The Crimes of Suzanne Basso

Suzanne Basso and five co-defendants, including her son, kidnapped a 59-year-old mentally disabled man, Louis Buddy Musso, then tortured and murdered him so that they could collect on his life insurance money. Basso was identified as the ringleader of the group and instigated the others to torture their captive. An Unidentified Body On August 26, 1998, a jogger discovered the body in Galena Park, Texas. Based on the observations of the police, when they arrived at the scene, they determined that the victim had been killed elsewhere, and then dumped on the embankment. He showed severe injuries, yet his clothing was clean. There was no identification found on the body. In an effort to identify the victim, investigators reviewed missing person files and learned that a woman by the name of Suzanne Basso had recently filed a report. When a detective went to her apartment to see if the victim found in Galena Park was the same person that Basso had reported as missing, he was met at the door by Bassos son, 23-year-old James OMalley. Basso was not at home, but returned shortly after the detective arrived. While the detective talked to Basso, he noticed that there were bloody sheets and clothing on a makeshift bed on the floor of the living room. He asked her about it and she explained that the bed belonged to the man she had reported as missing, but she did not explain the blood. She and her son James then accompanied the investigator to the morgue to view the body of the victim. They identified the body as   Louis Musso, the man she had filed a police report as a missing person., The detective noticed that, while Basso appeared to be hysterical on viewing the body, her son James showed no emotion when he saw the horrific condition of the body of their murdered friend. Quick Confession Having identified the body, mother and son accompanied the detective to the police station to complete the report. Within minutes after the detective began talking to OMalley he confessed that he, his mother and four others- Bernice Ahrens, 54, her son, Craig Ahrens, 25, her daughter, Hope Ahrens, 22, and her daughters boyfriend, Terence Singleton, 27, all participated in beating Buddy Musso to death. OMalley told investigators that his mother was the one that planned the murder and spearheaded the others to kill Musso by administering brutal beatings over a period of five days. He said that he was terrified of his mother, so he did as she instructed. He also admitted to dunking Musso four or five times in a bathtub filled with household cleaning products and bleach. Basso poured alcohol over his head while OMalley scrubbed him bloody with a wire brush. It remained unclear if Musso was dead or in the process of dying during the chemical bath. OMalley also provided information about where the group had ditched evidence of the murder. Investigators found   items that were used to clean up the murder scene that included bloodstained clothes worn by Musso at the time of his death, plastic gloves, bloodstained towels, and used razors. Wooed to His Death According to court records, Musso had been widowed in 1980 and had a son. Through the years he became mentally disabled and had the intelligence of a 7-year-old child, but had learned to live independently. He was living in an assisted living home in Cliffside Park, New Jersey and had a part-time job at ShopRite. He also attended church where he had a strong network of friends who cared about his welfare. Police discovered that, two months after the death of her live-in boyfriend, Suzanne Basso, who was living in Texas, met Buddy Musso at a church fair while she was on a trip to New Jersey. Suzanne and Buddy kept up a long-distance relationship for a year. Basso finally convinced Musso to move away from his family and friends to Jacinto City, Texas, on the promise that the two would marry. In mid-June 1998, wearing a new cowboy hat he had purchased for the occasion, he packed up his few belongings, said goodbye to his friends, and left New Jersey to be with his lady love. He was brutally murdered 10 weeks and two days later. Evidence On September 9, investigators searched Bassos Jacinto City small cluttered home. Within the mess, they found a life insurance policy on Buddy Musso with a base payout of $15,000 and a clause that increased the policy to $65,000 if his death was judged a violent crime. The detectives also found Mussos Last Will and Testament. He had left his property and his life insurance benefits to Basso. His Will also read that no one else was to get a cent. James OMalley, Terrence Singleton, and Bernice Ahrens signed as witnesses. They would all assist in his murder. The detectives found a   hard copy of Musso’s Will written in 1997, but the more recent copy of his Will on a computer was dated August 13, 1998, just 12 days before Musso would be murdered. Bank statements were found showing that Basso had been