERISTY Email: [email  protected] edu INTRODUCTION Mettler-Toledo International Inc. , headquartered in Greifensee, Switzerland is the world’s largest manufacturer of weighing solutions for laboratory, industrial and retail applications. With manufacturing facilities in USA, Switzerland, Germany, United Kingdom, and China, and sales & service operations in over 35 countries, it is also a leading global provider of precision instruments and services. It is a market leader in balances and pipettes, and a top provider of automated chemistry systems. It also holds leading market positions in several analytical instruments and process analytics applications. Its industrial product line includes weighing sensors for production and quality, and inspection systems for packaged goods. It also provides weighing solutions for transportation, and food retail industries. It supports its products through a comprehensive global service network assisting customers from calibration to compliance with regulations. It also provides retail software for fresh food management. Mettler-Toledo’s North American headquarters is located in Columbus, Ohio. In 2006, the company generated net sales of $1,595 million, a 7% annual growth with an operating income of $234 million, a 13% increase from 2005. The company is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker MTD. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 2 of 23 COMPANY HISTORY The company Mettler Instrumente AG was started in 1945 by Dr. Erhard Mettler, a Swiss engineer, in Kusnacht, Switzerland. He developed weighing balances that used single pans for laboratory applications. By 1973, the company entered the electronic precision industry by producing the award winning electronic precision balance, the PT1200. With innovations applying microprocessor technology, new products like automated titrators, and thermal analyzers were added to the laboratory product lines. In 1980, the company was bought by Ciba-Geigy AG, which entered the retail scale market and produced weighing solutions to manufacturing companies. The company increased its sales and service network to various global locations. Toledo Scale Corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio was the largest scale manufacturer in US for industrial and retail markets. In 1989, it was acquired by Mettler to form Mettler-Toledo International Inc. In 1997, the company went public and started trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Over the years, the company undertook some major acquisitions thus adding some major brands to the Mettler-Toledo group of companies. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 3 of 23 GROWTH BY ACQUISITIONS Mettler-Toledo started its Product Inspection Division by acquiring HI-SPEED Checkweigher Systems, a custom designer and manufacturer of checkweigher and product handling equipment in Ithaca, NY in 1981. In 1987, GARVENS based in Europe was purchased for its capabilities to produce checkweighing solutions for moving products. The Product Inspection Division was completed by the acquisition of SAFELINE, a leading metal detection manufacturer with facilities in UK and Tampa, Florida in 1997. The Process Analytics Division is started by the acquisition of INGOLD in 1986. INGOLD provides pH and conductivity solutions for process measurements in chemical processes and sterile applications. THORNTON, a provider of industrial water monitoring based in Bedford, Massachusetts was added to the group in 2000. Some of the markets leaders that operate under their own brands are BERGER Instruments that uses high performance technology to analyze and purify chemical compounds for drug discovery, CARGOSCAN that provides cargo space optimization solutions, LASENTEC that provides solutions for in-process particle size and population analysis and is part f the Automated Chemistry Division, and the California based manufacturer of pipetting solutions, RAININ Instruments. RAININ Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 4 of 23 holds a broad range of patents in the pipetting technologies and serves pharmaceutical, biotech, and research applications. Most recently, Mettler-Toledo acquired SOFTECHNICS INC. a provider of software solutions for food retailing applications in 2002. MANAGEMENT TEAM The management team at Mettler-Toledo is led by the President & CEO, Robert F. Spoerry who is also the Chairman of Board of Directors. Mr. Spoerry has served in the positions of Head of Industrial & Retail divisions for Mettler-Toledo in the past. He is supported by the CFO, William P. Donnelly who was the Head of Product Inspection, the CIO, Jean-Lucien Gloor, and the Head of Human Resources, Peter Burker. Table 1 lists the management team. Table 1: Mettler-Toledo Management Team Name Robert F. Spoerry Current Position President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of Board of Directors William P. Donnelly Jean-Lucien Gloor Peter Burker Olivier A. Filliol Chief Financial Officer Chief Information Officer Head of Human Resources Head of Global Sales, Service & Marketing, and Head of Process Analytics Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 5 of 23 Ken Peters Karl M. Lang Beat E. Luthi Urs Widmer Joakim Weidemanis Hans-Peter von Arb General Manager – North America Marketing General Manager – Asia/Pacific Marketing Head of Laboratory Division Head of Industrial Division Head of Product Inspection Division Head of Retail Division CORE COMPETENCIES Mettler-Toledo was able to maintain its market leadership in numerous product lines primarily due to its ability to constantly develop new products and embrace new technologies. It has gained a reputation as a global innovator by successfully launching new products in various product lines each year. Research & Development has been its core competency from the beginning, and the company has increased its investment in R&D each year over the last few years. In 2005, its R&D spending was over $80 million, which is 5. 