A Thousand Days, in so many words :: Essays Papers

A Thousand Days, in so many words Any writer presented with the daunting task of chronicling such an emotional figure as John F. Kennedy, while being personally and professionally involved in his administration is bound to either fail miserably or succeed brilliantly. Schlesinger seems to have done both. While setting out to impart the happenings, demeanors, exchanges, and truths regarding the period Kennedy was in office, Schlesinger alternates between objective analysis and outright apology (Document, 55). This lends the book’s attempt to report and editorialize the events of Kennedy’s administration through personal observations to become overly sympathetic and occasionally lends a sense of personal catharsis to the work. In fact, Schlesinger himself notes as such in the opening pages â€Å"This work is not a comprehensive history of the Kennedy presidency. It is a memoir by one who served in the White House during the Kennedy year† (ix). However, in the opinion of Graber this was s een as one of the best analyses of the Kennedy White House of the 90 or so which came out after the assassination in Dallas (1). This fact that the author was an integral piece of the events he is recording allows for much direct quotation of the subject and those around him. Likewise he depends upon memory, interviews, or conjecture to complete some dialogue or moments where he was not present. While not unusual in the research of a chronicle, several critics found that this inability of Schlesinger to remove himself from his subject leads to a tendency to â€Å"†¦magnify his own role in the shaping of policies and the making of decisions† (Graber, 55). However, this is not to say that the author does not use primary examples of the president’s statements to support his account. In dealing with the Berlin imbalance Kruschev was causing the administration, Kennedy is quoted as saying, â€Å"I think we need to smile less and be tougher† lending credibility to the remainder of the account and Kennedy’s role in it (406). This use of direct quotes lends an air of presence to the text that might otherwise be lacking as well as allowing a more solid character reference to be built in the mind of the reader, and for that the book gains strength.

The requirement for employers to allow maternity leave under United Kingdom law is a disadvantage to women in the workplace.

