Short Fiction Stories Sonnys Blues Essay - 748 Words

This is my first time to read â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†. I think the reason for this short fiction wrote successful is great in portray the character and story details. The author James Baldwin use great literary elements to depict the story’s develop. I want to analysis the title, plot and flashback use in this short fiction. The first thing we will do to read an article usually read the title. Also, the title may become the reason for us to start read an article. Like me, sometimes I watch a news title which is interested me then I will choose to read it. So, I think a good title will make your article become more attractive. â€Å"Sonny Blues†, this title seems have two meanings. The story about Sonny and the story about†¦show more content†¦I think it is one great literary term can use to give clear describe. Because it can help highlight the point of view. The plot should be one important element for a story. It is the comment for the st ory. Sonny’s Blues use the narrative method to tell the story. The plot is not very ups and downs, but it use the smoothly plot to reach the goal. There are so many dialogues in the story. No matter the dialogues between Sonny and his brother or the dialogues between narrator and their mother. It described exquisite and emotional. I think it just like the people who talk in front of me. The dialogue also run through the whole story. Start with what’s the problem between Sonny and Sonny’s brother. Then what struggles they had. Finally, how the problem solved. There is one dialogue between Sonny’s brother and Sonny’s mother. â€Å"‘I want to talk to you about your brother,’ she said, suddenly. ‘If anything happens to me he ain’t going to have nobody to look out for him. ‘Mama,’ I said, ‘ain’t nothing going to happen to you or Sonny. Sonny’s all right. He’s a good boy and he’s g ot good sense.’† (43) This plot describe the talk between mom and Sonny’s brother. It’s clearly portray the worry of Sonny’s mother. And this is also the start of narrator realized that Sonny become his responsible. There is another plot which describe their father’s brother. These two plots make reader connect with Sonny addict into drug is how undesirable by his family. AlthoughShow MoreRelatedThe Meaning Behind the Music in Sonny’s Blues, by James Baldwin671 Words   |  3 Pages In the story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin music was the remedy. The main factors that make up this story is suffering, the overall theme of darkness, and the meaning of the music. Suffering is something that everyone has to persevere at some point in their life. One thing makes us unique is how we deal with these hardships. The characters in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† endure many difficult situations. How they choose to deal with these situations effects their entire life. To begin the story, we seeRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues 916 Words   |  4 PagesBaldwin’s story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† tells the tale of two African-American brothers trying to survive in 1950s America. Both struggle with darkness in their lives, from drugs to bottling up emotions. The following sources were found Literature Research Center’s website. Each of the four sources will be evaluated for the quality of their information, as well as their usefulness on the topic of darkness in â€Å" â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†. Flibbert, Joseph. Sonny s Blues: Overview. Reference Guide to Short Fiction. EdRead More Contrasting Responsibility in Carvers Fever and Baldwins Sonnys Blues1546 Words   |  7 Pages Two short stories that examine the theme of responsibility are Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin and Fever by Raymond Carver. In Sonnys Blues, the narrators elderly mother tells him to never allow anything bad to happen to his younger brother, Sonny. Although Sonnys injurious decisions result in both brothers distancing themselves from each other, the older brother finds it within himself to love his brother and do everything he can do to take care of him. In Fever, the other short storyRead MoreSonny s Blues By James Baldwin827 Words   |  4 PagesSonny’s Blues In James Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† it is only when a brother loses his child that he realizes how easy it can be to lose his brother. The narrator’s little brother, Sonny, was left in his charge when their parents passed away. He neglects Sonny and leaves him to work through hard decisions on his own which leads to Sonny being picked up by the police for using and selling drugs. When the narrator’s daughter, Grace, passes he sees how suffering can affect people and reaches outRead MoreSymbolism in Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin Essay1286 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin In James Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the reader meets Sonny, a recovering addict, and his older brother, a high school teacher. Although these two brothers have completely different lives and personalities, the author’s use of symbolism brings them more tightly together like a real family. Baldwin uses symbols such as ice, lightness and darkness, and jazz music to add more depth and meaning to â€Å"Sonny’s Blues.