5% of its net sales. Mettler-Toledo holds more than 1700 patents and trademarks in USA, Switzerland, Germany, UK, France, Japan, and China. They developed strong knowledge base in automation, robotics, laser & optical applications, and industrial software development. Over the years, R&D at Mettler-Toledo has contributed through application of advanced technologies, feature-based enhancements on its products, increasing their products Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 6 of 23 reliability & accuracy, and developing new software capabilities for its products. With an R&D force of about 800 employees, the company was able to focus on multiple development efforts simultaneously. As more and more products from the company started including advancements in user-interface through touch screen and LCD technologies, a significant R&D effort went into developing its products’ user-interfaces, the supporting software, and information systems for data management. The significance of software development as a key R&D effort can be understood from the fact that almost half of Mettler-Toledo’s R&D personnel are software engineers. Beyond R&D efforts, Mettler-Toledo has also made deep inroads in managing its cost structure. The company has developed a strong base of cost reduction functions through its Global Supply Chain Group, which includes the Global Procurement, Global Electronics, and Global Logistics teams. These teams work closely with all the manufacturing facilities and marketing teams on regional and global initiatives to reduce manufacturing costs, internal process costs, total cost of procurement, and logistics costs. They also work with the Information Technology groups to implement new automation tools that enhance internal process efficiencies, and provide effective data analysis solutions. Key initiatives like supplier category management, corporate procurement card, and field Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 7 of 23 employee automation have enabled Mettler-Toledo to reduce their operating costs significantly. Members from Marketing, Purchasing, and Logistics work closely with R&D and Engineering in product development & re-engineering to ensure that efforts are being made to reduce manufacturing costs. Another aspect of Mettler-Toledo that makes it unique and reduces its risk is its ability to operate profitably in diverse markets. They have developed innovative products in most of the markets they serve and have maintained a strong cross-segment knowledge-sharing that enabled them to use a technology in different segments. Key business functions like Finance, Supply Chain, Service, Human Resources, and Legal are centralized. They assist the decentralized business units to coordinate their R&D, marketing, and customer support functions in product development and customer service. PRODUCTS & SERVICES The products and services of Mettler-Toledo can be broadly categorized into Laboratory Instruments, Industrial Instruments and Retail Solutions. Process Analytics and Product Inspection are sub-categories within Lab and Industrial groups. The make up of its 2005 net sales between these business segments is shown in Figure 1. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 8 of 23 Figure 1: 2005 Sales ($ in millions) Retail Solutions, $193, 13% Laboratory Instruments, $667, 45% Industrial Instruments, $622, 42% Laboratory Instruments Laboratory balances are the primary product group in this business segment and are used in research & development, drug discovery, and process quality control. They are capable of weighing from one ten-millionth of a gram to 32 kilograms. Other products offered in this segment include pipettes, analytical instruments, and automated chemistry solutions. Titrators, thermal analysis systems, and pH meters form the analytical instrument group. The data capture, analysis and management are facilitated by their Lab Software known as LabX. Within this segment, Process Analytics forms a major subgroup of products that are used in pharmaceutical, biotech, beverage, microelectronics and chemical applications. They offer Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 9 of 23 sensor technology for pH, dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, conductivity and turbidity. They also include calibration and cleaning systems. Industrial Instruments This segment primarily includes industrial scales and balances for varying weighing needs and ranges. They are used in measuring, counting, ingredient mixing, and mail sorting applications. Products in this segment also offer in-process and in-motion measurement, dimensioning and identification technologies. Weighing scales for trucks and railcars form the heavy equipment products. All these products are supported by proprietary software like FreeWeigh. Net for statistical quality