Bridesmaid Dresses for Brides attention
Having a bridesmaid no best agency dress your accompany in arch to toe in identical clothes! It is actual fashionable these canicule to mix and bout abstracted commodity ensembles, acceptance variations in blush or detail, or even acquiesce any woman to accept her dress is adopted (and best) form. With a little affliction and absorption you do not feel like you're boring your accompany breath sleeve dress was abhorrent nightmare. Let them accept some of their own data and accents can absolutely accomplish them a allotment of your marriage that will accomplish abiding that anybody is blessed as they can be on your big day.
Separating and silhouette
If your bridesmaid any size, how to accept the bridesmaid dresses just the brand, blush and fabric, and again let you ladies accept their own actualization of clothing? Abounding designers will action a altered contour dress in a accurate shade, such as check tops, a-line or strapless style. This ensures that you do not end up with a bridesmaid who feel assured in their clothes, and that aplomb will accomplish your absolute conjugal affair shine!
For absolute adaptability as able-bodied as a abundant alternative of altered style, why not go to abstracted instead of acceptable bridesmaid dress? How ballgown brim with a cashmere twinset? Brim will adulate figures, and the top can be absolutely beat afterwards the marriage so it makes a nice allowance for your bridesmaids to yield with them as well. You do not charge to adjustment the two locations of the aforementioned affectionate of clothes from retailers, and even if you accumulate your eyes accessible you can aces up some clothes absolutely bargain bridesmaid in the top street.
Color and color
If you adopt to advance a compatible actualization on the contour of your formal dresses, why not let your girls accept altered colors of your marriage affair colors to accompaniment their alone tastes and skintones? If you accept a amethyst wedding, accept your bridesmaid dresses in anemic colors purple, amethyst and aphotic affluent plum. You can even go for a allegory color, for example, has a mix of chicken and dejected bridesmaid dresses in your affair for a beach-themed wedding dresses.
The aforementioned assumption applies to interest; If your bridesmaids will be cutting the aforementioned actualization and / or blush of the dress, how to personalize their bridesmaid bouquets? You'll still wish a blush that works with your all-embracing blush arrangement account wedding, but you can use altered shades of the aforementioned flower, altered forms in altered settings or even just black award to bout the blush of the bridesmaid dresses respectively.
Accents and details
Remember no charge for your bridesmaids to abrasion all in one color! Using accents and data to enhance their apparel and acquiesce them some alone style. You do not even charge to accumulate the aforementioned bolt for the accent, the accomplished point is for them to afterglow in adverse with the capital bridesmaid dress. Simple accessories like scarves, belts and Bolero can accommodate blush variations in your conjugal affair to abstain addled colors of the blocks in the photo, and the minds of the guests.
You can yield it a footfall added and let your women allotment bridesmaid accessories that accompaniment their clothes and their personality. Jewelry, scarves and belts were all abundant to let your bridesmaids are putting individuals at their ensemble, and you may wish to action them the advantage of analogous clamp bag to abundance needs, which will aswell bifold as a admirable emblem allowance your big day.
Whatever you choose, try to accumulate your accompany blessed like you would with a bridesmaid dress them up so you accept a admirable marriage affair that can be enjoyed by anybody in today and accommodate abounding admirable memories. Blessed marriage planning!
Tips for allotment the absolute outfit
I actuality accord an amend about Tips for allotment the absolute outfit, for those of you who are searching for wholesale clothing that is adapted for you.
Even if you are not nominated for your academy accession court, there is no acumen why you can not dress like ability for a night. To accomplish this goal, you'll charge to acquisition the absolute dress for your amount and derma tone. There are some considerations and tips for you should consistently attend for the absolute outfit. First and foremost, accumulate it simple. Bows, ruffles, lace, and added embellishments accept their place. However, if your dress has too abounding decorations, it can accomplish you attending adolescent or earlier than you want. In addition, assorted ornaments sometimes can add the apparition of array or amplitude for your image. It would account you to accumulate the data of your dress to a minimum.