cashing Mussos Social Security checks. Further documents indicated that Basso had   tried unsuccessfully to arrange to take over the management of Mussos monthly Social Security income. It appeared as if someone had fought the request, possibly Mussos niece who was close to him, or his trusted friend Al Becker, who had been handling his benefits for 20 years. There was also a copy of a restraining order forbidding Mussos relatives or friends from making contact with him. More Confessions Each of the six perpetrators confessed to different degrees of involvement in Mussos murder and the attempted cover-up afterwards. They also all admitted to ignoring Mussos cries for help. In a written statement, Basso stated that she knew that her son and several friends beat and abused Musso for at least a full day before his death, and that she also beat Musso. She confessed to driving a car belonging to Bernice Ahrens, with Musso’s body in the trunk, to the site where O’Malley, Singleton, and Craig Ahrens dumped the body and then to a dumpster where the others disposed of additional incriminating evidence. Bernice Ahrens and Craig Aherns admitted to hitting Musso, but said Basso was the one pushing them to do it. Bernice told the police, (Basso) said we had to make a pact, that we cant say anything about what happened. She said if we get mad at each other we cant say anything. Terence Singleton confessed to hitting and kicking Musso, but pointed the finger at Basso and her son James as responsible for administering the final blows that caused his death. Hope Ahrens’ statement was the most odd, not so much in reference to what she said, but because of her actions. According to the police, Hope said that she was unable to read or write and demanded a meal before giving her statement. After scarfing down a TV dinner, she told police that she hit Musso twice with a wooden bird after he broke her Mickey Mouse ornament and because he wanted her and her mother to die. When he asked her to stop hitting him, she stopped. She also pointed most of the blame to Basso and OMalley, who, corroborating statements by Bernice and Craig Aherns, who had administered the final blows that caused his death. When the police attempted to read her statement back to her, she brushed it off and asked for another TV dinner. Lost Opportunities Not long after Musso moved to Texas, his friend Al Becker tried to contact him to check on his welfare, but Suzanne Basso refused to put Musso on the phone. Concerned, Becker contacted different Texas agencies requesting that they conduct a welfare check on Musso, but his requests   were never answered. A week before the murder, a neighbor saw Musso and noticed that he had a black eye, bruises and bloody cuts on his face. He asked Musso if he wanted him to call for an ambulance or the police, but Musso only said, You call anybody, and shell just beat me up again.   The neighbor did not make the call. On August 22, just days before the murder, a Houston police officer responded to a call of an assault going on near Jacinto City. Arriving on the scene, he found Musso being led around by James OMalley, and Terence Singleton in what the officer described as a military-style run. The officer noted that both of Musso eyes were blackened. When questioned, Musso said three Mexicans had beat him up. He also said he did not want to run anymore. The officer drove the three men to Terrence Singletons apartment where he met Suzanne Basso who said she was Mussos legal guardian. Basso reprimanded the two young men and comforted Musso. Assuming Musso was in safe hands, the officer left. Later, a note found in a pair of Mussos pants was addressed to a friend in New Jersey.   You must get ... down here and get me out of here, the note read. I want to come back to New Jersey soon. Apparently Musso never had a chance to mail the letter. Five Days of Hell The abuse that Masso endured prior to his death was detailed in courtroom testimony. After arriving in Houston, Basso immediately began treating Musso as a slave. He was assigned a long list of chores and would receive a beating if he failed to move quickly enough or complete the list. On August 21-25, 1998, Musso was denied food, water or a toilet and was forced to sit on his knees on a mat on the floor with his hands on the back of his neck for long periods of time. When he urinated on himself, he was beaten by Basso or kicked by her son James. He was subjected to violent beatings administered by Craig Ahrens and Terence Singleton. He was abused by Bernice and Hope Ahrens. The beating included being hit multiple times with a belt, baseball bats, punched with closed fists, kicked, and struck with other objects that were around the apartment. As a result of the beatings, Musso died on the evening of August 25. In a seven-page autopsy report, numerous injuries on Mussos body were cataloged. They included 17 cuts to his head, 28 cuts to the rest