control, and Formweigh. net for formulation & batching. Product Inspection is a key product group in this segment that the company has invested increasingly in the past few years. The products are used in food processing & packaging, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing industries. They are made up of metal detection systems, X-ray visioning equipment, and checkweigher systems. Retail Solutions Retail segment is the smallest of Mettler-Toledo businesses in terms of sales. These are scales used in supermarkets, and Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 10 of 23 food retail businesses for weighing and labelling applications. With Mettler-Toledo entering the various emerging markets like India, this business segment is expected to grow significantly. Mettler-Toledo also provides software solutions for its retail products through its Softechnics division. The software provides capabilities for retail inventory management for fresh foods, and integrated data management. The various products offered by Mettler-Toledo are listed in Table 2. Table 2: Products & Service Offerings Product Categories Laboratory Weighing Products & Solutions Micro and ultra-micro balances, analytical balances, precision & high-capacity precision balances, mass comparators, weighing modules, halogen moisture analyzer, pipette calibration workstation, and support software. Analytical Instruments Thermal values, thermal analysis, titrators, pH-/cond-/ISE-meters, density meters, refractometers, and electrodes for laboratory and field. Pipettes & Tips Single channel pipettes (manual & electronic), multi channel pipettes, tips for Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 11 of 23 LTS & traditional pipettes – bio clean, positive displacement pipettes & tips, and repetitive pipettes. Automated Chemistry Solutions Lab automation, chemical synthesis, chromatography, particle system characterization, reaction calorimeters, automated lab reactors, and informatics & workflow management. Process Analytics Transmitters & Meters, pH & Redox sensors, dissolved oxygen sensors, total organic carbon instruments, conductivity/resistivity sensors, dissolved ozone sensors, dissolved carbon dioxide sensors, flow sensors, and cleaning & calibration systems. Industrial Weighing Automotive refinish scales, material transfer controllers, bench, compact and counting scales, overhead/monorail scales, postal solutions, weigh modules & load cells, software, statistical process control, , and weighing terminals. Product Inspection Transportation & Logistics Checkweighing, metal detection, and X-ray. Air cargo scales, dimensioners, forklift scales, post/mail solutions, rail scales, and Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 12 of 23 weighbridges & truck scales. Food Retail Scales (basic, retail counter, self service, retail hanging, checking & receiving), wrapping machines, auto labelling & security tags, and retail software. CUSTOMERS The customer base of Mettler-Toledo is spread across numerous industries like chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food & beverage, raw materials, pulp & paper, jewellery, transportation & logistics, OEM, machinery & automotive, and retail. Most customers are serviced through their three business segment groups, Lab, Industrial and Retail. Certain key accounts with which the company has developed strategic relationships over the years are serviced and supported by their Strategic Accounts group. The customer base of Mettler-Toledo is also highly diversified with sales from each of their top customers accounting for less than 3% of total net sales. MANUFACTURING Mettler-Toledo’s manufacturing facilities known as Producing Organizations (POs) are located primarily in USA, UK, Switzerland, Germany, and China. Each PO dedicates its product Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 13 of 23 development and manufacturing efforts to a certain group of product lines and serves the global needs of those products. This enables Mettler-Toledo to reduce R&D costs, maintain a customer focus, and to develop product leadership by a PO in its line of business. The POs work with each other in their product development, manufacturing, and procurement efforts, and with the marketing groups in understanding customer needs. Safeline, Garvens, and Hi-Speed, which serve the Product Inspection markets, work very closely in coordinating their efforts. Depending on the manufacturing capability and capacity constraints, certain POs act as internal suppliers to other POs who may use their manufacturing resources. MARKETING, SALES & SERVICE Unlike the Producing Organizations, the Marketing Organizations (MOs) at Mettler-Toledo are segmented based on their geographic focus. The MOs are located all over the world, with the largest groups in USA and Europe. This enables them to understand the specific local needs of the customers, and develop close relationships with their entire customer base. The sales and service efforts parallel that of the marketing thus maintaining a close loop for the customer relationship. MettlerToledo maintains a large employee base of 5000 employees that is Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 14 of 23 spread over 35 countries in the form of marketing, service technicians and customer service professionals. Mettler-Toledo also offers numerous services in the form of repair & service maintenance, and value-added services for regulatory compliance. These are offered across the globe based on local regulations. Their global service network has expanded over the years as they explore numerous emerging markets. In 2005, revenues from service agreements, repair, and spare parts constituted 23% of the company’s net sales. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & MIS The company’s IT operations are lead by their corporate team in Switzerland, which maintains the globally used operating systems, providing regular updates and support. Their global contracts with key hardware and software vendors ensure product standardization and concurrent upgrades. They have however decentralized most of the locally operated systems, like their MRP and ERP solutions at the manufacturing facilities and marketing organizations. Being a highly decentralized organization, except for some global software systems, most IT infrastructure is maintained regionally. The regional IT groups also handle the telecommunications, mobile phone, and data networks for their region. The company has continuously made significant investments to standardize the IT operations where Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 15 of 23 necessary, and provided the flexibility to local units when higher efficiencies could be gained through local optimization. The company uses ERP packages from well known providers like Baan and Oracle, and also from smaller companies like Fourth Shift, and MAPICS. The company uses numerous enterprise software for various sales and service operations, as well as hosted solutions for e-procurement and e-commerce applications. EMPLOYEES & CULTURE Mettler-Toledo follows a highly decentralized organization structure providing high levels of autonomy to the business units, encouraging entrepreneurial responsibility and accountability for growth and success. The product development and manufacturing activities are performed by the producing organizations, where the marketing, sales and support functions are the responsibility of the marketing organizations. All POs and MOs are supported by corporate global functions. Mettler-Toledo employs more than 9000 fulltime employees across the globe with more than 4000 in Europe, over 3000 in the Americas, and about 1000 in Asia. About 50% of the workforce is part of their global sales and support network. R&D with over 800 employees is also a key function in the company. The company provides various employee benefits including a pension & post-retirement savings plan that cost them $1. 5 Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 16 of 23 million in 2005. Their health care benefits cost over $10 million each year. Employee Purchase Programs through corporate agreements are provided for products like personal computers, office supplies, consumer technology, mobile services, and home mortgage. Mettler-Toledo is an equal opportunity company and hires employees from diverse cultural backgrounds and geographic locations. Due to their line of business, they mostly hire engineering graduates from well known institutions in Switzerland, USA, and China. Most of their senior management has a strong analytical background with engineering, mathematics, or finance focus and many middle management and senior management employees hold advanced degrees in engineering or business. In USA, they recruit new graduates into their Initial Career Experience program (ICE) which is a rotational program for undergraduate degree holders. They also provide internship opportunities in IT, marketing, and supply chain management, and offer fulltime opportunities upon their graduation. Mettler-Toledo maintains a core set of cultural values it expects its employees to follow in their day to day operations. It includes maintaining a strong focus on quality in both its products & services, and its internal processes. It stresses the importance of being aggressive in exploring new markets, and embracing new technologies. There is also a strong need to be Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 17 of 23 cost-conscious so that it can maintain its competitiveness against larger players and unsuitable market forces. It expects employees to show initiative and leadership qualities. Employees should also be innovative and be ready to face the hurdles in executing their ideas. With a global market in place, the company should be agile allowing it to quickly react to changes. A semi-formal work environment is maintained to develop closer employee relationships. The company restricts itself in the use of titles to its management and in fact doesn’t use â€Å"Vice President† as a title. Except for division heads, who are either known as a Head of division or General Manager, all the others are known as Managers, Engineers, or Analysts. A business casual dress code is maintained at all of its locations. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE The markets Mettler-Toledo operates in are highly competitive, and fragmented by location and application. In most markets, they face stiff competition from companies that are focussed and specialized in their offerings. In many cases, the focussed competitors are smaller divisions of very large multinational companies with extensive resources. These factors further signify the necessity for Mettler-Toledo to develop efficient R&D and manufacturing processes to maintain its cost structure. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 18 of 23 The major competitors of Mettler-Toledo are Beckman Coulter Inc. with $2. 5 billion in annual revenues, Siemens AG with $117 billion in annual revenues, and finally Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. with $3. 8 billion in annual revenues. Among these Siemens AG operate in many other markets and businesses that MettlerToledo does not involve in. Due to its cost structure advantage, Mettler-Toledo was able to maintain operating margins of over 13%, when their competitors have recorded them at below 10%. RISK FACTORS Mettler-Toledo notes that since it operates in numerous countries, its operating income can be affected by currency fluctuations. Its international operations also face risks in the form of trade barriers, employee retention in growing markets, lack of protection for its intellectual property, nationalization, and economic and political stability in some countries. Some of the markets are highly competitive and hence may be difficult to continuously maintain market leadership in multiple product lines. As Mettler-Toledo grows via acquisitions, it has the risk of assimilation challenges, lack of focus on key initiatives, and loss of key employees. As Mettler-Toledo operate in many markets subject to regulations, they have the risk of not meeting some of the regulations in time. Exposure to additional income taxes and unanticipated tax Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 19 of 23 laws are also some of the perceived risks faced by MettlerToledo. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE Mettler-Toledo International Inc. has been delivering strong financial results over the years. It generated net sales of $1,596 million in 2006, a 7. 6% increase from its 2005 sales revenue of $1,482 million. Figure 2 shows 2006 sales by geographic region. Figure 2: 2006 Sales ($ in millions) by region Asia & Rest of the World, $287, 18% Europe, $670, 42% North & South Americas, $638, 40% The chart in Figure 3 shows Mettler-Toledo’s financial performance since 2001. It shows that net sales have increased at an average of 7% year over year. The operating cash flow increased to $192 million in 2006, an 8. 5% increase from $177 Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 20 of 23 million in 2005. The adjusted operating income (gross profit less R&D and SG&A expenses) increased by 13% to $234 million in 2006 from $207 million in 2005. Figure 3: Financial Data (2001-2006) Net Sales $1,800 Operating Cash Flow Adjusted Operating Income $1,595 $1,600 $1,482 $1,404 $1,304 $1,214 $1,148 $1,400 $ in millions $1,200 $1,000 $800 $600 $165 $179 $167 $102 $115 $165 $200 $0 2001 2002 2003 Years $117 2004 $166 2005 $177 2006 The company reported Earnings per Share (EPS) of $3. 86 for 2006, which is a 29% growth from $2. 52 in 2005. Through these results the company has demonstrated a strong balance sheet and a substantial cash flow generation. POSITIONING FOR 2007 AND BEYOND The company exceeded expectations in 2006 with strong financial results, and is expected to perform well in 2007 and beyond. With rising cost pressures due to price increases for oil, steel, paper & pulp, and other raw materials, the company Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 21 of 23 $192 $400 $207 $234 needs to continue to improve its cost structure through efficient and effective processes. Some of the key customercentric marketing initiatives undertaken by the company like â€Å"Spinnaker† have been successful in generating new customer leads and improving existing customer relationships. Its new product launches have been successful in 2006, and the company continues to develop new products in many of its business segments. In 2006, the company was very successful in increasing its market share in emerging markets like Russia and India. With the acquisition of distribution channels in these countries, its market share is expected to grow at significant rates in 2007 and beyond. The analysts estimate that revenues for Mettler-Toledo would grow to $1. 69 billion in 2007 and to $1. 78 billion for 2008. It represents an annual increase of 6. 3% for 2007 and 5. 3% for 2008. In the short term, the company aims to consolidate all its existing market positions in the various product lines it now holds the top positions, especially industrial and laboratory instruments. It aims to increase its market share in retail weighing market by focusing on emerging markets, which offer the greatest potential for untapped markets. In the long-term, the company will look to be the industry leader in all product segments ranging from laboratory Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 22 of 23 instruments, industrial instruments, process analytics, product inspection, and chemistry solutions. It also plans to consolidate its retail market share through partnerships with global retailers. The strong values developed by its employees, its continued investment in developing innovative products, diversified customer base, and global service network should ensure that Mettler-Toledo is in a strong position to fulfil both its short-term and long-term objectives. REFERENCES 1. Mettler-Toledo website (http://us. mt. com) 2. Yahoo Finance (http://finance. yahoo. com) 3. Hoovers (www. hoovers. com) 4. The Wall Street Journal Online (http://online. wsj. com) Mettler-Toledo International Inc. Page 23 of 23