Surveillance of literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Surveillance of literature - Essay Example These imbalances are identifiable in tenses and temporal orientation. The imbalance has been brought about by constant development of new technologies, which have served to displace historical literature analysis, and introduced new ways of literature analysis. This has caused tracing the historical development of the social environment a big challenge, which can only be overcome through learning the history of surveillance, notably the change from the pre-computerized duration to the computerized age of post modernity (Genosko & Thompson, 2006 p123). Therefore, this article presents two major issues, which are analyzed from their traditional perspective to their post-modernity nature. The two major concepts are: Temporal disunity This is a major concept presented by the article, where a disparity between the traditional concepts of time and the present concepts are identified. In the post modernity era, the concept of time has become more and more vivid, especially as it relates to the present and real time definition (Genosko & Thompson, 2006 p129). There is a thin line between the present and the real-time in the post-computer era, as compared to the pre-computer era, where the sequence of activities was traceable, giving a clear difference between what was happening presently and what was happening in real-time (Mehlbaum, 2011 p29).... However, this has changed in the post modernity era, where information is generated from the computer, where it has been stored, losing the temporal essence of the literature (Hedgecock, 2008 p63). This is because, although the information could be recorded with details such as the date and the time a transaction occurred, it is not possible to define the actual behavior of the individual at the time of the occurrence of that event (Genosko & Thompson, 2006 p130). Thus, the introduction of ICT has changed surveillance of literature from an initial form where it was visible, to the post modern form where the event remains known, but invisible. The post modernity surveillance of literature is beneficial since it has simplified and automated the process, making it possible to easily record and retrieve information on any given subject, whenever such an action is deemed necessary. However, it has made the process of recreating meaning both hard and uncertain (Lyon, 2007 p209). This has o ccurred because, while the pre-computer era allowed for physical observation of literature and the consequent construction of meaning, based on the observable behavior, the case is different for the post modernity era. The transformation of the temporal horizon by the ICT in the post modernity era has eliminated the chances of criticizing past events, since the visible aspect of the literature is nonexistent. Additionally, the transformation of the temporal horizon has made it difficult for the interpretation of the history of past events to occur (Genosko & Thompson, 2006 p131). The emphasis on the concept of real-time by the post modernity era has resulted to the convergence of both the past and the future in duration-less platform, where it is no longer

Gun Control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Gun Control - Research Paper Example Thesis statement: The research work on gun control proves that the possession of semi automatics by average people must be prohibited because military firearms must not be used by civilians, and uncontrolled possession of firearms ultimately leads to violence, injuries, and increase in mortality rate. Background information In the modern world, arms industry controls the production and supply of weapons in international level. In addition, civilian ownership and possession of weapons is interconnected with the growth and development of arms industry in global level. At the same time, development of arms industry indirectly influences the illegal trade and possession of weapons. During the Civil War era, the African American slaves were not allowed to own weapons, especially guns. So, one can see that gun control in America is deeply rooted in the socio-political scenario. Kristin A. Goss states that, â€Å"The image of America as a gun culture is also at odds with attitudes toward g un ownership† (6). But the freedom from slavery was not helpful for the African Americans to gain the freedom to possess weapons for self-defense. In 18th century, the arms industry began to influence the national politics and most states in America began to provide importance to the revenue from arms industry. So, the civilians began to consider the possession of arms as their right. Besides, legal sanction to purchase and possess of weapons was equally important to the states and the arms industry. Now, the ownership of weapons is a burning issue in the society because the same leads to a number of legal and moral problems. So, one can easily identify the fact that lobbying is an important factor that prevents the government from taking apt decision on gun control. Gun control Acts/laws in U.S. The most important gun control Acts/laws in the U.S. include: the National Firearms Act (1934), the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, the Gun Control Act of 1968, th e Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1993) and the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (2005). The National Firearms Act (1934) deals with the taxation on the production and supply of firearms in the U.S. Geraldine Woods states that, â€Å"Buyers, who also paid a high tax, were to be fingerprinted and investigated before the purchase could be completed† (33). One can see that this Act aims to control the illegal production and supply of firearms. The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, deals with the supply and possession of weapons in the U.S. Besides, this Act aimed to control the production and possession of weapons in the U.S. The Gun Control Act of 1968 deals with the control on firearms industry and those who possess weapons. One can see that this Act aims to control illegal transportation of weapons in the U.S. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1993) aims to control the uncontrolled purchasing of weapons by the civilians in U.S. Larry J. Siegel states that, â€Å"The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, amending the Gun Control Act of 1968, imposed a waiting period of five days before a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer may sell, deliver, or transfer a handgun to an unlicensed individual† (145). To be specific, this Act authorizes the authorities to collect information on those who decide to own weapons and to take apt decisions on the same. The