of his body, cigarette burns, 14 broken ribs, two dislocated vertebrae, a broken nose, a fractured skull, and a fractured bone in his neck. There was evidence that blunt force trauma extended from the bottom of his feet to his upper torso, including his genitals, eyes and ears. His body has been soaked in bleach and pine cleaner and his body was scrubbed with a wire brush. The Trials The six members of the group were charged with capital murder, but the prosecutors only sought the death penalty for Basso. James OMalley and Terence Singleton were convicted of capital murder and given life sentences.Bernice and her son Craig Ahrens were convicted of capital murder. Bernice received an 80-year prison sentence and Craig received a 60-year sentence. Hope Ahrens trial ended in hung jury. She worked out a plea deal and was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder and agreeing to testify against Basso. Suzanne Bassos Trial Performance By the time Basso went to trial 11 months after her arrest, she had dropped from 300 pounds to 140 pounds. She showed up in a wheelchair which she said was a result of being partially paralyzed after receiving a beating from her jailers. Her lawyer later said it was due to a chronic degenerative condition. She mimicked the voice of a little-girl, saying she had regressed to her childhood. She also claimed she was blind. She lied about her life story which included tales that she was a triplet and that she was having an affair with Nelson Rockefeller. She would later admit it was all a lie. She was granted a competency hearing and the court-appointed psychiatrist who interviewed her testified that she was a fake. The judge ruled that she was competent to stand trial. Each day that Basso appeared in court she looked disheveled and would often grumble to herself during testimony or squeal and wail if she heard something that she did not like. Hope Ahrens Testimony Along with the evidence found by investigators, the testimony given by Hope Ahrens was likely the most damaging.   Hope Ahrens testified that Basso and O’Malley brought Musso to the Ahrens apartment and that he had two black eyes, which he claimed he got when some Mexicans beat him up. After arriving at the apartment, Basso ordered Musso to stay on a red and blue mat. Sometimes she had him on his hands and knees, and sometimes just on his knees. At some point during the weekend, Basso and O’Malley began beating Musso. Basso slapped him, and O’Malley kicked him repeatedly while wearing steel-toed combat boots. Hope Ahrens also testified that Basso hit Musso on the back with a baseball bat, hit him with a belt, and a vacuum cleaner, and jumped on him. Testimony was given that Basso weighed about 300 pounds at the time that she jumped repeatedly onto Musso while it was obvious that he was suffering from pain. When Basso went to work, she instructed O’Malley to watch the others and make sure they did not leave the apartment or use the phone. Each time that Musso tried to get off the mat, O’Malley beat and kicked at him. After Musso sustained injuries from the beating, O’Malley took him into the bathroom and bathed him with bleach, Comet and Pine Sol, using a wire brush to scrub Musso’s skin. At some point, Musso asked Basso to call an ambulance for him, but she refused. Ahrens testified that Musso was moving very slowly and was clearly in pain from the beatings. Verdict The jury found Basso guilty of capital murder for murdering Musso during the course of kidnapping or attempting to kidnap him, and for remuneration or the promise of remuneration in the form of insurance proceeds. During the sentencing phase, Bassos daughter, Christianna Hardy, testified that during her childhood Suzanne had subjected her to sexual, mental, physical and emotional abuse. Suzanne Basso was sentenced to death. Profile of Suzanne Basso Basso was born on May 15, 1954, in Schenectady, New York to parents John and Florence Burns. She had seven brothers and sisters. Few real facts are known about her life because she often lied. What is known is that she married a Marine, James Peek, in the early 1970s and that they had two children, a girl (Christianna) and a boy (James). In 1982 Peek was convicted of molesting his daughter, but the family later reunited. They changed their name to OReilly and moved to Houston. Carmine Basso In 1993 Suzanne and a man named Carmine Basso became romantically involved. Carmine owned a company called Latin Security and Investigations Corp. At some point he moved into Bassos apartment, even though her husband, James Peek, was still living there. She never divorced Peek, but referred to Carmine as her husband and began using Basso as her last name. Peek eventually moved out of the home. On October 22, 1995, Suzanne placed a bizarre quarter-page engagement announcement in the Houston Chronicle. It announced that the bride, whose name was listed as Suzanne Margaret Anne Cassandra Lynn Theresa Marie Mary Veronica Sue Burns-Standlinslowsk   was engaged to Carmine Joseph John Basso. The announcement claimed the bride was an heiress to a Nova Scotia oil fortune, educated at Saint Annes Institute in Yorkshire, England and had been an accomplished gymnast and at one time even a nun. Carmine Basso was reported to have received a Congressional Medal of Honor for his duty in the Vietnam War. The ad was retracted three days later by the newspaper due to â€Å"possible inaccuracies.