† People usually think of ice or the coldRead MoreJames Baldwins Sonnys Blues1418 Words   |  6 Pages A common idea of James Baldwin is that he happens to write more significant essays rather than fictions or dramatic pieces. However, his most common theme of choice, ones discovery of self-identity- is elaborately broadcasted and exhibited greatly in his short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†. First circulated in the late fifties and then again in the mid-sixties, Sonnys Blues explains Baldwin’s reasons for his famous arguments in the arena of Black freedom, while also providing a visual bonding ofRead MoreSonnys blues literary analysis2558 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Jane-Clare Dauito Professor Thorstensen English Composition 2 11 December 2013 Within The Blues James Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is a story of how a distant and conflicting relationship between two brothers is saved by the powerful message within music. In â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† the music portrays a very powerful message. The story begins with Sonny being arrested for heroin use. Sonny’s older brother is a school teacher and did not want to believe that the news was true, â€Å"I didn’t want to believe thatRead MoreEssay on Literary Analysis of James Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues2323 Words   |  10 Pagesreaders. Some authors create stories with a singular point of view, while others introduce more complex plots and storylines. When it comes to author James Baldwin’s short story Sonny’s Blues, there is much depth given to the storyline and the characters. Sonny’s Blues has been analyzed by many different people throughout time because the story has many elements. From Baldwin’s skillful us e of metaphors and similes to his incorporation of religious references, this story is insightfully and complexlyRead MoreLight and Dark in the Book Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin Essay788 Words   |  4 PagesIn James Baldwin’s short story, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† there is a constant contrast between light and dark. Baldwin uses this theme to highlight the struggles that the Narrator and his younger brother, Sonny, both face. Light represents all of the positive aspects of life. Meanwhile, the darkness represents the constant struggle that threatens the characters in the story. Light and dark has a presence in both characters. The narrator lives his life in the â€Å"light†. He is a teacher, middleclass man, a manRead More Short Story Characteristics Essay623 Words   |  3 PagesShort Story Characteristics The short story is a concise form of narrative prose that is usually simpler and more direct compared to longer works of fiction such as novels. Therefore, because of their short length, short stories rely on many forms of literary devices to convey the idea of a uniform theme seen throughout the script. This theme is illustrated by using characteristics that are developed throughout the story such as, plot, setting and characters. The three main components are developed

Migration And Jap Homogeneity As Policy Amidst An Ageing...

Migration and Japan: Homogeneity as Policy Amidst an Ageing Population Abstract The goal of this paper is to provide a summary of migration as it pertains to Japan. First, a brief overview of migration data and trends will be reviewed. This should provide a useful foundation upon which to further explore more complex issues. Japan’s migration policies, practices, and trends are marked by several notable events. Such topics include the Japanese-Brazilian diaspora, the growing demand for migrant workers amidst Japan’s shrinking population, and Japan’s ethically questionable approach to handling matters of refugees. A Foundational Overview of Migration Data and Trends The World Bank estimates Japan’s Net Migration to be 350 thousand as of 2012 (The World Bank, Net Migration, Japan). Considering the country’s impressive population size of 127.6 million (in 2012) (The World Bank, Population, Japan), that number is considerably low. Compare that, for example, to the United States, which has a population of 314.1 million (in 2012) (The World Bank, Population, United States) and a Net Migration of 5,007,887 as of 2012 (The World Bank, Net Migration, United States). These numbers illustrate the reality of how few immigrants Japan allows for its size. While immigrants still make up a miniscule percentage of Japan’s population, the numbers have been growing over the past few decades. According to the World Bank, in 1985 Japan’s total international migrant stock was 850,775

Charles Dickens essay Oliver Twist Example For Students

Charles Dickens essay Oliver Twist Being born just before your mother dies is a terrible thing to have to deal with, but to have no other relative to care for you, nurture you and to love you, it makes life incredibly difficult. However, at this age in the Victorian era, there were many complications that nowadays we do not encounter. To grow up unloved, not knowing how it feels to have a mother is already hard enough as it is, but to be shunned by society is just cruelty to ones mind. In the Victorian era, being illegitimately born was considered a horrible thing, and therefore you wouldve been shunned by society, you would be considered the lowest of the low. A novel which portrays these themes is Charles Dickens Oliver Twist, where Oliver was illegitimate and was mistreated in his life, not knowing love. His life was tainted, tainted by his birth, his birth as an illegitimate child burdened his life. Therefore, he faced the consequences. Agnes Fleming was pregnant with her child, Oliver Twist. She was brought here last night, replied the old woman, by the overseers order. She was found lying in the street; she had walked some distance, for her shoes were worn to pieces, but where she came from, or where she was going to, nobody knows'. By writing this, Charles Dickens shows the readers the harshness that illegitimate mothers had to go through, Agnes was not helped at all when she was lying in the street, nobody cared. After giving birth to Oliver, Agnes says let me see the child, and die, Charles Dickens creates emotion in the reader by writing this because it is very emotive, the fact that her final request is to see her child makes the reader question how a human can be treated this way. After the birth of