Writing exercises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Writing exercises - Essay Example is the gripping, intense, and engrossing analysis of diverse group of jurors who are uncomfortably assembled together to deliberate after hearing some facts from an apparently open-and-shut murder trial. They leave to a jury room for civic duty and pass a just verdict for indigent minority defendant whose life is at crossroad. The jury of the twelve angry men, delegated the power to take an uneducated, teenaged and tenement-dwelling boy to electric chair for murdering his dad with a switchblade knife, literally locked themselves in a small, enclosed rectangular room on a boiling hot summer day and made a unanimous decision. The compelling, provocative film reveals the deep-seated, perceptual biases and weaknesses, personal prejudices, indifference, anger, cultural differences, personalities, unreliable judgments, ignorance and fears of the twelve men, which threaten to skew their decision-making abilities hence causing them to ignore real issues of the case, and make unjust actions. The jury room was characterized with heated discussions, the frequent re-assessment and changing of opinions, the formation of alliances, votes and certainties, and the re-consideration of personal experiences, outbursts and insults. Nonetheless, one brave rebellious juror was not part of the plot to cause miscarriage of justice at the commencement of the deliberations due to his reasonable doubt. Determinedly and persuasively, he urged the other eleven men to slowly rethink and review the wobbly case (and eyewitness testimony) concerning the endangered defendant. He further chastises the system for granting the unfortunate offender an incompetent court-appointed defense lawyer who â€Å"felt bitter about being appointed† - a case with â€Å"no glory, no money or much chance of winning† - and who inefficiently cross-examined the witnesses. The claims of juror No.8 was an example of ethical virtue. This film clearly shows the eleven jurors did not ethically deliberate and they could not

If you were about to become the ruler of your own country, which parts Essay

If you were about to become the ruler of your own country, which parts of Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince with Related Document - Essay Example In establishing the structural dimensions of the text, Machiavelli makes a number of key indicating factors. In terms of my own personal rule, an element I recognize as applicable to contemporary world is when Machiavelli states, â€Å"a new ruler will need to establish himself in defiance of custom† (Machiavelli, pg. 20). When considering the rule of my own nation or region, I believe that it is important to establish a number of elements that run counter to traditional custom. It’s recognizable that extreme examples of this are demonstrated in North Korea and some Middle Eastern nations; however, my government structure would attempt to develop a cooperative means of interaction with other nations, while advancing a number of anti-conformist notions of government. For instance, my government structure would attempt to reduce the emphasis on war, and present a more liberal social policy. Another important element Machiavelli addresses in the Prince is the nature of ref orming new laws and elements of existing orders. In these regards Machiavelli sees tremendous risk, but also recognizes that such practices are necessary. In these regards, he indicates that new orders are established through force, and then gain continuity through reference to virtue. When considering laws in the contemporary world, it’s clear that nations use reference to virtue in many instances to uphold the viability of the laws. Within the United States, reference is given to the founding fathers who outlined the constitution; in Israel this is seen as the state references traditional Biblical tradition in establishing laws and social order. I recognize that as a neophyte ruler I will have to develop a reference to virtue that will aid in the establishment of laws and various governing factors. In these regards, my government structure will be greatly influenced by the transcendental thought of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. In addition to supplying a view of the universe that is accepting of scientific principles, these thinkers also present a wide variety of thought on the nature of laws and social order. In addition to these thinkers, the social laws will refer to intellectual elements in establishing virtue. While Plato speaks of a philosopher king, my new nation will not run on democratic principles, but rather function through an intellectual elite that will determine the shape of society. This concept of governance is more like the United States Supreme Court than the Congressional House of Representatives. In addition to these major elements, there are a few cursory elements that I would adopt in my rule. In terms of succession, Machiavelli indicates that individuals who gain power through simple appointment are weak and have a difficult time retaining this power. To counteract this element, my government will have a rigorous selection process wherein I will appoint my successor. In terms of tax structure, Machiavelli indicat es that too rigorous a structure will cause the people to revolt while too lax a structure will result in problematic issues for the country. Therefore, my government will take a generally conservative tax structure, wherein rather than attempting to appeal to the people through generosity, the government will guard against the people’s resentment. In these regards, the general approach to governance will not be to overly appease the populace, but rather to ensure they are moderately happy and do not