† The $1,372 fee for the ad had gone unpaid. Basso sent Carmines mother a letter claiming that she had given birth to twin girls. She included a picture, which the mother later said was obviously a picture of a child looking into a mirror. On May 27, 1997, Basso called the Houston police, claiming that she was in New Jersey, and asked that they check on her husband in Texas. She had not heard from him for a week. Going to his office, police found Carmines body. They also found several trash cans filled with feces and urine. There was no restroom in the office. According to the autopsy, Carmine, age 47, was malnourished and died from erosion of the esophagus due to the regurgitation of stomach acid. The medical examiner reported that there was a strong smell of ammonia on the body. It was listed that he died from natural causes. Execution On February 5, 2014, Suzanne Basso was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. She declined to make a final statement.

Alternative Energy Sources The Nonrenewable Energy

Alternative Energy Sources Telescope to Microscope Sheldon Fogle Gwynedd Mercy University Abstract The term nonrenewable energy is pretty self-exclamatory. This can bring us a huge problem in the future .The demand for energy is more popular than ever, while the sources for energy are quickly vanishing. The earth is filled with numerous renewable resources such as wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, and solar energy that can eventually solve the problem. The following will list the advantages with the disadvantages for all the types of alternative energy. Non- Renewable Energy These energy sources are very effective in the way they work and provide us to live for our everyday needs. Unfortunately, there are two†¦show more content†¦Alternative energy resources have the advantage of being available very often with no risk of depletion. Nuclear, Solar, Wind, and Hydroelectric energy sources are considered to be the four major resources that can replace fossil fuels. â€Å"There are currently approximately 7 billion people in the world and given current trends, the population is expected to be around 9 billion in 2050, and over 10 billion by 2100† (Fred Magdoff 2013). Alternative energy sources are termed renewable because they can be continually replenished throughout time (The National Atlas of the United States of America, 2013). The world s modern day energy demands are still met largely from fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Regarding total energy demand, the share of fossil-fuel derived energy is around 80%. The remainder is supplied by nuclear and renewable energy of around 20% (Rahim, M., Yoshino, J., Yasuda, T. (2012, September 1). If these resources are expected to replace our current energy sources they will be expected to produce the same amount of energy if not more. Nuclear Nuclear energy is an alternative energy resource and its popularity differs among countries. â€Å"In the two years since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accidents, countries around the world have responded to the Japanese catastrophe in a variety of ways (M.V. Ramana 2013). Nuclear power is a touchy topic when it comes to some countries. Some

The Martial Conflict Within Cathedral - 1071 Words

The Martial Conflict within â€Å"Cathedral† In the short story â€Å"Cathedral,† written by Raymond Carver, reveals an engagement among an unnamed narrator, his wife and his wife’s blind friend, Robert. The story offers a glimpses of each characters and events, which are more or less questionable in the sense of truth. Though the story is quite aesthetic, many would agree that the author tends to refer readers to their own imagination, especially at the ending. â€Å"Cathedral† is central on the encounter between the unnamed narrator and Robert, who the narrator view as a provoking to his insecurities. It’s understood that Robert, is an invasion of not only his home but, also his private feelings. The story provides a generous amount misleading†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Cathedral† allows readers to focus on different aspects that are the cause of the martial friction of the main couple. First, the everlasting friendship between the narrator’s wife and the blind man, Robert, u psets the narrator which cause his to be judgmental and rude occasionally. Not forgetting jealousy towards his wife’s ex-husband, who isn’t given a name because â€Å"why should he have a name?