The Mary Barnett Case Essay Example

The Mary Barnett Case Essay On 23rd January, Mary Barnett, the Chicago-based single mother of the 6 months old baby Alison, suddenly left for San Francisco to meet her fiance. The baby, having been left unattended was found dead in Barnett’s apartment a week later. That a mother could leave such a young baby unattended for several days is shocking, despairing and anger-invoking. The slow and painful death of the innocent baby makes understandable such reactions from people, especially the prosecutors, who have charged Ms. Barnett with second degree murder (intentional murder without premeditation). Upon succeeding in proving this charge the guilty could face up to 18 years in prison. As I am one of the jury members, I will evaluate the arguments of the lawyers and witnesses from the prosecution and defense sides. Based on the strength of their arguments I will arrive at the most appropriate judgment for this case. Caroline Hospers, who is Mary Barnett’s neighbor was the first witness called up by the prosecution. Having known Ms. Barnett for a while, she is able to give an insight into the lifestyle and character of the latter. And she is highly critical in both counts. She thinks of Ms. Barnett as a ‘disgrace’ for the reason that she does not have a husband and parties and sleeps around with men. She also thinks poorly of Ms. Barnett’s addiction to alcohol. In my view, the private life and sexual habits of Ms. Barnett does not have a great bearing on the case. But her addiction to alcohol can come in the way of caring for a baby. Again, her alcoholism does not automatically validate the ‘second-degree murder’ charge, but makes ‘parental negligence’ a more valid claim. Though Hospers is a key witness, the evidence provided by her is circumstantial and deductive, whereas more concrete direct evidence would be required to pronounce Barnett guilty. We will write a custom essay sample on The Mary Barnett Case specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Mary Barnett Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Mary Barnett Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Policeman A was the next witness called upon by the prosecution. The policeman’s observations of Ms. Barnett happened immediately after the baby was found dead (on January 30), hence making his role important to the trial. This is especially so since he recounts details of the scene and the oral statements given by Ms. Barnett, the latter giving us a peek into her disturbed psychological state – both before and after the event. For example, Policeman A produces the following statement given by Ms. Barnett in the scene of the tragedy: â€Å"I remember making airline reservations for my trip. Then I tried to find a baby sitter, but I couldn’t. I knew that I was leaving Alison alone and that I wouldn’t be coming back for a while, but I had to get to California at all costs I visited my mother and then left.† The high state of apathy and confusion, and a total lack of maternal instinct in Ms. Barnett’s disturbed psyche is evident from this s tatement. This recorded statement suggests that the death of the baby is more an act of ‘grave parental negligence’ than ‘intentional murder’. Dr. Parker is a professional psychiatrist who â€Å"has been involved in many judicial hearings on whether a defendant is mentally competent to stand trial and is familiar with these legal tests†. Hence, his interviews with Ms. Barnett are key to the trial. His general assessment is that Ms. Barnett’s apparent confused and disturbed state of psychology largely developed ‘after’ January 30 when she discovered the dead baby. Presently, her mental disturbance is more a product of deep guilt and shame that have arisen due to her highly irresponsible behavior and less a product of deep-rooted malady. Hence, Dr. Parker’s professional view suggests that Ms. Barnett is certainly ‘guilty’. But the exact measure of her guilt is what I need to infer. On the defense side, the first witness brought to questioning is Alice Jones – a long time friend of Mary Barnett. Her evidence is one of the weakest, for there is likely to be bias created by her friendship with the accused. Moreover, Ms. Jones is neither a law-enforcement official nor an expert in psychology to add weight to her evidence. She talks in sympathetic tones of how Ms. Barnett was going through a tough time in her personal life. Ms. Jones opines that her friend eventually â€Å"lost touch with reality†, leading to the tragic death of the baby. And she doesn’t think that â€Å"she realized that she was leaving Alison (the baby) unattended. She loved her so much.† Dr. Bloom is the psychologist whom Ms. Barnett has been visiting both before and after the tragic event. In his view, Ms. Barnett’s post-partum depression, after the birth of Alison, is a key factor in the spiral of her mental decline. During this phase, Ms. Barnett felt â€Å"a loss of purpose, a sense of hopelessness, and a deep depression† that made her prone to losing touch with reality (as suggested by Alice Jones). Dr. Bloom’s testimony is quite key to arriving at the judgment, for he has seen Ms. Barnett either side of the event. He is of the professional view that Ms. Barnett is as much a victim as a victimizer. Taken in combination with evidence from other witnesses, the charge of second degree murder does look tenuous. The final defense witness is Ms. Barnett herself. She makes a case for how she is deeply mentally troubled and her agony is only compounded by the loss of her beloved baby. But there is likely to be intrinsic bias in her testimony. Considering that hers is a personal and not a professional presentation, her words will carry less weight in the final judgment. In conclusion, having weighed arguments from both sides, I will conclude that Ms. Barnett is â€Å"not guilty’ of the charge of second degree murder (intentional murder without premeditation). It is fairly certain that she did not intend to kill the baby. Neither does it appear that she volitionally not cared for the baby. This should exonerate her of charges of gross child abuse as well. It is difficult for me to believe that Dr. Bloom did not alert community/public welfare officials about Ms. Barnett’s precarious condition. While he was treating Ms. Barnett for severe anxiety and depression, did the baby’s welfare not cross his mind? In my view, Dr. Bloom is also partly guilty, in terms of not considering all aspects of the patient’s life. Ms. Barnett should receive a moderate prison sentence for grave parental negligence while also receiving psychiatric treatment. She should not be allowed to have babies unless declared mentally fit for such an ard uous responsibility.