Introduction Women in the workplace have historically struggled to be on an equal footing with men both in terms of pay and positions that they could achieve. In the U.K, where women are the majority population (51%) (ONS 2011), efforts to ease workplace discrimination and to provide equal opportunities have become central issues for political policy debates. Maternity laws exist to improve the health of newborn babies and the mother and at the same time minimize the inconvenience of working mothers while they are at such an important stage of their lives. The 2010 Equality act has provided the legal framework to end workplace discrimination and specifically addresses maternity discrimination. The Marmot review in 2010 that assessed the social determinants of health in the U.K has underscored well paid maternity and paternity leave as important for child and maternal health (Ward 2011). While government policy provides for maternity leave and benefits, availing these benefits have often disadvant aged women at the workplace. This paper will address issues surrounding maternity leave and its implications for women in the workplace. Maternity Benefits Late stages of pregnancy and postnatal care are important periods in the life of a woman and maintaining a healthy mind and body during these stages is critical for the baby’s health. Maternity leave and the maternity benefits are clearly social policies that help working women strike a balance between work and their parental role. Current policy permits women to take up to a year off from work to take care of their newly born. The regulations also permit women to return to their same jobs if they chose to within 26 weeks (The Telegraph 2014). The policy also permits women to request their employees for flexible working hours once they return to work. However, one of the stipulations is that women should take maternal leave in one block and are not allowed to break and manage their leave. These provisions are certainly essential from a social policy point of view as the Marmot review points to strong positive association between paid maternal leave and improved child health ou tcome (Ward 2001). The benefits of such policies lies in the health improvement and the potential savings on the NHS child healthcare costs (Ward 2011). While the benefits of maternal leave cannot be disputed, the current debate surrounds the continuing discrimination of women at the workplace and how maternal leave and benefits could actually contribute to preferential treatment of men over women in the labor market. Economic recession has also contributed to the increased discrimination against pregnant women. As a recent report from the U.K charity ‘Working Families’ has pointed out, there are growing number of complaints from women about pregnancy discrimination across the UK labor market (Working Families 2009). Evidence from recent surveys in the U.K of women who availed maternity leave has only confirmed the alleged discrimination against pregnant women. One survey commissioned by Slater & Gordon, one of the leading law firms in the U.K, for instance, reveals that ‘women are suffering in silence’. This survey pointed out that women are made redundant while on maternity leave and that one in seven wome n lost their jobs after availing of the leave. Among the survey participants, 40% indicated that their jobs were changed and almost half of them revealed that they were either demoted or that their working hours were cut (McVeigh 2013). As Samantha mangwana, an employment lawyer says many big organizations are part of this prevailing discrimination against pregnant women and frequently engage in out of court settlements. â€Å"I see the same major companies again and again and again, writing out these cheques – accompanied, of course, with a confidentiality clause†(McVeigh 2013). A more recent survey conducted by OnePoll on 1000 women who availed of maternity leave revealed that 30% of the women who rejoined felt that they did not fit in with their work environment anymore and that more than 40% felt that they had lack of support and only 3% of them sought legal assistance over maternity discrimination (McVeigh 2013). These surveys clearly point to the existing trend of maternity discrimination in the workplace. An early qualitative study by the ‘Equal Opportunities Commission’ reported that women on maternity leave were subjected to discrimination in various ways. Some women involved in this study reported that their employees withheld salary increases and bonuses simply because they were on maternity leave. Similarly, several women reported that their employers used the maternity leave period to create changes to their job including demoting them upon return. For instance one of the women in the study said, â€Å"I went from being a regional m anager to a store manager and had to take a ?5,000 pay cut. While I was on maternity leave they advertised â€Å"my† job and gave it to a man just as they had joked they would† (Davis et.al 2005). Evidence from these reports and surveys clearly project a worrisome picture of maternity discrimination and how availing authorized maternity leave could actually be a stumbling block for women in terms of their career prospects, promotions, pay increases and more seriously, how it could actually engender the risk of losing one’s job. A more exact picture of the prevailing scenario is the fact that since 2007 there have been more than 9000 pregnancy discrimination cases against employees across the UK. Speaking of the trend, Maria Miller, the minister for ‘Women and Equalities’, said, â€Å"It’s unacceptable that women suffer from discrimination when they become pregnant and yet many are saying that they are treated unfairly at work because of itâ⠂¬  (DCMS, 2013). A new national research at the cost of ?1m has been commissioned to assess and to address the systemic problems that have resulted in the plight for women. It is expected that the findings from this research and further policy reforms would contribute to improving the situation for pregnant working women (DCMS 2013). However, already there is some good development from the legal policy perspective that would ease the situation for women. New Parental Leave (More Choice) Given the existing problems and the resultant gender bias in the labor market it is clear that providing maternity leave and benefits as social welfare scheme , though absolutely essential from the health perspective of the newborn and the mother, has only added to the woes of women in the job market. A new and potentially improved social care policy is the proposed ‘shared parental leave’ policy which is slated to come into effect from April 2015. Under this scheme newborn baby care could be easily shared between the father and the mother. This new policy permits fathers to take paternal leave just as mothers could up to 50 weeks and also permits them to take the leave in a discontinued pattern so that mothers and fathers can alternate in caring for the newborn baby while at the same time balance their work and family. This provides an opportunity for women who want to return to work a little early not to be overly concerned or stressed out about the baby care as the fa ther could equally share the care of the newborn. Conclusion Maternity leave and maternity benefits are indispensable provisions from a pure social care perspective. These policies are in place to provide support to working women and to improve the health standards of the child and the mother. However, employers who are under pressures of poor economy are often discriminatory against pregnant women as the cost of maternity payments and the long leave of absence from work are considered to be unnecessary and avoidable costs to the company. This has resulted in women availing maternal leave to be left redundant and replaced by others. Those who return back to work are also forced to compromise their work status and compensation resulting in poor career prospects for the woman. Though maternity benefits are government policies and legal recourse is an option against maternity discrimination, barely a small percentage of affected women take that route to justice. The government has however instigated more research and has also come up with a novel and well balanced solution to the problem with the introduction of the draft for the ‘shared parental leave’. This new provision is certainly a positive step in not only balancing the gender divide but also in avoiding discrimination against women at the workplace as it provides more options for the parents to balance their time between work and baby care. References Davis S, Neathey F, Regan J & Willison R; 2005. Pregnancy discrimination at work: A qualitative study, Pregnant & Productive. Working Paper Series no 23. Pub by The Institute for Employment Studies. [Online] Available at [Accessed March 25th 2014] DCMS; 2013. ?1 million to help tackle pregnancy discrimination at the workplace, [online] Available [Accessed March 25th 2014] McVeigh T; 2013. One in seven women are made redundant after maternity leave, [online] Available at [Accessed March 25th 2014] ONS; 2011. 2011 Census: Population Estimates for the United Kingdom, [Online] Available at [Accessed March 25th 2014] The Telegraph; 2014. New Parental leave: What’s on offer for mums and dads[Online] Available at [Accessed March 25th 2014] Ward R; 2011. Health and equality impacts of well-paid parental leave, Pub by WHEC and MA. [Online] Available at [Accessed March 25th 2014] Working Families; 2009. Report of Working families helpline and Alliance against pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. Pregnant women and new mums at risk of redundancy. [Online] Available at http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/PRENANCY-DISCRIMINATION-2.pdf > [Accessed March 25th 2014]