† (356). Indeed he is jealous of the wife’s ex-husband but he is arrogant on his current position in her life. The countless exchange of tapes amid by his wife and Robert, create a feeling of being unimportant. He addresses his patience on waiting for his wife to say his name, â€Å"‘And then my dear husband came into my life’- something like that† (361), but of course, such wish is left unanswered. Ongoing, it is interesting to see that the narrator long for a relevant connection with his wife, however, because of his character, he voluntary makes no attempt to accomplish it. Withdrawal, avoiding a partner, or refusing to communicate to your partner, often leads to invariably bickering when engaged in some oral activity, explains Linda Kay (2). More than usual, the couple shut down one another by passing harsh truth or giving the silent treatment. Although they don’t communicate effectively, the silence is not uncomfortable. Another displeasing problem in their relationship are the barriers. Whether or not their insecurity derived

An Argument for the Legalization of Drugs, Based o Essay Example For Students

An Argument for the Legalization of Drugs, Based o Essay n John Stuart Mills RevisedHarm PrincipleThe question of whether or not to legalize certain drugs has beendebated for decades. Although opponents have thus far been successful inpreventing this, there are nonetheless a substantial number of people whobelieve that legalization should be given a chance. Their arguments range fromthe seeming ineffectiveness of current drug laws to the simple premise that thegovernment has no right to prohibit its citizens from using drugs if theychoose to do so. This essay will address the issue from the standpoint of JohnStuart Mills Revised Harm Principle, which asserts that people should befree to do what they want unless they threaten the vital interests (i.e.,security or autonomy) of others. We will write a custom essay on An Argument for the Legalization of Drugs, Based o specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Using Mills principle as a litmus test for this issue leads one to comedown on the side of legalization. Since Mills is concerned not with individualrights, but with the consequences of ones actions on other people, the questionbecomes: Is drug use an action that, although performed by an individual,threatens the vital interests of others? Using the example of a casual,responsible drug user who is a contributing (or non-detracting) member ofsociety, it is clear that more harm is done to others if the user must resort toillegal methods to obtain his drugs. The very act of buying drugs isintrinsically illegal and carries the threat of establishing a criminal recordfor the buyer. This can have a devastating effect on his family, his lifestyle,and his career. The effects on society as a whole include more crowded jailcells (prompting politicians to demand more jails be built), higher taxes tosupport these jails, and the loss, or at least diminution, of a productivecitizen. In order to bu y drugs illegally, the user may be forced to exposehimself to the fringes of the criminal worldsomething he would never do underany other circumstances. If drugs were legalized, the criminal stigma would beremoved from their purchase, possession, and use. The government would collecttaxes on drug sales and, conversely, would not be spending millions of dollarsto stem the flow of illegal drugs. This increase in tax dollars could be put touse in drug education and treatment programs for those individuals who areunable to moderate their intake and subsequently become addicts. Then thegovernment would be intervening with its citizens lives in a benevolent manner(and only when asked) rather than in a forceful, punitive way. Many opponents to legalization point out that drug use leads to spousaland child abuse, random criminal acts precipitated by the effects of drugs on ausers inhibitions, and crimes committed to support drug habits. This argumentis fundamentally defective because it addresses the abuse of drugs, which is notthe issue here. When an individuals use of drugs leads him to harm others, itbecomes a behavioral problem. That is, the issue is no longer drugs, but thebehavior of the individual. If that behavior breaks a law, the individualshould be punished for that specific conductnot for drug use. In its pureform, drug use affects only the user, and the government is therefore actingpaternally when it regulates this behavior. This government regulation violatesMills Revised Harm Principle as blatantly as would regulations againstsunbathing or overeating or masturbation. A RebuttalWhen using John Stuart Mills Revised Harm Principle to argue for thelegalization of drugs, it is necessary to exami ne that principle (that peopleshould be free to do what they want unless they threaten the vital interests,i.e., security or autonomy, of others) and define its terms. Proponents oflegalization argue that drug use is a self-regarding act and has no effect onanyone other than the user. But drug use affects every aspect of society: itaffects the security of nonusers, and it affects the autonomy of the user. .