Shades of African-American Womens Experiences in Novels and Film-Beloved versus The Color Purple essays

Shades of African-American Womens Experiences in Novels and Film-Beloved versus The Color Purple essays Both Alice Walkers novel The Color Purple and Toni Morrisons tale of Beloved chronicle stories of African-American womens experiences of triumph and suffering over oppression and discrimination. But while Walker and Morrison share a common literary heritage in the tradition of African-American womens writing, their works deviate substantially, in the fictions narrative constructs, literary devices, and in the works cultural and critical receptions after publication. Walkers novel was embraced as a popular feminist classic because of its account of Celie, a physically and sexually abused young woman, who found liberation through her relationship with Shug Avery, a feisty gin-joint singer. Morrisons novel about a mother who was haunted by the ghost of the child she killed rather than allow it to return to slavery became a literary classic and received the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Beloved is now widely read in high schools and colleges across the nation. In fact, one reviewer not ed that the introduction to the paperback edition of Beloved proclaimed that he could not imagine American literature without it [Beloved]!" (Taylor, 1998) In an ironic twist of literary fate, although Alice Walkers novel of Black life in the South during the Depression was less critically well received in its initial form, it became a popular and well-respected movie, directed in 1984 by Stephen Spielberg. In contrast, Morrisons great novel on film of the pre and antebellum period in American history was judged to be an artistic and critical failure, as well as a failure with audiences, despite the original novels greatness. Even the best reviews of the 1998 film of Morrisons novel viewed it more as an interesting failure than the cinematic triumph its makers hoped it would become. Part of this difference in critical and popular reception may have to do with the nature of...

The Broken Column and Olympia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Broken Column and Olympia - Essay Example The essay "The Broken Column and Olympia" focuses on the comparison of two paintings, "The Broken Column" and "Olympia". Common artistic practice and subjects within cultures suggests Ancient Egyptian art was created as a means of commemorating important people and the ancient Greeks made art to help them worship their gods and goddesses and to preserve their cultural myths. The Romans seem to have adopted elements of the Greek style and fused it with elements of the Egyptian style to develop an artistic approach intended to inspire and celebrate their cultural achievements. After the fall of Rome, the art of the Middle Ages became dominated by themes of Christian religious myths in order to reject the Paganism of the fallen Empire, incorporating religious, political and educational purpose. From here, the art of the Renaissance reflects the re-discovery of more ancient art forms fused to new scientific advancements giving it a historical and experimental purpose. As this skip throug h art history demonstrates, it is easily understood that art can be used for several purposes and it is often inspired or developed in some way so as to build on the past while reflecting the attitudes of the present. As an aspiring animator, the art that appeals most to me is that which takes risks and adopts a more modern or simplified representation of subject such as Edward Manet's groundbreaking "Olympia" entering into the modern period or Frida Kahlo's "The Broken Column" as an expression of surrealism. ... More than that, she is clearly successful in that she has a servant and lives within a very rich environment. Her servant is so dark that she almost becomes lost in the background color of the painting even though she stands at the edge of the far side of the bed. Because of the way he created the painting, Manet leaves it widely open to interpretation. â€Å"The public nakedness of a beautiful woman sometimes becomes a question of politics †¦ which actions are permitted under which unspoken and frequently changing rules† (Friedrich 1). Her appearance within the rigidly proper Victorian culture was shocking because she was seen as a very successful, beautiful and independent woman as compared to the mostly powerless women of the age. Therefore, her representation within polite society was a direct challenge to the rigid ideals of propriety and purity because the painting suggested that her behavior and character were accepted and even condoned within her society. In †Å"The Broken Column† (1944), Kahlo uses dreamlike images to illustrate her personal pain and suffering and line to hold everything together while also demonstrating an independent woman. The broken column of the title refers to the internal structure of Frida’s spinal column. This spinal column is seen through the torn skin and loosely twined bandages that are the only things holding her together. The broken column symbolizes her lack of a support structure and represents her sense of imbalance at the same time that it indicates one of her major sources of pain. Her skin is pricked all over with tiny pins, demonstrating that she is never free of the smaller pains of daily life. The pins continue down the right side of her body, which is the side that had been crippled by both

Content Area Teaching Assignment Research Paper - 1

Content Area Teaching Assignment - Research Paper Example However, this paper aims at stressing the flaws in the education system and teaching practices which contribute to the loss of interest amongst the students. The paper will focus on at least three web lessons, which would then be taken as a reference to explain how the teaching practices can be improved and the students’ motivation increased. One of the most important topics of study in world history is the relations between the superpowers – the relations marked by the cold war; this is an essential course for almost all students enrolled for elementary education level courses. For this reason, a lesson designed for students from Grade 9-12 will be taken as a reference; it has been published by the Oregon Public Broadcasting1. Apparently, the chapter has been designed in a very appealing yet credible manner for the students to become aware of the origins and major concepts relevant to the cold war. The chapter has been effectively divided into headings and subheadings to enhance the interest of the students in the content. The chapter opens with the narration describing how the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which began what is termed as the cold war era. The chapter also in the latter sections stresses the military and strategic dimensions of the motives behind the bombings, and explains how this event was the beginning of the cold war. Moreover, the chapter explains the policy of containment followed by the US in response to the policy of expansionism being pursued by the Soviet Union. It also stresses important dates where several events took place, explains how the concept of iron curtain was introduced and was a sole reason behind the origins of war. Moreover, this chapter sheds light on some of the reports which are crucial in this context. Though this is a well quoted and a well explained chapter, some of the students may find in monotonous and rather boring if not taught

Dred Scott v. Sanford,The Lecompton Constitution, Freeport Doctrine Essay

Dred Scott v. Sanford,The Lecompton Constitution, Freeport Doctrine and Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 - Essay Example Upon returning to Missouri, a slave state, he sued for his freedom and the court ruled 7-2 that he did not have citizen status and therefore could not sue. The trial was a legal battle between antislavery forces that argued that once a slave had traveled to a free territory the slave was free. According to Huston (2003), the opposition argued, " being a slave, had no right to petition the court like a citizen— slaves, obviously, were not citizens and had no citizenship rights " (p.217). The trial was seen as an effort by the South to extend their control of slavery into the North. The original case was decided by a technicality but later ordered retried. After a series of trials, the US Supreme Court found that Dred Scott was not entitled to citizenship. This case, more than any other, precipitated the movement toward civil war. It was a test to see how far the South could extend the boundaries of slavery. This would be the beginning of the ever-widening gap between the North and the South. Some abolitionists saw the movement toward war as a positive move towards resolving the issue. Frederick Douglass, though disappointed by the decision, also expressed his hopes that the South would finally be confronted. With the war in sight, it was hoped that victory would eventually bring justice. The Lecompton Constitution The Lecompton Constitution was the Kansas State Constitution presented to Congress to initiate their admission to the Union. One of the issues that surrounded the constitution was whether Kansas would be a free state or a slave state. Proslavery advocates controlled the Lecompton Constitutional Convention of Sept. 1857, while opponents of slavery were given little choice as to the content of the document. The fight over the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution would result in tensions that would hasten the nation's move towards the Civil War Though most of the Kansas voters were in favor of an antislavery constitution, the majority at the convention were proslavery and would not allow the issue to be put to a fair vote. The antislavery constitution merely outlawed the importation of new slaves, but did not outlaw the existing slavery. When the document was put to a vote, the anti-slavery forces boycotted the proceedings. However, the anti-slavery legislature voted two weeks later and the constitution was voted down. The controversy was presented to Congress who could grant statehood in accordance with the Lecompton Constitution or vote it down. President James Buchanan supported the constitution as written. The House and the Congress compromised in an effort to minimize the crises. However, the damage had already been done. Stampp (1992) contends that, "As a result, 1857 was probably the year when the North and South reached the political point of no return" (p. viii). The split between Republicans and Democrats had reached beyond the their ability to compromise. Freeport Doctrine The Freeport Doctrine was put forward by Stephen Douglas during the Douglas-Lincoln debates of 1858 in Freeport Illinois. The Doctrine specified that local law authorities could enforce federal law as they saw fit. This was an attempt to bridge the gap between slavery and antislavery forces. It was contrary to the earlier Dred Scot decision, which stated slavery could not legally be excluded from the territories. The doctrine, though not new, gained attention during the public debate. Lincoln had fared poorly in the previous debates and took the offensive in Freeport. He asked if a territory "in any lawful way . . . exclude slavery from its limits prior to the formation of a State Constitution" (Carwardine, 2006, p.80). Douglas responded, "Mr. Lincoln has heard me answer a hundred times from every stump in Illinois, that in my opinion the people of a Territory can,

Should Hong Kong promote cultural tourism?

Should Hong Kong promote cultural tourism? Background Information, Related Concepts and Relevant Knowledge Objectives/ Expected Outcomes (if any) Focus Questions Tentative Enquiry Plan and Method(s) Reflection References 1 [1]à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ »Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ ¼Ã…’à ¨Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¦- ¼rthk.hk à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ »Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¶Ã‚ ²Ãƒ §Ã‚ «Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¼Ã…’http://programme.rthk.hk/rthk/tv/programme.php?name=tv/hkccd=2014-04-13p=858e=257861m=episode ¼Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¦- ¼2014à ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ´11à ¦Ã…“ˆ15à ¦- ¥Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ [2] The UNWTO World Tourism Organization, Definition, Sustainable Development of Tourism, http://sdt.unwto.org/content/about-us-5>, (15 November 2014). [3]à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ »Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ ¼Ã…’à ¨Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¦- ¼rthk.hk à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ »Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¶Ã‚ ²Ãƒ §Ã‚ «Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ¼Ã…’http://programme.rthk.hk/rthk/tv/programme.php?name=tv/hkccd=2014-04-13p=858e=257861m=episode ¼Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¦- ¼2014à ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ´11à ¦Ã…“ˆ15à ¦- ¥Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡

Fire Safety Essay -- essays research papers

Fire Safety Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After a recent fire at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ killed three students who did not respond to what they thought was a false alarm, officials at Oswego State University are being especially careful when it comes to the issue of fire safety. This semester there is a new policy regarding the confiscation of items considered being hazardous. The policy states that any items that are found and have the potential to cause a fire, such as candles, incense, and certain appliances like microwaves, and sandwich makers, will be confiscated and not returned to the students they were taken from. Under the old policy students were able to get the items back at the end of the year. Around 200 candles were taken from students in Onondaga Hall alone last year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the Oswego Fire Department, the dorms are built compartmentalized, which means that if the door to a room in which there is a fire is shut, the fire will be somewhat contained. This procedure will help the fire from spreading rapidly. The doors to all rooms are fire resistant. Although these safety features help increase students' chances of survival in the case of a tragedy, they cannot be relied on as the only life-saving precaution. In order to guarantee everyone's safety, students need to be aware of their own roles in regard to fire safety regulations. Smoking, possession of candles, and incense are serious causes of fires and students need to obey the rules.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another hazardous practice that most students living in dorm rooms need to pay attention for is plugging several cords into one multi-outlet that allows several cords to be plugged into at once. Modifying this practice will heavily decrease the chances of a fire occurring as a result.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the event of a real fire, the most important thing students can do is to keep the exit doors to stairways and escape routes closed. Although many students believe that keeping the doors open will help others escape, is the worst thing they can do, because it helps the fire spread where if you close the fire-resistant door will help contain it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1998 there five occurrences in which a student pulled the fire alarm as a prank. Students should turn in anyone who, to their knowl... ... using a fire extinguisher. When the alarm is sounded students should put shoes and appropriate clothing and evacuate the building. Then close all windows, check room door, if it is hot call #5555 and tell public safety that you are trapped and cannot leave your room. Another main point is to not use the elevators. Vacate the building using the safest route. Then remain outside until told otherwise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I understand that I broke the law and broke the Oswego laws of fire safety and I could have been punished much more severe, and I appreciate your lenience towards my actions. When I talked to Mr. Henderson he told me that the rules are in my student handbook and I should read them. So, indeed I did and learned the laws of fire safety. I have learned the laws and how important they are and I will abide and go along with the rules and regulations of Oswego. I have learned my lesson of fire safety and have come to realize how important it is to follow rules with a school the size of Oswego. I have learned my lesson and will do my best to set an example for my fellow students. I am giving my final apology and thank you for guiding me in the right direction.