Oliver, she died. The infant was placed in a private juvenile home. Olivers eighth birth-day found him a pale, thin child, somewhat diminutive of stature, and decidedly small in circumference. Charles Dickens wrote this to tell the readers how badly he was treated, he was not fed properly, therefore he was pale and thin, which persuades the readers to feel sympathy towards Oliver. After nine years of mistreatment, he is returned to the workhouse for even more abuse. Oliver attempted to ask for more food, but was punished. That boy will be hung, said the gentleman in the white waistcoat; I know that boy will be hung'. This shows us how injustice can be so cruel towards even children, Oliver had just asked for more food because he was hungry, but instead of more food the man predicted that he would be hung, this could make readers question the cruelty towards children. He was apprenticed to Mr. Sowerberry, an undertaker. Charles Dickens wrote about Oliver working at the undertakers to show readers that child labour was wrong, a child of his age working. Noah Claypole, a charity boy working for Mr. Sowerberry, goads Oliver to rebellion, for which Oliver is severely flogged. This is where Charles Dickens tells the readers about child abuse and how its wrong. Oliver was provoked by Noah, and yet he was the one that was punished. Oh you little un-grate-ful, mur-de-rous, hor-rid villain!' and Mrs Sowerberry plunged into the kitchen, and assisted to hold him with one hand, while she scratched his face with the other'. These quotes tell us how children can be cruelly abused in Victorian times. They dragged Oliver, struggling and shouting, but nothing daunted, into the dust-cellar, and there locked him up. Charles Dickens reveals the cruelty that can be given to children. It also is emotive and captures the readers sympathy because the reason he was locked up was because he had been provoked by Noah Claypole, he taunted Oliver by speaking rudely about his mother which infuriated Oliver which led him to strike Noah. .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732 , .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732 .postImageUrl , .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732 , .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732:hover , .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732:visited , .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732:active { border:0!important; } .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732:active , .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732 .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3b1702cbd8b7b966a281091f5c83d732:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Secrets by Tim Winton EssayThis captures sympathy because it was not entirely his fault in the first place. Consequently, Oliver runs away and heads for London where he meets John Dawkins and The Artful Dodger, who brings Oliver to Fagin, the ringleader of a gang of criminals. Fagin is an important character in Oliver Twist because he was the one that influenced Oliver into a life of crime and educated him in how to perform crimes. Fagin also treats the children he picks up as dispensable, he uses them to take risks for him, and he gets all the money from the robberies. It also tells us how the people in Victorian times did not care about children who run away from home or are orphans, unlike the present; the lack of care for children is what Charles Dickens is trying to tell the readers, and this is the reason why people like Fagin can get there hands on vulnerable children. It makes the readers question the laws and treatment of children even more. Oliver goes out with Charles Bates and the Dodger to pick an old mans pocket and fled leaving Oliver to be arrested and face the punishment. At the police station, Oliver is cleared by a witness, the bookseller. Mr. Brownlow sympathised with the boy and had him taken in and cared for at his home. Later on, Bill Sykes, a vicious and violent criminal and Fagin told Nancy to kidnap Oliver and return him to the gang. Sykes takes Oliver to a rendezvous with Toby Crackit and they go to a house that they are planning to burglarise but Oliver gets shot in the process. The robbers run off and abandon Oliver in a ditch. This shows us that Olivers conspirators did not care about him; they left him to die. This is emotive and sparks off emotions in the reader; making them question how someone can let a child die like that. Oliver regained consciousness in the ditch and stumbled to the nearest house which was the house they attempted to burgle. Mrs. Maylie, the owner of the house, takes Oliver in and protects him. This shows that not all people are uncaring, by writing this, Charles Dickens probably wanted to persuade the reader to be more like Mrs. Maylie, a caring and kind person who took Oliver in and gave him a home. Nancy, Bill Sykes girlfriend, tells Rose, Mrs Maylies niece, also Agnes Flemings sister, about Monks, a sickly, vicious young man, prone to violent fits and teeming with inexplicable hatred, and Fagins plot to destroy Oliver. Rose tells Mr. Brownlow what Nancy has told her, Harry Maylie, Mr. Grimwig and Mr Losberne were also briefed. Fagin comes to the conclusion that Nancy has betrayed the gang and tells Bill Sykes, who bludgeons her to death. When Oliver was in his birth town he received a will from his father who had died long before the events in the novel, he was the father of Monks also but had separated from Monks mother and had a love affair with Agnes Fleming, Olivers mother. They were to flee the country but he had died before they had the chance. He had left this will, which left part of his property to Oliver. Oliver decided to share his fortune with Monks due to Mr. Brownlows recommendation. However, Monks later dies in prison. With no more family left, Mr. Brownlow adopts Oliver and they settle near the parsonage.

Police Misconduct free essay sample

They offer assistance and take charge of many different situations such as car accidents, flooding, and hurricanes. Police officers also help find missing people and settle arguments between people. They watch for speeding drivers on the road and give traffic tickets. Specially  trained  police officers (detectives) investigate crimes that have already happened, such as robbery, kidnapping, or murder. Police work is very tough, but thanks to them, everyone lives more safely. It is important to bear in mind that law enforcement officers have to preserve order and protect citizens. Because of this very challenging job, often times, officers find themselves involved in extremely unpredictable and often dangerous situations in which they risk serious injury to their lives so that other citizens may be safe. Many officers are injured or killed trying to protect the public. In order to minimize harm to others and to themselves, law enforcement officers must exercise critical and quick judgment, often when the circumstances are volatile and potentially deadly. We will write a custom essay sample on Police Misconduct or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Sometimes, police officers do not exercise integrity for their job (Chan, 1997). In this report, I will address police culture and misconduct. First, I will discuss the main issues, which will include the history and current situation of police departments and misconduct. Secondly, I will analyze theories, cultures, laws, and other relevant data on the topic. Finally, I will share with your recommendations for tackling this growing problem that is plaguing our society. MAIN ISSUES Throughout history, efforts to police societies have been blemished by brutality and misconduct to some degree. In the ancient world, policing entities subjected citizens to terror and abusive treatment to gain control. In the English-speaking world, most modern-day police departments were first established in the nineteenth century, and in the early days cases of police brutality were recurring. Marilynn S. Johnson, a researcher who wrote, Street Justice: A History of Police Violence in New York City, describes the routine bludgeoning of citizens by patrolmen armed with nightsticks or blackjacks. In the United States, the passage of the Volstead Act in 1919 (the National Prohibition Act) had a long-term negative impact on policing practices. The demand for alcohol and the rewards gained from the sell of alcohol in the mid-1920s, gave way to growing crime. Understaffed and with meager resources, many law enforcement agencies engaged in the use of unlawful practices. By the time of the Hoover administration, the issue had grown to national concern and a National Committee on Law Observation and Enforcement was formed to look into the situation. Their investigation concluded that police brutality and other miscarriages of justice were prevalent. In the years following the report, landmark legal judgments such as Brown v. Mississippi helped to cement a legal obligation to respect the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. During the Civil Rights Era in the 1960s, African Americans had to overcome numerous incidents of police brutality in its struggle for justice and racial equality. In the United States, race and police brutality continue to be closely linked, and the phenomenon has sparked a string of race riots over the years. The use of physical force, assault, verbal attacks, and threats were dominant in how many officers conducted their job. In most recent years, police brutality has often flared at global summits where protesters have sought to challenge the legitimacy of various institutions of economic globalization such as the WTO, the World Bank, the IMF, the G8, and international trade regimes such as the NAFTA and the FTAA. An extensive U. S. Department of Justice report on police use of force released in 2001 indicates that in 1999, approximately 422,000 people 16 years old and older were estimated to have had contact with police in which force or the threat of force was used. In dealing largely with disorderly elements of the society, some people working in law enforcement may gradually develop an attitude or sense of authority over society, particularly under traditional reaction-based policing models; in some cases the police believe that they are above the law. In other cases, police corruption and misconduct may be explained by individuals and individual faults- behavioral, psychological, background factors, and so on. Since their has been policing entities, it is understood by most that law enforcement officers have been performing a public service that is not easy to carry out. To assist law enforcement officers in diffusing situations, apprehending alleged criminals, and protecting themselves and others, officers are legally entitled to use appropriate means, including force. In discussing police misconduct, this report acknowledges not only the legal grant of such authority, but also the trying circumstances that law enforcement officers find themselves in, which necessitate use of force. Today, it seems quite clear that we as observant citizens in a democratic society can see that employees who are given the task of preserving peace and the authority to use dangerous and deadly force must be subject to maximum accountability. ANALYSIS â€Å"Who will guard the guardians? † asked the Roman satirist Juvenalis. While the large majority of police officers are untouched by duplicity, there can be little doubt that there are many reported cases of police corruption and misconduct. Even though the situation with our policing entities is not great, police practices in other nations vary greatly with the American police experience. New immigrants are often surprised to learn of the amount of restraint exercised by American police. Police brutality and corruption are regular practices in many countries. Most police agencies require applicants to pass a written exam; a medical exam; a physical fitness test; a psychological and/or polygraph test; drug screening; and an oral board. Most academies include military marching, inspections, and salutations to senior officers. Some academies still include military stress drills in an attempt to weed out those that can not handle the situation. However, even with all the training, and even though the United States may not be the worst, police misconduct is still a growing concern that needs to be addressed in this country. Historically, countries like Australia largely preferred to trust police to keep their house in order, with some external guardianship administered by the courts and government. Some find this simple approach to be effective. Others call for improvements in inadequate existing procedures or stronger measures to prevent misconduct from becoming widespread and entrenched in police organizations. Although numerous studies have attempted to understand the causes of various forms of police misconduct, there is still no clear theoretical explanation of police misbehavior. However, Akers social learning theory speculates that peer associations, attitudes, reinforcement, and modeling are predictors of delinquency and crime in general, including police misconduct. The social learning theory gives us insight on police culture, a part of which includes the Blue Code of Silence. It also may explain how police culture may contribute to the current state of police departments. As it is defined in the Websters New Collegiate Dictionary, police culture is the integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thought, speech, action, and artifacts and depends on mans capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations(Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary as quoted in Emerson, 1989: p. ). Culture has long been of interest to anthropologists as they studied groups of animals and people throughout the globe. The anthropologist Clyde Kluchohn defined culture as the set of habitual and traditional ways of thinking, feeling, and reacting that are characteristic of the ways a particular society meets its problems at a particular time (Kluckhon, 1949:17). Police culture is similar throughout all police departments in America. It is known by many that this culture harbors themes of isolation, solidarity, conformity, and distrust. Police culture seems to be at odds with codes of ethics. There is considerable opportunity for the values, beliefs, and rituals to be played out in negative forms. It encourages misguided loyalty and is harmful to the community’s welfare. It hinders reform efforts, partly because those that are suppose to be responsible for overseeing police officers will not admit there is a problem. They deny any existence of such a culture. They would rather blame any misconduct on a few â€Å"bad apples† on the force rather than the fact that there is a very real, systematic problem. It is important to understand that all of which is sustained through the way new members are selected, trained, and accepted into the police ranks. Because there is a brewing pot of injustice on behalf of many police departments, there are laws and legislation in place that protect against police brutality and misconduct. The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution includes the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses. The Civil Rights Act of 1871has evolved into a key U. S. law in brutality. By law, the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights has established an advisory committee in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The committees are composed of state citizens who serve without compensation. The committees advise the Commission of civil rights issues in their states that are within the Commission’s jurisdiction. More specifically, they are authorized to advise the Commission on matters of their state’s concern in the preparation of Commission reports to the President and the Congress; receive reports, suggestions, and recommendations from individuals, public officials, and representatives of public and private organizations to committee inquiries; forward advice and recommendations to the Commission, as requested; and observe any open hearing or conference conducted by the Commission in their states. The Federal Civil Enforcement Police Misconduct Provision makes it unlawful for State or local law enforcement officers to engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives persons of rights protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States. The types of conduct covered by this law can include, among other things, excessive force, discriminatory harassment, false arrests, coercive sexual conduct, and unlawful stops, searches or arrests. In order to be covered by this law, the misconduct must constitute a pattern or practice it may not simply be an isolated incident. The Department of Justice (DOJ) must be able to show in court that the agency has an unlawful policy or that the incidents constituted a pattern of unlawful conduct. However, unlike other civil laws, DOJ does not have to show that discrimination has occurred in order to prove a pattern or practice of misconduct. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the OJP (Office of Justice Program) Program Statute are laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and religion by State and local law enforcement agencies that receive financial assistance from the Department of Justice. This maybe harassment or use of racial slurs, unjustified arrests, discriminatory traffic stops, coercive sexual conduct, retaliation for filing a complaint with DOJ or participating in the investigation, use of excessive force, or refusal by the agency to respond to complaints alleging discriminatory treatment by its officers. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability. Section 504 prohibits discrimination by State and local law enforcement agencies that receive financial assistance from DOJ. Section 504 also prohibits discrimination in programs and activities conducted by Federal agencies, including law enforcement agencies. These laws prohibit discriminatory treatment, including misconduct, on the basis of disability in virtually all law enforcement services and activities. These activities include, among others, interrogating witnesses, providing emergency services, enforcing laws, addressing citizen complaints, and arresting, booking, and holding suspects. These laws also prohibit retaliation for filing a complaint with DOJ or participating in the investigation. SUGGESTIONS AND/OR RECOMMENDATIONS The issue is no longer one of whether or not the guards needing guarding, but of determining the best kind of guardianship. A diverse range of strategies and systems has emerged. All of which are claiming their effectiveness. However, many have failed for various reasons including resistance to change by organizational culture. I am in agreement with many advocates against police corruption and misconduct when they suggest that they make the complaint process open and responsive, computerize data ollection and improve record keeping, strengthen the position of police auditor, streamline and improve the investigation process, while maybe using a disciplinary matrix (see attachment). Also, they should professionalize and empower the Internal Investigations Section. Due to the growing incidents of police misconduct, I am also in agreement that there is a need for a body independent of police and maybe even politicians. There responsibility will be to s erve as a check on the potential neglect or cover up of police misconduct. I, along with many others, am in favor of such an external body that is not subject to peer pressure and loyalty to police. This body should have the authority to investigate complaints and/or monitor police investigations. There are currently some organizations with some or all of these attributes. A civilian review board is an entity external to the police department’s internal affairs, and consists of citizens from outside the department, appointed by the mayor or other senior government officials. A civilian review board is generally charged with the duty of reviewing complaints and making recommendations as to disciplinary action after the police department has completed its own investigation and made a disciplinary recommendation. A civilian review board is usually charged with reviewing the same materials or a redacted version of what the internal affairs division examined, although a civilian review board could be given investigative power in order to conduct its own inquiry into the complaint. Such authority could include subpoena power, and the ability to administer oaths and compel the production of documents. The sufficiency of individual case files, and thus the accuracy of a subsequent review, may depend heavily on what information the board is given and whether it can supplement these files on its own initiative. A key concern with instituting a civilian review board has to do with how much weight the recommendation of the board is accorded by law, that is, how binding. The activities of the board may be symbolic, as it has indeed been suggested that civilian review boards end up â€Å"agreeing with the police department in almost all instances. The importance of the civilian review board, therefore, rests on whether the disciplining officer is forced to accept or to provide a public account of why the recommendation is not accepted. For civilian review boards to be effective, they should be provided the authority to override the recommendations of the police, although such prospects are somewhat unrealistic. A study of 17 law enforcement agencies found that citizen review boards sustain police brutality complaints at a higher percentage than do the police themselves, suggesting that such boards operate more fairly. Copwatch is a U. S. -based network of organizations that actively monitors and videotapes the police to prevent brutality. Umbrella organizations and justice committees (often named after a deceased individual or those victimized by police violence) usually engage in a solidarity of those affected. Amnesty International is another organization active in the issue of police brutality. With some modifications, these organizations could work well in protecting citizens and holding police accountable. CONCLUSION It is the duty of police officers to protect and defend the citizens within their community against criminals, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of the United States and to provide leadership and criminal justice services. It is without a doubt that the vast majority of the law enforcement officers in this country perform their very difficult jobs with respect for their communities and in compliance with the law. Even so, there are incidents in which this is not the case. This paper examines police culture and misconduct, while focusing on the issues, highlighting the laws and theories, and making suggestions that, hopefully, will suffice as an effective means of combating this growing concern. Police misconduct has not changed much since the nineteenth century. It continues to be a chronic problem. Findings suggest that social learning theory provides a useful explanation of police misconduct. Police culture seems to be an offspring of this theory. This leads to the necessary laws enforced by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) that have been established to address police misconduct and explains how you can file a complaint if you believe your rights have been violated. To help uphold these laws, it is clear that there should be a proactive approach in reducing complaints against police forces by reducing conflict between officers and citizens and by minimizing corruption and misconduct opportunities by zooming in on organizational culture.