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc , .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc .postImageUrl , .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc , .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc:hover , .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc:visited , .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc:active { border:0!important; } .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc { 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; } .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc:active , .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc .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; } .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2cb918ed124cb460ae58d575e48ffbdc:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Salem Witch Trials EssayIf drugs were made legal and easily obtainable in this country, thegovernment would be relinquishing its role as protector of those citizens whoare unable to control their excesses. These people surrender their autonomy todrug addiction, thus selling themselves into a type of slavery. It is truethat the decriminalization of drugs would remove much of the stigma associatedwith them, but this would not be a positive change. It is that stigma thatkeeps many law-abiding citizens from using illegal drugs, and thus keeps thenumber of addicts at a minimum. Also, if drugs were legalized, the governmentwould not be legally able to force addicts into treatmen t programs, and thenumber of addicts would grow exponentially. This scenario leads to the problem of security, both economic andpersonal, for the vast number of Americans who probably would not becomeaddicted to drugs if they were legalized. Drug use would become as prolific asalcohol consumption, and the number of societal and health-related problemswould be as numerous as those associated with alcohol. More working days wouldbe lost by people unable to control their drug habits, and insurance costs wouldsoar in order to cover expensive treatment required to rehabilitate addicts andto deal with the health problems caused by addiction. These consequences wouldhave a direct effect on people other than the drug users, thus negating theconcept that drug use is a self-regarding act. Regarding personal security, legalization advocates try to draw a linebetween drug use and drug abuse. As it is impossible to predict who would usedrugs responsibly and who would succumb to addiction, the government has aright and a duty to do everything in its powers to limit the availability ofharmful substances, even though the majority of its citizens might never makethe transition from use to abuse. Proponents of legalization maintain that legalizing drugs would removegovernment control from a private area of our lives. This is a faultyassumption because the governments role would only shift, not disappear. Therewould be taxes, quality control, and distribution issues to deal with, and thegovernment would be at the helm. Therefore, Mills Principle would still beviolated, and the country would have a slew of new problems to deal with dueto the availability of legal drugs and lack of recourse with which to addressthem. Category: Philosophy

Native Son Essays (927 words) - Literature, American Literature

Native Son Richard Wright The Theme of fate and free will Prof J Mkhize ECL310 E Kyle Keens 201400329 Plot Summary Bigger Thomas, an African American who lives in an impoverished neighborhood , is employed by a prosperous white family , the Dalton's, who live in the suburbs of a major city. The money Bigger makes at his new job will be used to supplement his mother's income. As a chauffeur, he is directed by the father of the family to take Mary, the daughter, to the university. Instead, Mary decides to pick up her Communist boyfriend, Jan, and to spend the time drinking and partying . Afterward Bigger takes a very drunk Mary home and while attempting to sneak out the house passed a blind Mrs Dalton he accidently smothers Mary and kills her. In his panic he disposes of her body in the house furnace and attempts to frame her boyfriend Jan. Bigger is found out and captured by the police. Mr. Boris Max, a lawyer friend of Jan and also a communist, tries to help Bigger and agrees to defend him claiming that Bigger is a product of his environment. Bigger is ultimately fo und guilty but he is able to view white people as individuals and equals as opposed to how he viewed them as a singular force of oppression before. The Theme of Fate and Free will Wright portrays a character that is bound by fate. Although bigger is given the illusion of choices he is ultimately on a set path. This path is as a result of the racist capitalist society in which he lives. The purpose of the novel is revealed when Mr. Max delivers his speech to the court while defending Bigger's actions. Bigger is said to be a product of his environment, a "native son" who as a result of the oppression of rich whites in America is left with no other choice than to steal or kill. Bigger's murder of Mary Dalton can then be seen as not entirely his fault. It is the fault of society, a society that has pushed American black people so far that their free will is limited to such an extent that it would appear non-existent. This lack of free will is shown in the interaction between Mary, Jan and Bigger. The two force Bigger to take them to a "black" neighbourhood and although he feels incredibly uncomfortable Bigger feels he canno t object to their wishes. Later when Bigger attempts to leave a drunk Mary at her home he is trapped by her blind mother. The racist society and the fact of the situation leaves Bigger to assume he will be in serious trouble if he is caught. This leads to him smothering Mary to keep her from giving him away and accidentally kills her. With no other choice he is left to accept this and try to get away. Bigger is made a murderer by the society in which he lives and that is the argument Wright makes with this novel. Wright being a Marxist argues that capitalist society seeks to impoverish those it can to make others rich and successful. In the novel the city of Chicago is run by a group of white business men who in order to keep black people poor make sure that they cannot live in the predominantly white neighbourhoods and are forced to live in overpriced neighbourhoods that they own including Bigger's apartment building which is owned by his employer Mr Dalton . The capitalist system allows only a few to succeed in life and Wright makes a point to show a character who has been disillusioned by this system and now believes that there is no hope for anything better in their life and so his free will has in a sense been taken away leaving him with little options in life and as Wright believes the inevitability of becoming a murderer. Criticisms Wright has been criticised as writing native son only to promote communism. Wright , at the time of writing the novel , was a member of the communist party and many including Kinnamon believe that Mr. Max's speech in the novel had no

Feminine Mystique Essays - Gender Studies, Gender, Free Essays

Feminine Mystique Essays - Gender Studies, Gender, Free Essays Feminine Mystique The Postwar effects on Women The feminine mystique that American culture promotes is entirely dependent upon its ideas, beliefs, and needs of the time. American culture has always tended to influence women into doing what the day and age required. After men went to war there was a gap in the work force that needed to be filled. During World War II women were the most available to join the work force. Due to the discouragement to raise families during the Great Depression and the fact that most men of age had entered the war, many women were left without families to look after and men to take to take care of them. Most women toiled at unskilled jobs; most were young, single, and without children (307). This lack of family and funds left women with no other place to go besides the factories. Womens need for work was nursed along by the media as well as the public. A rapidly expanding war economy absorbed most of the reserve labor force, (307) yet it still was not enough, the economy demanded a larger work force. This demand worked in cooperation with the availability of the women of the time. Commando Mary and Rosie the Riveter became symbols of women who heeded their countrys call (307). There were many enticements luring women to join the work force. These enticements included higher war wages, more available time and opportunity to work, and wartime restrictions on leisure activities. Despite the general expectation that women would return to their home after the war, female laborers did not simply drop their wrenches and pick up frying pans (310). After the war many women continued to work outside the home primarily to help support their families. After the war 28% of the labor force was female compared to the 24% prior to the war. When the war was over nearly one million women were laid off and another 2.25 million voluntarily left. These female losses in the work force were offset by the gain of 2.75 million women into the work force. When women who had been laid off managed to return to work, they often lost their seniority and had to accept reduced pay in lower job categories (310). Due to the severe segregation by gender, the postwar economic life for women was appalling. Postwar American life became organized around marriage and family. As men came back from the war they merged with the peacetime economy, taking