This paper is a critical response to the article, Professional Foster Care. It investigates and analyzes the current foster care programs as represented by those available in Cook County, Illinois.

Unit 3: Major Informal Fallacies "All the news that's fit to be fallacious-the fallacy of Ignoratio Elenchi on the editorial pages of The New York Times" A statement exhibiting Walton's fallacy of Ignoratio Elenchi has an unsubstantiated conclusion, given the evidence that is presented to the reader. The conclusion itself may be valid. However, the evidence used to support the conclusion according to the author's argument is not logically valid. (Conversely, within the parameters of formal deductive logic, the syllogism all men are mortal, Socrates is a man, therefore Socrates is mortal IS a logical statement, even if outside the logical frame of the syllogism, Socrates is, for example, a inorganic computer.) According to one Internet encyclopedia of philosophy: "the Ignoratio Elenchi is usually considered slightly narrower in focus than the non sequitur. Strictly speaking, any time a conclusion does not follow from its premises, the non sequitur fallacy occurs. Other similar fallacies include diversion, red herring, subject changing, and ignoring the issue. In law, such a response given to a question can

In the late 70s and early 80s Francis Ford Coppola was hailed as a cinematic genius. Through the films The Godfather, The Godfather II, The Godfather III, The Conversation, and Apocalypse Now Coppola explores the various poignant journeys into the darkness of human existence. Coppola's style through these five films shines through in several ways, but the most obvious is his true dedication to his art. Whereas Hollywood can often swallow up the writers and directors that enter the process with true vision, reducing them and their work to a less inspired work geared towards mass production, Coppola never lost his vision, even in the face of bankruptcy and the ruin of his personal relationships. Coppola continued to believe in his vision for these five films, and it shines through (Lewis 37). The Godfather trilogy is easily Coppola's most recognized and cherished films. These films reflect Coppola's intense interest in family dynamics (Schumaker 87). There are two elemen

To Kill a Mockingbird (1965) is a character-driven story about moral courage. Atticus Finch is an attorney in Makem, Alabama in the 1930s, called up to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. Because he has integrity he has to truly defend the man, which goes against what most of the people in the town believe is right. The story takes places when "Jim Crow" law was in force down South. Jim Crow laws were designed to keep black people "in their place" and reflected malicious racism during that era. As Atticus puts it in court, all black men were believed to be liars and all black men were believed to be a danger (sexually) to white women. It was a

This paper presents a detailed examination of breast cancer and the use of ultrasound and mammograms for detection purposes. The writer explores the pros and cons and theories behind each of the detection screening methods to determine their usefulness. There were four sources used to complete this paper.

Earthquakes, the trembling or shaking movement of the earth's surface, are related to compressional or tensional stresses that have built up at the margins of the large moving lithospheric plates that comprise the earth's surface (Earthquake). The majority of earthquakes are minor tremors. Most often, large earthquakes begin with small tremors that evolve into one or more violent shocks, and end in vibrations of diminishing force, referred to as aftershocks (Earthquakes). The subterranean point of origin is called the 'focus,' while the surface point directly above the focus is called the epicenter (Earthquakes). The magnitude an intensity of an earthquake is determined by the use of scales, such as the Richter Scale and the Mercalli Scale (Earthquake). Most shallow earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of stress along a fault or fracture in the earth's crust, which results in the movement of the opposing blocks of rock past each other (Earthqua

It is virtually impossible to answer the question of whether America's farmers or industrial workers had it worse in the period 1865 through 1916, because issues of gender, culture, and race make it difficult, if not impossible, to generalize about people in either occupation. Furthermore, regional differences exacerbated the differences in how each group was treated. Therefore, instead of ignoring these differences, this paper will concentrate on how gender, cultural, and race impacted each occupation, and then attempt to determine which group, as a whole, lived under worse working conditions. Any discussion of American history that begins in 1865 has to, by necessity; discuss the tremendous social changes caused by the U.S. Civil War. First, the Civil War helped highlight regional differences in the United States; the North was linked with industry and the South with agriculture. Furthermore, after the Civil War there was no incentive for the United States government to pu

Dear President Bush, Despite being the world's dominant economy and the only remaining world superpower, it is surprising to note that poverty still exists in the United States. The US Census Bureau places the official poverty rate at 12.7 percent, an increase from the 2003 figures. This translates to 37 million people living in poverty in the United States. More disturbing, the median poverty rate rises to 17.8 percent for children under the age of 18 (US Census Bureau). It is shameful that such poverty continues in the United States. This letter therefore examines the factors behind poverty in the United States and how this poverty is distributed across the population. Towards the end, this letter then looks at how your predecessors President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and President Lyndon B. Johnson have created anti-poverty programs. The lessons from these programs have significant implications on how to address present-day poverty in the United States. A historical st

