Black Americans Supported the Confederate Army Essay

Black Americans Supported the Confederate Army - Essay Example This section uses primary books and articles to explore the Black Americans’ support of the Confederate Army. America’s history of civil war is to a large part built by the African-Americans, who to a large extent were involved in the war. The Commonwealth Virginia, based on slavery, the black Americans featured a lot in the civil wars. Some of them were recruited into the Confederate army, pushing their counterparts to support the Confederate army. The black-Americans were inspired by the civil wars, an event that led to their deaths, such as that of Heyward Shepherd, in the civil wars. It is worth noting that the black-Americans involvement in the war and support of the Confederate Army was a way of seeking liberation1. The attacks carried out by the black-Americans in the army were for liberation, which they were very much determined to achieve. Heyward’s death in the liberation attacks was highly honored by the other Negroes. He was honored as a hero, and a monument erected in his honor by the sons of the Confederate and the daughters of the Confederacy2. The other reason for the Black-Americans’ support of the Confederate army was out of their working relationship with the military. A few of the Black-Americans worked in the army. They mainly worked as cooks, general labors, and teamsters. This drove the other large population, not in the army to support their fellow Negros working in the Confederate Army. They were concerned about each other’s welfare and had all the right intentions for their fellow black people.3   Right from the beginning, black men were allowed into the Confederate Army. They served in the Confederate Army with dedication so as to protect their families and communities.4   The civil war, however, weakened the lives of the Black-Americans in various ways.  

611 week 10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

611 week 10 - Essay Example The advantage of the grading systems is that they show a record of achievement and the learning progress and help the teachers and parents to know the student’s capability in academics. A student who scores an A or A minus is student who is doing well. A student who scores C is an average performer. A student with an E is a failure. The limitation of the grading system is that they only tell what a student can do theoretically in class and does not show what the student can do past the class or practically. The guidelines for developing multiple grading and reporting systems: Communication is the main objective for grading and reporting. The grades should be able to communicate to the parents, teachers and the public on performance of the students. The methods of reporting and grading must offer understandable and accurate descriptions of the learning process. The systems must also offer learning and teaching. Considerations in conducting parent-teacher conference: The parents ought to talk to their children before the conference begins. They must know if the child has a favorite subject. They must also ask their children if they would prefer to discuss any topic with the teacher. It is always advisable to discuss before the conference begins. The parents should talk with the teachers before the conference begins. The pre-meeting with the teachers helps the parents in share information about their child’s personality, interests and hobbies. The parents must also set priorities by setting questions that are important to them. The parents must also manage their minds while the head to the school. The parents must remind themselves that the trip is for the benefit of their child. They must also prepare for an opening that is friendly. Listening is important because it helps the parents to get information about their child, the school and the teachers. Sometimes the teacher may have a problem with the child, but it is

Iraq culture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Iraq culture - Assignment Example They respect authority and follow it. In terms of the individualism dimension, Iraq can be considered a collectivistic society (Geert Hofstede.com, n.d.). Loyalty in the family is given much importance. Each individual is responsible for their fellow members in a group. In the masculine/feminine dimension, Iraq scored high which implies that it is a masculine society (Geert Hofstede.com, n.d.). Those who are leaders in the organization must be decisive and assertive (Geert Hofstede.com, n.d.). Competition, performance and success are relevant in the society. Iraq has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty as evidenced in its high score in uncertainty avoidance dimension. Iraq is guided by strict codes of behaviors and beliefs and any changes in these codes may not be welcome. Iraqis value hard work, precision and punctuality (Geert Hofstede.com, n.d.). Iraq scored low in the long term orientation dimension which means that theirs is a short term orientation culture (Geert Hofstede.com, n.d.). Moreover, they respect and value their traditions. They do not feel the need to save as their orientation is geared on the present. There is also strong social pressure to meet the standards of other people. Compared to Iraq’s culture, the Americans value innovation. They always want to have the latest and most modern technology. On the other hand, Iraqis are more conservative. They stick to tradition and would find it difficult to adhere to any changes in their lifestyle. One is surprised how Iraq’s culture values their family, religion and their traditions. They are strongly bound by the Muslim religion. They give importance to cooperation unlike the Americans who are more individualistic. This can be observed in the higher score of America in terms of the individualism dimension as compared with that of Iraq. Another major difference in the culture of Iraq and America as shown in the Hofstede model and which surprised one is

Attacking currency trends how to anticipate and trade big moves in the forex market Essay Example for Free

Attacking currency trends how to anticipate and trade big moves in the forex market Essay Terrorism has been a great challenge to almost all countries in the world. Though it is very challenging for two countries to come into a point of ending war against terror, at times accepting democracy may not be the solution. The term requirement refers to a thing that is required prior condition of something else to exist or happen. War against terrorism does not end because democracy demands. In the real world, war against terrorism ends when one side wins while the other side loses. However, democracy is not a prerequisite towards ending war against terror. In a free world, countries should not accept any form of government they tend to choose. Some forms of government such as dictatorial and Monarchical do not resemble a free world. Such governments do not allow people to participate in decision-making process in regard to important matters affecting their nation, and thus may contribute to terrorism. It is ironic for a â€Å"free† country to demand others to be just like them. Technological advancement has led to the change of business practices. The use of computers in the business premises has contributed to faster means of carrying out transactions, safer way of keeping records and saving time. This is particularly in retrieving important documents. Documents are accurately stored which prevents loss of important documents that are used for future decision making and auditing among other benefits (Brown 2008). On the other hand, adoption of e-commerce has also changed the current business practices. It has contributed to an easier way of reaching customers across the globe without travelling, thus increasing sales that in turn lead to increased profits. It is a confidential way of conducting business as communication is only between the buyer and the seller without the use of agents. It has both negative and positive effects towards individual nation-states. Use of modern technology contributes towards economic growth as it leads to increased government revenue through taxation. It has also led to unemployment as use of computers and e-commerce in businesses has replaced large numbers of casual laborers. Global treaties should be adhered to by a member state without any compromise. Industrialization has been the dream of every country but has also contributed towards environmental degradation. Many treaties have been signed such as the Kyoto agreement of December 1997 with the aim of controlling emissions released to the environment such as greenhouse gases. The effectiveness of such treaties and their implementation is solely achievable via unity among the developed countries such as the U.S, thus U.S should assume a cooperative role in such treaties. In most cases, the hero undergoes harsh situations in life which in turn makes their roles become unique and different from others. She believes that even in cruel, harsh societies, courage will rise.  In  order for her to fight fear, courage has to rise under any circumstance. Harsh and cruel societies make heroes to be more courageous, and thus this makes her believe that the courage will rise despite life challenges. For example, the late Nelson Madera from South Africa never allowed fear to dictate his actions despite the challenges he faced during the struggle for independence. The foreign exchange market is a decentralized global market dealing with trading of currencies (Michalowski 2011). The main active players in this market are the larger national banks. It assists international investments and trade through enabling currency conversion. For instance, it permits a business from a country as United States to import goods from another country such as European Union member states. Especially in Eurozone members, the U.S business pays in Euros even if its income is in United States Dollars. It also supports direct evaluation and speculation relative to the currencies’ value, and the carry trade. It also speculates differences in interest rates between two currencies. Different factors precipitate a currencys strength. Many economists think that the strength of a country’s economy determines the strength of its currency, but the question remains why the British pounds are stronger than US dollars yet their strength of their economy is otherwise. Firstly, low rates of inflation in a country increase the nations value of currency as well as purchasing power in relation to other currencies. Secondly, interest rates that are directly correlated as when one increases the other factor increase. Relative strength of other currencies obviously affects the exchange rate of a country’s currency in the foreign exchange market. Capital mobility which is classified under three main categories which include external debts, foreign direct investment and portfolio investment (Etwaroo et al. 2008). Political and economic factors used by investors when determining which countries to make investments that in turn strengthen the country’s currency. Other factors include speculation and balance of trade. Trade barriers refer to government-included restrictions on international trade. These trade barriers can take different forms such as tariffs, non-tariff barriers to trade such as export licenses, import licenses, import quotas, voluntary export restraints, currency devaluation and trade restriction (Cohen 2010). Trade barriers are criticized for their effect on the developing countries. Trade barriers like taxes on food imports or farm inputs subsidies lead to overproduction and dumping on world markets by developed countries, hence hurting poor-country farmers and lowering prices of goods. Tariffs also tend to be anti-poor, with high rates of labor-intensive processed goods and low rates for raw commodities. Another negative aspect related to trade barriers is that it would lead to limited choice of production thus forcing customers to accept inferior quality at higher prices. Almost all world countries have been experiencing strikes and labor unions revolts. Negotiations towards solving such problems have at times failed as different companies opt to find other alternatives rather than increasing salaries. The current wage rate in the United States and increased cost of living perhaps have been affecting production rate of different companies. If the prevailing wage rate and increasing cost of living continue, production rates continue to be pushed out which may affect the economic growth rate. As discussed above, different economic factors affect the strength of a country’s currency. Of late, European countries especially those in Euro zones have been experiencing political unrest, price fluctuations, inflation, loss of market, and increased cost of living among other economic upheavals. These challenges may cause the collapse of Euro. This may make the US dollar stronger compared to Euro if America avoids such economic crises and implement strategies of strengthening the currency. References Brown, R. (2008). Lasers, tools of modern technology. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday. Burke, C. S., Pierce, L. G., Salas, E. (2009). Understanding adaptability a prerequisite for effective performance within complex environments. Amsterdam: Elsevier JAI. Cohen, R. B., Ferguson, R. W. (2010). Nontariff barriers to high-technology trade. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press. Michalowski, G. (2011). Attacking currency trends how to anticipate and trade big moves in the forex market. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Source document

Minorities In The Federal Government Politics Essay

Minorities In The Federal Government Politics Essay Minorities are always a source of debate in America. Whether it is relating to immigration laws, equal opportunity in schools and workplaces, or their role in government minorities are often a subject of controversy. Many citizens of the United States feel their ethnicities or sex are not fairly represented in Congress, the Justice system, or even in the Executive branch. Today we have an overwhelming majority of white males in Congress. Racial minorities and women alike are underrepresented in both houses. A debate continues on how to make this representation could become more equal. Some feel that the system is what it is and generally makes a level playing field for all candidates; others believe that white males are heavily favored in our current districting. Underrepresentation of minorities has been prevalent since the beginning of Americas government, and many feel that action must be taken to achieve a more representative Federal Government. Of all minorities, women are actually the weakest in representation. Women make up an equal amount of the United States total population, but they do not receive even close to half of the seats in Congress. In fact, as of this year, women only hold 19% of the seats in Congress. This number is record high, but is still very far from 50%. There are many factors contributing to womens underrepresentation in government. One is a very obvious reason. Women simply do not have as many candidates running for office as do men. If more females hope to gain seats in Congress, more must be willing to run campaigns. Womens participation in political education is also below that of mens. Many argue, however, that women are receiving appropriate education and are attempting to run for office. The reason they have difficulty in gaining seats is peoples predisposition to favor the traditional. Voters are used to males holding these positions, and therefore naturally favor a male candidate to a female . If women hope to achieve more success in their numbers in the government, the general voting population must be more willing to accept them as leaders and vital assets on Capitol Hill. This cannot be done by apathetically hoping people will come to their senses. Women have to make strong efforts to assert themselves in those positions, and show future voters their capability. Some feel traditional views and number of candidates are not the most important factors restricting women from gaining equal representation. The biggest obstacle facing women with regards to underrepresentation in Congress is not peoples tendency to favor males for these positions. Instead their lack of wealth is the primary reason men have over eighty percent of the seats. (Rochne) The number of men with the funding to undergo a costly campaign process is much more numerous than the small number of females who could afford to run. Those women with money who choose to run are still often overmatched when it c omes to funding. Fortunately, women are holding more assets, getting more degrees, and working at more high-level jobs than any other time in Americas history. If this trend continues, then women will continue to gradually increase their presence in Congress. http://newshour.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/2012/11/15/women_in_congress_2_blog_main_horizontal.jpg Racial minoritys struggles are far different from those of women. Often it is not money that holds minorities back, but how the voting system is set up in our Country. Redistricting is essentially a political game in which people with the most influence are trying to see their views favored, whether thats to favor party or ethnic hopes. In reality, minority voters wouldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ become submerged in white majority districts, and we would turn the clock back to a time when we had virtually all-white legislatures.(Amy) This is focusing on how redistricting can be instrumental to the racial layout of congress. For many years this was a large factor in the white majority, until it was brought to the courts. This is seen in the Supreme Court case Thornburg vs. Gingles of 1986. The court declared in a unanimous vote that the legacy of official discrimination acted in concert with the multimember districting scheme to impair the ability of cohesive groups of black voters to participa te equally in the political process and to elect candidates of their choice. Essentially this facilitated the creation of United States house districts in which a minority population constitutes a majority of the voting age population. (Banducci) Combined factors still affect minority representation. Wealth, education, experience, number of candidates all contribute to the underrepresentation of ethnicities. Despite all of these factors and the others unmentioned, districting is often considered the most challenging and restraining of all. The amount elected is solely reflected by the numbers of that minority in a voting district. (Peyton) Without minority voting populations being properly represented in their districts, they cannot be properly represented in the Federal Government. Some believe, however, that racial redistricting would have its down falls and is paradoxical in nature. As voting districts are altered to allow for racial minorities to gain election to seats, Congress may be less likely to side with this races ideology and the policies they hope to implement. For example if a district was drawn to favor African-American candidates, Congress may feel less inclined to adopt policies that are favored by many African-American voters. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦particularly in the South, the practice of concentrating minority populations into a small number of districts decreases the liberal influence in the remaining areas. Thus, a handful of minority representatives, almost invariably Democrats, win elections, but so do a greater number of conservative Republicans. (Lublin) Not only will Congress be less willing to accept their policies, but liberal influence in other districts will suffer as a large number of minorities vote democratic. This in turn does the op posite of what activists are hoping. While one minority may gain a seat, their party could lose two. It is still very hard to deny the lack of diversity in Congress. In the United States Senate there are currently no blacks holding positions. In fact, only 6 senators have been African-American since the beginning of the Senate. Todays Senate is made of a 96% white majority. Only 4 senators are racial minorities, Daniel Akaka, Hawaii (Asian-American, Daniel Inouye, Hawaii (Asian-American), Robert Menendez, New Jersey (Hispanic-American) and Marco Rubio, Florida (Hispanic-American). That means that Latinos make up 1% of the Senate, while the latest census found that they make up almost 17% of the United States entire population. It is clear why many are upset about the underrepresentation of minorities. When interviewed about this subject, it was found that most senators do not find this as a matter of importance. (Desjardins) Instead they believe the system gives an equal chance to a ll those running, and should be focused on merit not race. Senators feel that redistricting to aid the election of ethnic minorities is unfair and unnecessary. Of course their opinions are not at all objective; it shows the reluctance of the government when addressing these issues. Legislation is difficult to pass because the white majority would like to continue to see themselves as the majority. It creates a cycle that makes change a slow process. http://www.prosebeforehos.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/zz3490fe30.jpghttp://www.gregbocquet.com/images/thumbAfAmCongress.jpg The Supreme Court and the Executive branch are no exception to the high underrepresentation of minorities. To date there have been only two African- Americans in the Supreme court, one who is still serving as an associate justice. And of course only one President has broken the long chain of white male president, Barack Obama. Sandra Day OConnor made history in the Supreme Court as the first ever women elected. In todays Supreme Court, three of the nine justices are women. Between the first ever African-American (or any minority for that matter) holding office in American history, and the new found diversity in the Court it seems both of these government branches are moving toward trends to create a more representative federal government. Even more than the election that made Barack Obama the first black president, the one that returned him to office sent an unmistakable signal that the hegemony of the straight white male in America is over. The long drive for broader social particip ation by all Americans reached a turning point in the 2012 election, which is likely to go down as a watershed in the nations social and political evolution and not just because in some states voters approved of same-sex marriage for the first time. (West) As shown by Los Angeles Times writer Paul West, a new evolution in politics is beginning. It is clear that obstacles are still very much present in the legislative branch, but the new wave of voters and the progress made elsewhere shows that these trend may become a new normal for the United States. Were not in the 50s any more, said William Frey, a Brookings Institution demographer. This election makes it clear that a single focus directed at white males, or at the white population in general, is not going to do it. And its not going to do it when the other party is focusing on energizing everybody else.(West) Barack Obamas success in gaining election has been an unprecedented win for minorities in government. But to ensure that his achievements have a lasting impression, minorities must take his work in stride and continue down the path to representation. Now more than ever people are straying away from views that the candidates need to fit a certain profile. Still work needs to be done. The cabinet is made up of almost entirely white males, and the Supreme Court is only just beginning to diversify. Despite the success seen in some areas of government, the two houses of Congress are far away from fair representation. The solutions to fixing this issue, however, are very difficult to identify and even more difficult to put in place. The first option is to allow things to continue on their own path, and hope that more minorities will be elected. (Amy) Some argue that this could potentially work based on trends that have been occurring since the mid 1900s. Minorities are gaining seats slowly, and soon more will become available to them. Although possible, this method would create a long process of representation that could take several decades to become fair. It also creates an opportunity for minorities to move backwards instead of forwards, pushing districts back to even more unfair sections. Activists agree that this is not a true option to solving the problem of underrepresentation. Another solution is one that is used today. Groups like the NAACP can fight each individual chal lenge that is placed on minority districts. (Amy) This is more of a short-term solution however. The Supreme Court will not vote in favor of challenges when the only reason in race. Legal groups that fight for these districts are only keeping a minimal hold on the districts necessary for minority representation. So while this effort to save current minority districts is an important short-term tactic, and while it may work in some cases, it is difficult to be optimistic about the long-term success of this approach. (Amy) It is clear that this issue cannot be resolved by numerous court cases defending districts, especially when the Supreme Court does not look favorably on challenges solely based on race. The solution that could potentially solve these issues is an alternative election system based of proportional representation. This system is used by several Western nations and has shown great success in equaling the number of minorities in government. There are two separate ways to do this: one is by a cumulative vote, the other is by creating multi-member districts. The cumulative vote has already been used in some states for local elections in the U.S., and has shown considerable success in getting more minorities into local government positions. The success of this method at lower levels could also indicate that a cumulative vote used in districts could help minorities gain a fair amount of congressional seats. Multi-member districts are another viable option. If a districts voting population is 20% Hispanic, then that district would have 5 members, one of them likely turning out to be Hispanic. Minorities tend to vote for candidates from the same ethnic background, so creating districts into multi-member could even the playing field and create much greater representation of ethnic minorities. In the long run, proportional representation may be the only politically and constitutionally viable solution to the problem of minority representation in the U.S. P R would allow minorities a fair chance to elect their own candidates without resorting to the kind of race-based districting that has provoked the recent legal backlash. White voters would have nothing to complain about with PR since it would allow them to elect their fair share of representatives, and it wouldnt involve the drawing of special or funny shaped districts to benefit minorities. In this sense, proportional representation is a truly race neutral approach to districting, and one that would finally resolve once and for all this festering political problem. Americans committed to fair representation need to familiarize themselves with how these alternative systems work, promote the adoption of these systems on the local level, and pressure Congress to pass legislation to allow the use of proportional representation for congressional elections. Now is not the time to abandon the goal of fair representation for all Americans. We simply have to find new ways to achieve that go al; and currently, switching to proportional representation elections would seem to be our best bet. (Amy) Although this seems like an effective option, it is very difficult to put in place. Most political scientists agree that districting is the source of the problem, but if something could be done it would have already happened. (McCray) Most members of Congress are white males and will not support any acts that would potentially hurt their chances for reelection. Racial minorities need to find other ways than tirelessly challenging through the courts, and hoping that something will change about districting. Funding and strengthening of merit are two things that must be focused on. Latinos, African-Americans, and women all need to increase their wealth and their resumes if they wish to appeal to a broader audience. The graph on the next page, provided by the census bureau, shows the large gap in wealth between the majority white and all minorities. Whites hold 22 times the amount of wealth that blacks do. (Luhby) This also correlates with the amount of education received by these ethnicities. Without more success as a minority in America, it will be difficult for them to hold seats in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. Having less wealth and home equity means it will be more difficult for blacks and Hispanics to send their children to college, which gives them a leg up on landing good jobs, said Roderick Harrison, senior research scientist at Howard University. That will further extend the wealth gap. The implications will be with us into the next generation, which will have greater difficulty in getting the kinds of jobs needed to start saving and building wealth, Harrison said. (Luhby) This is not a trend that minorities want to continue. During the past few years, while every Americans wealth has been declining, minorities have been declining at an almost 40% faster rate than that of whites. (Luhby) The path to equal representation begins with closing the wealth gap and getting more minorities the best education possible. http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/2012/06/21/news/economy/wealth-gap-race/chart-racial-wealth-gap-3.top.gif The public also needs to be aware of these issues. The media plays an essential role in the United States political layout, and they need to do better at informing people of the gap between races. There is no doubting the struggles that women and racial minorities have in trying to gain fair representation. Some hope that these issues will eventually work itself out. Progress has been made in getting more diversity in the Federal Government. The first African-American man is now the President of the United States, more women are holding congressional seats than ever before, and the diversity of the Supreme Court is at an all-time high. There is a lot of hope that these are only the beginnings as well. The American government is based on the principle that the people are the voice of government. The government is in place to serve and embody the United States population as a whole, not just by the majority. Millions of U.S. citizens make up what is known as our nations minorities. It is projected that in the next few decades that America could have a minority majority (the number of minorities combined outnumbers the white population). This is why many feel that they should have proportional representation in Congress. Women and all ethnicities that make up our country have made strides in their struggle for equality in our government, and in the near future action must be taken to see that they continue to be represented fairly.

The Fascinating Emperor Penguins Essay -- essays papers

The Fascinating Emperor Penguins Among the numerous different species of birds in the world one particular type stands out from them all. The emperor penguin reigns as one of the most interesting and unknown birds in scientists’ minds. The way that they conform and blend into the Antarctic environment, even during the harshest condition, underlines the uniqueness of these spectacular creatures. Scientists have been captivated by the amazing reproductive lives of the Emperor penguins, who live and behave in a way unlike any other animal in the world. Emperor penguins have baffled researchers and scientists for many years because of their unusual methods of mating amongst each other in extreme and some times harmful weather conditions. Under normal circumstances any other animal would not be able to survive in the extreme weather conditions that surround the penguins. Antarctica, where the penguins call home, is the coldest environment known on the earth. (Oeland 56) The breeding of the penguins begins in March when the ice is just beginning to harden underneath. During this time, scientists have been mystified at the audacity of the penguins to stay in the south as opposed to leopard seals and Adelie penguins that travel northward to warmer conditions. But, even though the penguins themselves make get chilled, they keep their chicks at a nice warm temperature. The eggs and chicks are incubated at a steady 98.8 degrees farenheight, and if a newborn chick is out of the parents’ warmth for more than two minutes it can f reeze to death. These harsh conditions intensify the danger and mystery of the penguins. The most interesting aspect of the Emperor penguins is their unique mating style that sets them apart from any other animal in the world. The entire process begins with a weeklong â€Å"courtship† session during the coldest months of the year. Unlike almost all other species of animals, the female initiates the mating process as opposed to the male penguin. Any type of communication carried on between the male and female is strictly audible. The penguins rely heavily on their acute sense of hearing and speech. The actual mating sequence occurs in the dead of cold, which astonishes many scientists and researchers. After the fertilization is through the female lays softball sized egg, and leaves to go search for food for two months. It is ... ... amazing creatures for several different reasons. Scientists are amazed at the idea that a creature can survive in the coldest environment on the planet for such a long period of time without moving great distances or hunting food. Ann Bowles of the Hubbs-Sea World Institute in San Diego believes that â€Å"compared with other marine birds, emperor penguins have everything backwards.† (Oeland 56) These birds are looked upon as issuing a new behavioral pattern among Antarctic animals of their kind. So far, though, not that many groups of new Emperor penguins have been found, when new group is found the discovery is tremendous news in the field. How long these birds will be able to survive in the chilling Antarctic conditions is unknown. But, there are several things that are known about these triumphant animals. The emperor penguins have been able to guide researchers and scientists into a world of understanding and questioning as to the penguins unique reproduction methods. The techniques and survival methods of the penguins have guided scientists onto a new path of exploration. But, overall, the emperor penguins have opened a new door into the unknown of Antarctic creatures.

Kevin Mitnick :: Hacker Hackers Hacking Computers Essays

Kevin Mitnick Hacking has been around since the birth of computers. When the term hacking was first used, its meaning was not that of how we think of it today. At the origins of computing, a hacker was considered to be just a "creative programmer (Baase, 2003)." Early forms of computer games as well as the beginnings of operating systems were discovered and created by these original hackers. These hackers plunged into systems as a way of an intellectual challenge and to aspire to gain knowledge (Baase, 2003). Kevin Mitnick believes he falls into this realm of hackers. Hackers in today's era are now looked upon as criminals who invade the privacy rights of individuals and have the ability to deliver worms/viruses. The differences are that hackers today have full intentions of delivering terrible viruses and worms. Mitnick was one of the most infamous hackers during the 1980's. He molded his hacking style around the stupidity of humans and his quest for intellectual knowledge. The ways in which he w iggled his way into computer systems extenuates many of the issues surrounding computer security and privacy. Kevin Mitnick, "the worlds most notorious hacker" hacked into his first computer at the age of 16 when he hacked into Digital Equipment Corp. ( DEC) by phoning the company and claiming to be the lead developer of a new product (Weintraub, 2003). DEC then proceed to give him the passwords needed to hack into their system. Many of the jobs that Mitnick pulled exploited the ignorance of humans rather than the security software of the companies. Based on what he accomplished, he showed that a path can be made into a system without a computer or modem. This "social engineering", was Mitnick's forte. Mitnick tries to warn corporations now that "There is no patch for stupidity." (Mitnick, 2003) We are getting to an era in life were humans are not smart enough to run the machines they created. Someday computers may be run and created by other computers completely making humans obsolete in the realm of computer operation. This is a very scary thing to think about. When computers start having the ability to run themselves without human interference who knows what will happen. This is a fear that is embedded into the minds of many luddites. Where will this new technology end up? How far will it go before it destroys the integrity of life as it is now?