jobs away from women and sending them back to the home. With the demise of Mary and Rosie came new role models whose ideas and beliefs were focused around the home and not the workplace. This was due to the fact that during the war many writers were female and supported involvement in the labor force and after the war many of these womens jobs were taken by men with the desire of a cozy domestic life (312). Almost overnight, television became the preeminent mass medium, carrying imagingfeminine or otherwiseof American culture into the home (313). Television shows displayed the personification of what a husband thought a wife should be. An example of this was the show Ozzie and Harriet which showed a warm-hearted, attractive, submissive woman who was only competent within the confines of her own home. Children who grew up seeing this behavior in their own home as well as on television tended to use that lifestyle as a model. Without any external reinforcement, and only by repetition the children learned that men and women had different roles in society. It was this learned behavior which carried the new feminine mystique from generation to generation. As many have said before history repeats itself with WWII as well as WWI, the return of peace meant that women faced layoffs, renewed wage discrimination, and segregation into female-only jobs (307). The media of the 50s and 60s continued to portray women as housewives and mothers. The media has always influenced peoples ideas and values, whether it was a wartime poster of Rosie or a magazine article depicting sweet, submissive housewives, or a TV show with June Cleaver taking care of the boys and her home.

Effects of Cultural Lag

Effects of Cultural Lag Cultural lag - also called culture lag - describes what happens in a social system when the ideals that regulate life do not keep pace with other changes which are often  - but not always  - technological. Advances in technology and in other areas effectively render old ideals and social norms obsolete, leading to ethical conflicts and crises.   The Cultural Lag Concept   The cultural lag concept was first theorized and the term was coined by William F. Ogburn, an American sociologist, in his book Social Change  With Respect to Culture and Original Nature, published in 1922. Ogden felt that materiality - and by extension, the technology that promotes  it  - advances at a rapid pace, whereas societal norms tend to resist change and advance much more slowly. Innovation surpasses adaptation and this creates conflict.   Some Examples of Cultural Lag   Medical technology has advanced at such a pace as to put it in conflict with several moral and ethical beliefs. Here are a few examples:   Life Support:  Medical technology is now being used to keep people’s bodies functioning long after they would otherwise have been declared dead. This raises cultural and ethical questions about when life ends and who has the right to end artificial life support or to prolong existence. The development of new cultural beliefs, values, and norms lags behind the dilemmas posed by the technological change.  Stem cell research and therapies:  Stem cells have been proven to defeat a host of diseases, yet they must come from unborn fetuses. Some types of abortion remain illegal on several state and federal levels, creating a conflict between medical advancement, the law, and ethical and religious beliefs.  Cancer vaccines:  A vaccine against cervical cancer became available in the 21st century, but some oppose it because it is given to preteens. This is seen in some quarters as encouraging youngsters to engage in sexual activity. Again, medical advancement has outpaced cult ural and moral considerations.   Other Cultural Lags in the 20th Century   History  - and particularly recent history  - is rife with other, less traumatic examples of cultural lag that nonetheless support Ogburns position. Technology and society are fast-paced, and human nature and inclination are slow to catch up. Despite their many advantages over the handwritten word, typewriters werent routinely used in offices until 50 years after their invention. A similar situation exists with the computers and word processors that are commonplace in businesses today. They were at first met with objections from labor  unions that they would undermine the workforce, ultimately replacing people and ultimately costing jobs.   Is There a Cure?   Human nature being what it is, its unlikely that any solution exists for cultural lag. The human intellect will always strive to find ways to do things faster and more easily. It has always attempted to fix problems thought to be insurmountable. But people are wary by nature, wanting proof that something is good and worthwhile before accepting and embracing it. Cultural lag has been around since man first invented the wheel, and woman worried that traveling so fast would surely cause grievous injury.