In his 2004 text titled What's the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Hearts of America, Thomas Frank (106) argues that if one takes Kansas as an exemplar of voting patterns in the United States, it is becoming increasingly clear that "working-class heroes are even more Republican than their bosses." In other words, the thesis addressed by Frank throughout his text centers on his contention that (67) that what has caused the Republican Party to enjoy victories at the national, state, and even local levels is that different groups such as "millionaires and trailer-park dwellers, these farmers and thrift-store managers and slaughterhouse workers and utility executives... are almost all Republicans." Class, which once separated members of the Democratic Party from the Republican Party, no longer seems to matter. Frank (67) takes the position that the Republican Party claim to moral values has undermined the appeal of the Democratic Party and its cand

The Vietnam War – no other war in America's history has caused discord among our society. With over 50,000 dead, the memories of this war far away in the Asian continent redefined our culture in the years to come. Even the way war-making policies related to the Middle Eastern conflicts of today is still overshadowed by the lessons learned or unlearned during the Vietnam War. Hollywood itself gave as a panacea of movies about this era and depending upon which decade a particular film was made, the thematic and cinematic presentations differ. The general substance remains the same but the outlook of a war of long ago varies depending upon the cultural outlook of the decade. A look at six Vietnam War movies made over a span of three decades will demonstrate the cultural and attitudinal change. The portrayal of each movie will give the viewer thoughts on how different generations perceive things differently. "The controversy of the Vietnam War influenced the film industry

1. Introduction A covenant in a religious and Biblical sense is essentially an agreement ".... between God and his people in which God makes certain promises and requires certain behavior from them in return." (Covenant) As will be discussed in this paper, the meaning of covenant is often interpreted very differently in the old and new testaments. The old and new covenants refer to the Mosaic covenant in the Old Testament and the covenant through Christ in the New Testament of the Bible. "The designations "Old" and "New" seem to have been adopted after c.a.d. 200 to distinguish the books of the Mosaic covenant and those of the "new" covenant in Christ." (Old Testament") The difference between the old and new covenants is expressed clearly in the book of John in the New Testament. "For the Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). Therefore, the most essential difference between these two covenants is that the first c

Eminent domain refers to the power by which a state can take possession of private property for public use. Under the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, the property owner is entitled to reasonable compensation based on fair market value (Larson 2004). Most often, the proceedings to take possession of the land are referred to as 'condemnation' proceedings. Typically this power is exercised for the purpose of running utility lines and such, however in recent years, states and cities have exercised this power for the purpose of allowing commercial properties and upscale neighborhoods to be built on the land (Larson 2004). Although law and legal procedures vary, generally when a local government desires to acquire private land, the following steps are followed: 1) the government attempts to negotiate the purchase for fair value; 2) if the owner refuses to

There are several matters which the manager must consider when making the purchase or buying decision, and this decision must be consulted with financial manager also. The first matter is the holding period for which the company expects to use the machine, for example, and thus the optimal time for which the company needs it. Once the servicing term is decided upon, the matter whether the asset can be resold upon finishing the usage term, or whether the asset will have already lost its' value by that time must be analyzed. There are several risks with purchasing versus lending a machine. Though in theory it is easy to make this analysis, in practice the machine can become obsolete very fast and unexpectedly and the competitive advantage of using this machine within production cycle will have been lost. Another risk is the economic risk,

This paper presents an examination the actors in the movie Sense and Sensibility, with a focus on the character Marianne Dashwood. The writer explores the methods used by the actors to create the character and make the viewer care what happens to her. There was one source used to complete this paper.

Westward Ho! –How the West was Won and the Nation was Divided The United States and Early Westward Expansion The Civil War is one of the most studied and scrutinized periods of United States history. What is often forgotten is that many of the issues that laid the groundwork for the war between the Southern and Northern states began not in the years immediately before the firing at Fort Sumter but had their roots in the period of unprecedented Western expansion during the early half of the 19th century from 1815 to 1850. This period of time saw the growth and expansion of the United States into an economic force in the international community. It also oversaw the creation of distinct regional cultures based upon location, composition of population, and economic orientation within the borders United States. The growth of Western expansion into the Western territories and the Industrial Revolution in the Eastern United States occurred virtually simultaneously in American histo

Apocalypse Now started its scene in the sound of silence genre wherein the viewer sees coconut groves at first and getting a visual smorgasbord of the peacefulness and tranquility that can be found in the Orient. Then all of a sudden the reverie is taken away when the sounds of flying helicopters and view of the choppers themselves come into the picture along with the full rendition of "The End" – this takes the viewers to the reality of the madness and insanity of the Vietnam War.