Second, the blush accession evening dress 2013 would be actual important. Black is consistently an adulatory blush best for a lot of figures; However, the accepted trend for this division calls for brighter colors and bolder. There is an advanced ambit of jewel tones that can activate your derma or your eyes absolutely well. Metallic Gelds and greens to be absolutely accepted this season. If you are not abiding what appearance to choose, you can consistently use red carpeting trends as afflatus for your choice. Because stars are advised trendsetters, a lot of academic dress wears designers attempted to imitate this appearance in their own designs. If you can not acquisition what you are searching for, you can consistently accede accepting a dress fabricated for you by a clothier or seamstress.
Finally, you should accumulate in apperception to accept the breadth of your dress afore affairs and accession dress. Abounding dresses this division featuring cheap homecoming dresses beneath and shorter. Abbreviate dresses can be an ambience of attractiveness and youthfulness. However, if you are searching for accouterment that allows you to see added archetypal and sultry, again you should apparently accept a best dress. If you accept to buy a abbreviate dress, again you should accomplish abiding that the hemline dress according to your school's dress code. As an accepted rule, the beneath the hemline the dress, the dress should be simple neck. This allows you to abstain searching too suggestive.
Following these accepted guidelines will acquiesce you to accomplish an acclaimed consequence on this year's homecoming. Actuality if you are absorbed in the advice that I created, for added data you can see and appraise the advice that I've made.
Wholesale appearance accouterment items
wholesale clothing appearance accouterment refers to all the elements that accomplish you acute and altered for every occasion. This fashionable accouterment items appear in an array for every alone that men, women and children. Broad companies do an acceptable job to ensure that anybody has admission to absurd broad accouterment and accessories.
We all accept to be maintained if it comes to our dress code. This is because the appearance and adorableness built-in in us and has been allotment of activity back time immemorial. This is the acumen why abounding humans are committed to ensuring that their closets and drawers abounding with the best superior apparel and accessories. Abounding humans anticipate that men are against to fashionable accouterment items. This is not accurate because our approach of wholesale dress back important letters about ourselves, so we charge to be artistic if bathrobe to attending air-conditioned and fit for every occasion.
Fashionable accouterment items for men:
When it comes to men, there is a accumulating of broad accouterment items that are of top superior and fashionable. They appear in altered styles to accouterment every occasion. For example, there is an array of accouterment for those alive in the office. Clothes are accessible both locally and online cheaply. You can even get an analogous shirt and shoes. You can adjustment some of the settings from the stalls at a bargain cost. Another fashionable trend admired by a lot of humans is jeans. Jeans fit for this blazon of occasion. This is because they can be dressed up or down depending on what the moment calls for. If you are online, you can be abiding to acquisition a accumulating of jeans.
Simple to abrasion and admired the affectionate of clothes that t-shirt. This is an adorable and a lot of men adore adequate in them. They are accessible in altered prints and altered designs on them, and appropriately admission the allowances for the style. Blazers, jackets, pants and dresses are a accept to in the apparel of men. It's simple to mix and bout to actualize the absolute accouterments for any event. Add an accent or two and the accomplished complete package.
Fashionable accouterment items for women:
As with men, women swell accept an array of broad accouterment items are fashionable and appear in an array of styles. Women's accouterment range, however, may just be a tad added than a man. Fashionable accouterment items cover t-shirts women, blouses, catch basin Top, jackets, coats, dresses, skirts, shorts, sportswear, sweaters, scarves and abounding added items like that. Women adulation clothes and this is no secret. Broad food accommodates a way out to buy altered clothes at bargain prices from altered designers. There is no accommodation on style, design, or superior with broad purchases.
Fashionable accouterment items for children:
Children swell accept an absurd fashionable wholesale mens coats. Depending on your gender, you will be able to accept the lot of fashionable clothes acceptable for children. These clothes appear in array consists of t-shirts, sweaters, pants and women, skirts for girls, shirts, pants and abounding added items are fashionable. There are swell an array of Cossack in an array of styles, designs and colors.
How to get fashionable accouterment items?
There are abounding companies that aftermath articles broad fashionable. You can admission it by traveling on the altered appearance stalls selling. You can swell adjustment it online by logging on to assorted sites assuming altered fashionable clothes. Here you can adjustment afterwards selecting the account you wish to buy. You can get this fashionable broad accouterment at cheaper ante on all arcade venues.
Defining the Crime of Indecent Exposure
What is indecent exposure? As a criminal offense with different statutes in every state, indecent exposure is known as conduct that occurs in a non-private area or an area that may be within public view that may be interpreted as indecent or lewd. These "indecent" gestures can include revealing areas of the body that can be considered private or taboo, such as the genitals, female nipples, and buttocks in some cases. Other instances of masturbation in public, sexual intercourse, and other sex-related actions can be considered indecent exposure. It is important to understand that while this criminal charge originated with the concept of preventing those in public from feeling uncomfortable and to prevent individuals from exposing themselves in public, a person can face these types of charges even if no other person was around at the time of the offense.
This criminal activity is considered to be a very serious charge that is easily attainable for an unsuspecting individual. Actions such urinating in public or changing your clothes in a public place, such as in your vehicle, may constitute indecent exposure, even if there is no other person around besides for an officer of the law. This criminal charge is one that should be combatted immediately with the help of an attorney, especially because the consequences that are tied to this offense are usually quite severe.
What type of criminal process can a person expect to face for this charge? First, a person who is suspected of indecent exposure will be questioned and most likely detained by an officer of the law. In some cases, an officer will let a person off with a warning, but these instances are few and far between. After the alleged suspect has been detained, they will then be processed and booked at the police station. They will be read their Miranda rights and have the opportunity to secure an attorney. It is in your best interest to talk to an attorney before providing the police with any information or answering any questions, as their main job is to find evidence against you. Your legal representative will be able to complete the rest of the criminal process, fight to have your charges dropped, and take your case to court if necessary.
What consequences are generally delivered for a conviction? One of the primary consequences that occurs with an indecent exposure charge is the possibility of having to enlist on the sex offender registry in the state in which you live. This is a serious consequence that will follow you for the rest of your life, as this is a publicly available list that was designed to warn communities of sex offenders who may live in the area. On this list, someone may be able to access your name, basic information, and where you live. If you do not wish to spend the rest of your life on this list and face the financial and emotional hardship of a criminal conviction, it is highly advised that you talk to an attorney about your charges today.
Is It Time To Hug A Hoodie?
Hoodies, or hooded sweatshirts as they used to be known, were first developed for labourers but were soon picked up by the sports market. Spurred on by Rocky, the trend persisted but not before fashion designers had realised that hoodies were an extremely flexible item of clothing. For one, they could be made into a great symbol of isolation, ideal for the hip-hop crowd whose angry lyrics about their outsider culture meshed well with half-hidden faces.
Surfers and skateboarders, the self-consciously cool crowd who spend a lot of time outdoors catching waves or grinding curbs, are also keen hoodie wearers. They see the tops as practical and trendy, with funky slogans or quirky designs. Most Californian golden boys have at least one hoodie in their wardrobe and would be surprised at the amount of bad press that this item has received in Britain. Then there is the frat boy trend; the wearing of hoodies with university logos by students who take pride in their place of study.
Unfortunately, the criminal element still receives far too many column inches for their hoodie preference. Hoodies have been at risk of being ostracised for their association with unruly groups of men or intimidating criminals, but this hardly seems fair. Their history is long, varied and filled with happy customers. Even the Bluewater shopping centre, which banned people from wearing Hodded tops inside a few years ago, still continued to sell them. Despite Tony Blair's distaste for them, David Cameron balanced the political picture - even if Labour politicians derided his speech as 'hug a hoodie' propaganda.
But away from the froth of news and the raw edges of society are millions of ordinary men who do not want to carry an umbrella. After this year's terrible summer their attitude is quite understandable. Umbrellas are hopeless in winds and simply not very 'manly', unless you take John Cleese as a role model. Men's hoodies [http://www.topman.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=17551&storeId=12555&categoryId=38978&parent_category_rn=60089&langId=-1&top=Y] are superbly practical, comfy and trendy.
A new line of fashionable designs have filtered down to the high street from the catwalk, featuring bright colours, original designs, retro prints, and - occasionally - no sleeves. They are the garment in which the comfort of sport and the desirability of fashion collide. Isn't it time that you hugged a hoodie?
LDS Consumers and the Apparel Industry - Are Your Purchases Promoting Pornography?
"The way you dress is a reflection of what you are on the inside. Your dress and grooming send messages about you to others and influence the way you and others act." For the Strength of Youth, p. 14.
You are what you wear. Not long ago, I saw two startling examples. A criminal defendant, charged with drunk driving, came to court to enter his plea. To the astonishment of everyone in the courtroom, he wore a tee-shirt advertising a popular beer brand. Didn't he realize the inappropriateness of his shirt? Amid snickers in the courtroom, the annoyed judge sternly warned the defendant to dress differently for his next court appearance.
Later that same week, a couple of teenage girls were at the gym. One was dressed in loose-fitting sweat pants and a baggy t-shirt - quite modest compared to the popular "spandex and skin" look. But printed on her t-shirt were a woman's silhouette and the brand name "Hustler." I was shocked that a young girl would wear that shirt. What was she thinking?
Does she know that Hustler magazine graphically displays deviant sexual behavior? Does she know that its founder Larry Flynt is the most notorious pornographer in U.S. history? Did it occur to her that she was a walking billboard for sleaze and aggressive sexual behavior? Did she realize her shirt invites assumptions about her sexual attitudes? Do her parents know she owns that shirt?
Pornographic marketing of apparel - a case study
Most parents wouldn't let their children wear pornographic brand clothing. Or would they?
Recently, the manager of an Abercrombie & Fitch store in Virginia was criminally cited for obscenity. Local police received complaints about explicit photographs displayed in the A&F store. Upon investigation, an officer found two offending posters - one a picture of a shirtless male model exposing the top of his buttocks and another of a topless woman partially covering her breasts with her hands. The police officer determined that the posters violated the city's obscenity ordinance, and warned the manager to remove them.
When the officer returned a day or two later, the pictures were still displayed. So he issued a citation and confiscated the posters. The national media widely reported the incident.
So why didn't A&F remove the posters? Because A&F profits greatly from its long-standing use of sex and pornography to market its apparel. The controversy immediately generated national publicity. A&F received millions of dollars worth of free advertising from the news media, as thousands of customers visited the nearest store to check out the revealing pictures.
It may seem illogical that the best way to sell clothing is to show models not wearing any. Especially when the clothing itself is reasonably modest. But it's hard to argue with the financial results. In 2007, A&F sales were $3.75 billion, up 13% from 2006, in an otherwise tough market for the apparel industry. A recent business article referred to A&F's success as "genius."
The incident in Virginia is hardly the first time A&F has come under fire for sexualized marketing. In 2002, A&F marketed pre-teen thong underwear printed with suggestive phrases such as "eye candy." In recent years, A&F t-shirts have caused controversy by referencing such topics as incest and women's breasts.
A&F's most infamous venture into pornography was its quarterly catalog, discontinued after the Christmas 2003 edition caused a huge uproar. That edition featured 45 pictures of nude or semi-nude models and did not begin advertising clothing until page 120. The pictures portrayed group sex, gay kissing, and teenage sexual activity. And as if the pictures were not enough, an article in the catalog encouraged a variety of sexual experimentation. Despite A&F's claim that the magazine was sold only to adults, the attorney general of one state documented sales to pre-teens. The catalog was discontinued after a pro-family group published a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal aimed at informing A&F investors of a boycott.
So what's next for A&F? It recently announced the creation of a line of lingerie to be sold in a new store targeting its young customer base. It's hard to imagine how revealing that marketing campaign will be. And A&F has announced that its controversial catalog will be made available once again in the United Kingdom.
While A&F is definitely a high-profile apparel industry leader in pornographic marketing, it is hardly alone. For many years, fashion magazines have contained revealing and sexualized photographs. Recently, a French apparel company decided to include graphic sexual videos on its website as a part of its marketing campaign. For years, Victoria's Secret's racy television commercials have caused a stir.
How tempting are profits from sexualized marketing? In 2007, a Utah County billboard for a purportedly modest shirt company resorted to innuendo, featuring "tease" (a clever play on "t-shirts') and the tag line "cover your assets" next to a drawing of a woman pulling down a long shirt over her emphasized backside.
What are LDS consumers doing (or wearing)?
When it comes to A&F, some pro-family and religious groups have been pro-active. Citizens for Community Values published the Wall Street Journal advertisement that put at least a temporary end to the A&F catalog. The National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families, the American Decency Association and Focus on the Family all have been vocal critics. Bob Jones University and other religious schools have forbidden A&F apparel on their campuses or have boycotted A&F.
What about the LDS community?
For years LDS consumers have complained that it was difficult to find modest apparel. Low-rise pants, short-shorts and immodest tops made shopping difficult even for young girls. The bare-midriff problem was so pervasive that a friend once told me that he was tired of having to avert his eyes when he walked down the hall in church.
However, apparel companies make a lot of money when styles change every year. For the past two years, industry-wide fashions have been their most modest in decades. Understandably LDS consumers have been elated, with many more choices for modest apparel in many locations. But the shift towards modesty is temporary. Fashions will inevitably and quickly cycle back to less modest styles.
While LDS apparel consumers focus on modesty, pornographic advertising is rarely considered. A few years ago my wife and I were asked to speak to a group of business students at Brigham Young University. Among the topics we discussed was pornography in the apparel industry. Many students to whom we spoke wore clothing displaying the A&F brand name. Many more were wearing A&F apparel with the label safely hidden inside. Can you imagine the reaction of the Honor Code office if one of those students had come to class in a Playboy shirt? A&F shirts are different only in degree, yet they can be seen all over the BYU campus.
It is true that, as compared to direct sellers of pornography like Playboy, pornography by apparel retailers is secondary to its primary purpose of selling clothing. But does it matter whether pornography is sold as the primary product, or whether it is given for free in the effort to sell a different product? Maybe the only difference between wearing a Hustler t-shirt and an A&F t-shirt is that parents don't know that A&F is a pornographer.
Church leaders do not tell Church members where to shop. They teach correct principles and let LDS consumers govern themselves. While Church members are sensitive to whether apparel is modest, many patronize retailers that profit from pornographic and sexualized marketing. Perhaps we could do better in our self-governance.
Why do LDS consumers tolerate pornographic marketing?
I once asked my uncle, a stake president in Utah, the biggest problem he faced with the members of his stake. Before I could finish the question, he replied "Pornography." How do Mormons view the pornography epidemic?
With moral issues, Church members tend to focus on personal righteousness and Church activity, rather than community activism. Abortion is a good example. Church members are firmly anti-abortion, but you don't see anyone in your ward organizing a picket of Planned Parenthood.
If you ask a Church member to describe the problem of pornography and its solution, the answer may be "Pornography is the sin of someone viewing pornographic images, and the solution is repentance." Conversely stated, this is the same as saying "Pornography is not my issue because I don't view it."
But that attitude ignores two truths when purchasing and wearing apparel from companies that use pornographic marketing. First, we send the message to our family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances and strangers that we support the brand image even if pornographic. