Why the death penalty in the USA should be eliminated

I. Introduction

A. He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." -John 8:7

B. The origin of the term Capital Punishment: Latin word Capitalis, “regarding the head”.

C. Origin of term Capital Crime

D. The four most populated countries: USA, India, China and Indonesia have not banished death penalty.

E. Among others, countries that allow the death penalty are: Afghanistan, Cuba, Guatemala, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Philippines, Sudan, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

F. Among others, countries that have abolished death penalty: Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Austria, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Haiti, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Spain, United Kingdom, Venezuela, and Yugoslavia

G. US states that still allow death penalty, 36 in total, but most convictions come from southern states: Texas, Florida, California, and Georgia.

II. Supporting arguments

A. death penalty does not deter the crime rates more that Life without Parole

B. Police does not believe death penalty reduces the incidence of violent crimes

C. The death penalty is an arbitrary punishment.

D. There is no way to undo the damages done.

E. Prohibited by the 8^th amendment to the US Constitution.

F. There is no exclusion in the death penalty once sentenced. Mentally ill are also executed.

G. It is more expensive than Life without parole.

H. Disparity:

1. If the victim is white, the criminal is more likely to get sentenced to death penalty.

2. Poor people are more likely to get death sentence

I. Morality: two wrongs do not make a right. Are we re-enforcing that retributive justice is allowed?

III. Conclusion

A. Overall, the justice system is more just and equal to all if the death penalty is removed.

B. We cannot play God and decide to kill others in retribution.

C. "We oppose the death penalty not just for what it does to those guilty of heinous crimes, but for what it does to all of us: it offers the tragic illusion that we can defend life by taking life." -- Most Rev. Joseph A.

Creating a successful team

Working outline

I. Introduction

A. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” –Aristotle

B. Great teams require effort and commitment, trust and accountability as they aim for results.

C. Anticipate, prepare for and avoid dysfunctions model loopholes By using the 5 dysfunction model, we can see the potential downfalls of a team.

II. Dysfunction Model

A. Absence of Trust

1. Trust will help everyone is comfortable speaking openly, and this will lead to being open about discussing challenges and issues in a group.

B. Fear of Conflict

1. By feeling validated and empowered to speak the team will be able to discuss openly any issues

2. Discussing issues will allow for creative solutions and practical, realistic decisions.

C. Lack of Commitment

1. Lack of commitment is the first step to failure. By lacking this, a group has no passion or desire to do what needs to be done, and will not put any effort into the necessary tasks.

2. A good way help maintain all group members committed is by having everyone show up for all team meetings and participate in completing all group assignments

3. In order to maintain fairness and balance, there must be equal responsibility among all tasks for team members.

D. Avoidance of Accountability

1. Assigning two people to each task can help accountability as one member can help the other and vice versa

2. We are accountable for our decisions in our personal life so why shouldn't we be just as accountable in our work life." - Catherine Pulsifer

E. Inattention to Results

1. Have a high level of standards and expectations… and keep everyone consistent about them

2. “Success is a journey, not a destination” so success is the reward.

Creating a successful team

Speaking outline

I. Introduction

A. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” –Aristotle

B. Great teams require effort and commitment, trust and accountability as they aim for results

C. “The journey is the reward.” Reap what you sow

D. Challenges will arise, plan ahead and look at the potential downfalls.

E. Anticipate, prepare for and avoid dysfunctions model loopholes.

II. Dysfunction Model

A. Absence of Trust

1. Trust will help everyone is comfortable speaking openly.

B. Fear of Conflict

1. By feeling validated and empowered to speak the team will be able to discuss openly any issues

C. Lack of Commitment

1. Showing up for all team meetings and participate in completing all group assignments

2. Keep equal responsibility.

D. Avoidance of Accountability

1. Assigning two people to each task can help accountability as one member can help the other and vice versa

2. We are accountable for our decisions in our personal life so why shouldn't we be just as accountable in our work life." - Catherine Pulsifer

E. Inattention to Results

1. Have a high level of standards and expectations… and keeping everyone consistent about them

2. “Success is a journey, not a destination” so success is the reward.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”

-Aristotle (Quote DB, 2008)

When looking at the importance of creating an effective, successful team, there are many things that will contribute to its downfall. However, there are also many different qualities that project the assets of an exemplary team.

Trust is the foundation that a team is built on, and without it, the team can achieve a domino effect of negativity and crash. Trust will enable the team to engage actively in discussing any issues that come up and the potential solutions to it, but this also requires commitment and action in order to achieve a prosperous team.

An old Chinese proverb said “The journey is the reward” (Think Exist, 2006); therefore you reap what you sow. The effort and commitment that is out into the team and its goals are the principal motivation and drive to achieve results and allow plans to gain full throttle and reach far beyond expectations.

The importance of creating a good team is obvious, however, in order to be able to face any challenges that may arise, we need to be able to plan ahead and look at the potential downfalls of a team in order to anticipate, prepare for and most importantly, avoid these loopholes and continue on the path to success.

Based on the model for the five dysfunctions of a team we studied in class, we have created some guidelines that can be followed in order to create a good team, prevent a good team from going bad, or enhancing a working team into an effective and successful one.

In order to have a good team, all members must be able to trust each other, discuss challenges in order to make informed decisions, commit and hold themselves accountable for the these commitments in order to gain positive results.

The first dysfunction we were identified was the lack of trust in a team. In order to have a functional team, communication is a key factor to keep in mind. Every team member should step into each other’s shoes, view their perspective and understand his or her opinion.

“Set your expectations high; find men and women whose integrity and values you respect; get their agreement on a course of action; and give them your ultimate trust.” These are the words of John Akers, dysfunction (Said What, 2007) and they apply completely to the 1^st dysfunction. Trust will foster an environment in which everyone is comfortable speaking their minds. By feeling empowered to speak and having our thoughts validated, the team will be able to discuss openly any issues and conflicts that may come up with, and find compelling, creative and practical solutions. This will eliminate the second dysfunction, fear of conflict, from attacking the foundation of the team. It is important to note that although the team wants to foster freedom of speech; all members must speak in a courteous, respectful manner, avoiding demeaning, belittling and hateful speech toward topic in general. As Jesse Jackson once said, “Never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up” (Quote Garden, 2008).

The third dysfunction we discussed was the lack of commitment within a team. Lack of commitment will cause a team to procrastinate, not be on time, doing things in a rush, and therefore not applying the necessary effort needed in each task. We can avoid this by having a high level of commitment within a team.

The next dysfunction, avoidance of accountability, causes teams to miss deadlines and can potentially ruin their reputation. It also creates tension as some members might feel as though the responsibility is not shared evenly. Regular meetings, constant communication, and will help create accountability to all team members, and also keep them engaged, motivated and focused on team goals. Planning ahead of time and making an action plan with the steps needed in order to achieve goals and assigning everyone an even part to it, will make sure everyone is accountable for something in order to keep equal responsibility. Assigning two people to each task can also help foster accountability as one member can help the other and vise versa. Also, this will allow having a backup. Although as a team you want to create accountability as a standard, life and accidents happen. Have a backup plan just in case anything should occur. Catherine Pulsifer once said “We are accountable for our decisions in our personal life so why shouldn't we be just as accountable in our work life." (WOW 4 U, 2006) Keeping this principle in mind, we should all be accountable in all our commitments, personal or work related.

The last dysfunction we will cover is the inattention to results. Even if we do keep in mind all previous dysfunctions, disregarding this last one will prevent a team from being completely successful. What we can do to avoid this is having a high level of standards and expectations… and keeping everyone consistent about them. This also implies having commitment and also means we need to look at the bigger picture. The final results, although they are not the only focus, they do not measure the overall quality of the team, and will make or break their effectiveness. Keep in mind what the aim is on and work together in order to get there.

In conclusion, there are some guidelines that can be followed in order to create a good team, enhancing a working team into an effective and successful one. There are five dysfunctions to a team model. The five dysfunctions are absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and in attention. In addition, these five team dysfunctions all can be avoided. Team Ethos has created specific guidelines to prevent dysfunctions like this from coming into the group. All members must be able to trust each other. A good team should be able to discuss openly any issues and conflicts that may come up with, and find compelling, creative and practical solutions. Every member should have a high level of commitment. For example, each team member can show their commitment by showing up for all team meetings and participate in completing all group assignments. A back up plan is always good for a team to have such as an action plan. An action plan prevents a team from missing deadlines and tension between some members. Last but not least, teams that have commitment, trust, and an action plan are more than likely to achieve success. These guidelines can be followed in order to create a successful team preventing the team from certain dysfunctions.

As Ben Sweetland once said, “"Success is a journey, not a destination” (Motivating Quotes, 2006). If we apply this knowledge and continue to grow with our team, and share our experiences, we will enjoy the ride together.

Works Cited

Motivating Quotes. (2006). Retrieved February 5th, 2009, from Motivating Quotes: http://www.motivatingquotes.com/success.htm

Quote DB. (2008, October). Retrieved February 5th, 2009, from Quote DB: http://www.quotedb.com/quotes/921

Quote Garden. (2008, November 30). Retrieved February 4th, 2009, from Quote Garden: http://www.quotegarden.com/kindness.html

Said What. (2007). Retrieved February 5th, 2009, from Said What: http://www.saidwhat.co.uk/quotes/favourite/john_akers/set_your_expectations_high_find_men_25730

Think Exist. (2006). Retrieved February 5th, 2009, from Think Exist: http://thinkexist.com/quotation/the_journey_is_the_reward/253991.html

WOW 4 U. (2006). Retrieved February 5th, 2009, from WOW 4 U: http://www.wow4u.com/accountable-quotes/index.html

Stratification is a system, by which society ranks its members in a hierarchy, is the norm throughout the world. All societies stratify their members, which can depend on wealth, income, ethnicity, gender, political status, religion or caste. This is seen in many cultures of throughout the world; however it is evidently an important issue when it comes to Indian culture and caste.

The Indian Caste system describes the social stratification in place by members of Indian society. People are separated into one of the different castes, which determine their importance and by which people are discriminated. Caste is linked to Karma and Samsara. If you live a good life and obey the caste rules, you will be reincarnated into a higher caste. However, this only applies for men, since women can only reincarnate into an animal.

Although there are many subdivisions of castes in modern India, traditionally there were four main castes: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras. There is also a 5^th caste, the Dalits, which are not even considered a caste, as they are the considered “untouchable” and lowly.

The Indian Caste System is a means of stratification because people are ranked and discriminated against because of the caste they belong to. Caste is achieved by birth and it is also endogamous: one must marry a person within the same caste. Marriages between people of different castes are forbidden and very controversial, since they go against the cultural norms most Hindu people live by.

Since the caste system does indeed stratify the individuals in society, we also see social inequality comes into play. We see that people in the higher castes are given more opportunities and privileges, while people from lower castes are forced to endure harder punishment than Brahmins for the same crimes; they are not allowed to share meals with people from other castes and are responsible for menial tasks, such as cleaning, scavenging, and such.

The articles that support the caste system argue that the caste system formed in order to have a more functional society. It argues that by classifying people and measuring their success by the area they are assigned to, we are having a more logical way to compare them to other individuals and determine their level of success. It also states that not all men are born equal; therefore, not all men need to have the same rights. I disagree about this because, regardless of the circumstances in which anyone is born, I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to make the most of their lives, and by having the caste system, in which there is little, if any, mobility, we are eliminating opportunities based on birth, not merit.

The articles that are against the caste system elaborate on the crimes and violence caused by conflicts in regards to inter-caste issues. Couples and activists murdered, oppression and discrimination, and lack of assistance from law enforcement agencies are just a few of the things that are common consequences of the stratification in India caused by the caste system. These articles argue that the caste system promotes slavery and enforces the belief that some people are better than others, simply based on birth.

When we examine the Social Conflict paradigm, we see that it does not support the Indian Caste system, but rather than that, it explains it. Gerhard Lenski said that society was filled with inequalities which cause conflict and bring about change (Macionis 2008).

When we look at the current situation in Indian society, we see that there has been an increase in the inter-caste marriages. We can also see that because of this, there has also been an increase in the murders of inter-caste couples, an example of the conflict caused by people not accepting the inequality when it comes to inter-caste marriage. The government has an incentive set up in order to promote an increase in inter-caste marriages.

Analyzing the Indian Caste System in the eyes of Emile Durkheim, we see that the Structural Functional paradigm supports the caste system by arguing that society and all its parts work well and have an important role in how we act, think and feel (Macionis 2008) It would also argue that the Indian Caste system is a function of society, meant to allow the knowledgeable people govern while the others are born to be merchants and others are born into a life of service to other of higher castes and hard labor.

Personally, I believe that the caste system is not favorable for society. It causes hate crimes, enforces inequalities and uses caste as a justification for all these. I believe that more than creating order, it causes more friction and tension in society than any good it can portray. By analyzing how stratification works and its consequences, I’ve been able to understand society better and see how it causes harm to others.
References

Macionis, JJ. (2008) Sociology (12^th Edition) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

Wax, Emily Washingtonpost.com. Saturday, November 22 2008 Washington Post Foreign Service

CliffNotes.com