The advantage of the company is that its product can be used to create nearly any physical object. Also, children are familiar with the building system. The core competency of this part of the Lego Company is applying this preexisting conception that Lego's are fun to learning situations that children and adults might otherwise avoid. Lego Education is making the most money on its robotic products (Store Section). The prices are substantially higher, even though there only a few extra components that cost little to produce. The company is doing well in two major areas, robotics and engineering. The robotics projects are high-tech, complicated projects that entice both adults and children. The engineering projects, such as "A Chair for Mr. Bear" and "A Calf i

In his book Bitter Harvest Paul Hart attempts to illustrate the roots of the Zapatista Revolution in nineteenth century Morelos, Mexico. In doing so, he hopes to convince his readers that the conditions that resulted in the emergence of the Zapatistas, though localized, were not limited to Morelos in particular, but were the ultimate result of an expansive economic system adopted by the Mexican government. He writes, "From the 1840s on, Mexico pursued a national policy of economic growth and modernization that included the promotion of commercial agriculture at the general expense of village communities."1 Although a number of factors contributed to the widespread displeasure of the agrarian class in Mexico, the overall source of the social upheaval was the process of modernization; this process displaced many farmers, deprived them of their autonomy, and attempted to shape them into cogs in the mechanized process of corporate farming. This overhaul of agriculture inspired re

The thesis of this paper is very simple; even though the issues that were raised – and the solutions proposed – through the Letter From Birmingham Jail are in no way easy or simple, the tenets of justice, decency and spiritual truth were trampled on in Alabama. The point of this paper is that the houses of worship in the South failed to live up to their own stated ideals, purposes and philosophies. The priests, rabbis, and ministers stood up on the wrong side of the road when it came to morality, human rights, the laws under the Constitution of the United States, and common sense.

There are many skills that help a person in their career, but are not commonly taught in many of today's schools. Some seem outmoded in the modern world of computers and the Internet, such as shorthand. Shorthand used to be a staple of most clerical workers for note taking and transcribing, but today, mini-tape recorders, laptops, and voice-recognition software have replaced it. However, there is another skill that many people do not have, and it could still be very useful in business. That is the skill of using a 10-key calculator by touch. Every computer keyboard has a 10-key calculator attached to it, and in business, use of the 10-key is common every day. Accountants use them often, and most people in the accounting profession know 10-key by touch. However, it seems this would be an important skill for just about anyone in business to have. If you scan classified and online ads for employment, many have the phrase "10-key by touch" as one of the qualifications for employmen

This two page paper discusses issues that a counselor must address during the first meeting with a new client. The writer explores the methods that can be used to address issues such as ethics, client self determination and other aspects of the patient-counselor relationship.

Flannery O'Connor's short story entitled "A Good Man is Hard to Find" tells the story of a rather unpleasant typical American family who meets their demise at the hands of a so-called Misfit or outlaw figure. The Misfit is clearly interested in religion, like many renegades. Before he enacts his revenge upon society, he speculates upon the morality of Jesus and the injustice of his previous confinement. This grotesque faith is not seen as hypocritical in the context of the tale, as it might in the eyes of another author. Rather O'Connor sees The Misfit as injecting spirituality into an otherwise morally bankrupt clan through the example he presents of thwarted spiritual longing and the injustice of modern, secular America. Before The Misfit turns against the family, the grandmother seems to apprehend, however reluctantly, some goodness in the heart of The Misfit. "Listen," the grandmother tells him, "you shouldn't call yourself The Misfit

This paper is a critical response to two articles: Blood Knots and After Welfare Reform.

Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the government have implemented several means in their attempt to safeguard the United States against further terrorism. President George Bush has gone as far as searching for war in order to justify the phrase "the war on terrorism". The Government's war has however come dangerously close to home. Means of electronic survey and data storage have become to play an increasingly large role in security measures against terrorism. The problem is that these measures have become so stringent that they impact seriously on the rights of law-abiding citizens, while doing little of concrete value to curb the threat of terrorism. In terms of the constitution and the right of American citizens, I believe that the use of technology in the war on terrorism is becoming increasingly dangerous not for terrorists, but for ordinary citizens. The PATRIOT Act was implemented just after the 9/11 attacks in an attempt by the Government to communicate

Middle East is a region synonymous with instability and terrorism. It is believed that radicalism and fundamentalism are products of this region and combined with religious and ideological differences, they have turned into a major threat for the West. The origins of terrorism in the Middle East are commonly found in the division of Palestine when the state of Israel was created in 1948. However the conflict between Arabs and Zionists go back much further to the time of first Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland in 1897. The meeting held in August of that year attracted 204 Jews from 15 countries and was chaired by the founder of Zionism, Theordor Herzl. The creation of first Jewish state and hence the conflict between Palestinians and Zionists have their origins in this meeting as it evident from various documents. For one this delegation had agreed that: "Zionism aims at the creation of a home for the Jewish people in Palestine to be secured by public law," and for this reaso