Capital Punishment Should Not Be - 2299 Words

Capital Punishment: To Be or Not to Be On Sunday, March 29, 2009, at approximately 10:00am, Robert Stewart, aged 45, entered the Pine Lake Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in the small town of Carthage, NC. As he moved through the halls, he gunned down nearly a dozen innocent victims. In the aftermath of his deadly rampage, Stewart left eleven victims, eight dead and three wounded. He had killed the most helpless victims, elderly nursing home patients, many who lay helplessly in their beds or sat bound in their wheelchairs. All of his victims, except one, were between seventy-eight and ninety-eight years of age, incapable of self-defense and in the final season of their lives. Undoubtedly, this was a heinous crime, the kind that forces one to question why. What would lead a man to commit such a horrible act? Is there any way to explain it? There is much speculation about Stewart’s motive, but in the grand scheme of things, what does it matter? Would any explanation make Stewart’s deed any less horrendous? No. The end result would be the same- innocent lives lost in a brutal attack, and families left behind, trying to make sense of it all. While some are asking why he did it, others are already contemplating Stewart’s fate. Of course, many are demanding death. The controversy comes as society strives to decide what that severe punishment should be. Should it be the death penalty? What is the death penalty? It is the killing of a person as punishment by judicial process.Show MoreRelatedCapital Punishment Should Be Abolished1137 Words   |  5 PagesThe case for capital punishment Topic: why capital punishment should continue General purpose: To argue Specific purpose: my main aim is to convince the audience that capital punishment should be upheld. In other, the advantages of capital punishment outweigh its disadvantages. Introduction Capital punishment is also known as death penalty and it has been in existence since time immemorial. Throughout history, the death penalty has been used to punish a number of crimes that include murderRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Allowed955 Words   |  4 PagesCapital punishment is execution, which can furthermore be identified as the death penalty, has been a hot topic in the public eye for a while. The question on lots of minds is whether it is acceptable for the state to terminate one’s life for the crime they have committed. A significant question that we will address is whether or not capital punishment should be allowed. By inquiring more information about this topic people should be able to formulate their own opinions on this debate. As I beganRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Not Be Legal950 Words   |  4 PagesCapital Punishment is still used in the United States, and there has been 152 people that has been released from death row since 1973. There has been many more people that were not released but executed and possibly innocent. Kantian ethics is the theory that says the moral actions are not determined by the consequences but by the right nature of the action. Capital punishment may be questionable with some cases of innocents, with that being said the use of capital punishment should only be usedRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Not Be Abolished901 Words   |  4 Pagesgovernment (â€Å"Capital Punishment in the United States†). Capital punishment is being debated all over the world whether it is murder or justice for the crime they have committed. Statistics show that murderers often kill again after releasement from prison. The Bureau of Justice gives relevant statistics pertaining to murderers who were released from prison: in 1994 40.7% of murderers were arrested for a new crime within three years of release (United States Department of Justice). Capital punishment shouldRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Leg al933 Words   |  4 Pagescontroversial issues in the country today is addressed in the question, should capital punishment be applied to minors and, if so how young it too young? Although, capital punishment has been a part of the United States for many years, the United States still have yet to figure out how to solve all its dilemmas and whether or not capital punishment should be administered to minors. Debates about the use of capital punishment for juveniles have grown increasingly intense, within the last ten yearsRead MoreCapital Punishment Should be Abolished883 Words   |  4 Pages Capital punishment is the punishment of death for a crime given by the state. It is used for a variety of crimes such as murder, drug trafficking and treason. Many countries also have the death penalty for sexual crimes such as rape, incest and adultery. The lethal injection, the electric chair, hanging and stoning are all methods of execution used throughout the world. Capital punishment ha s been around since ancient times; it was used in ancient Rome, and one of the most famous people to be crucifiedRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Illegal1536 Words   |  7 PagesCapital punishment is the planned taking of a legally convicted persons life. Convicted persons are put to death under certain guidelines; such as age, and the crime that was committed. Certain laws such as the â€Å"Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996† (Supreme Court Rulings), â€Å"New Terrorism Crimes and Penalties† (Death Penalty Statutes), and Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (Death Penalty Laws) ensure that only those who are convicted of either acts of terror, homicides, and other lifeRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Abolished1444 Words   |  6 PagesThe political issue that I choose is capital punishment. There are pretty much the same number of reasons why capital punishment should be nullified as there are reasons why we require it. It is a complex issue and it is practically impossible to point to any single argument as the most important. Overall 140 countries have now stopped using capital punishment. America s continued use of the death penalty just profiles us as a fierce and wrathful country and keeps us in the same class as Iran, NorthRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Legal846 Words   |  4 Pagesyou within minutes. Should this be legal, or should criminals have to live with their crimes? Capital punishment is the cause of many debates throughout the country. Some people believe that Capital Punishment should be allowed as it gives the victims families the closure they desperately require. Others, like myself, believe that those who do unspeakable crimes should have to live with that guilt in a 6-foot by 8-foot cement room. Also, the problem with Capital Punishment, is sentencing the wrongRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Eliminated1342 Words   |  6 PagesCapital Punishment should be eliminated in America The European influence on America gave way to the similarities between our cultures, including the death penalty. The first recorded execution in America was that of Captain Kendall in Virginia in 1608. Kendall was executed for being a spy, but at that the time capital punishment was used even for minor crimes. Fast forward 150 years to the Abolitionist Movement and we see Cesare Beccaria post an essay in 1767 declaring the state has no right to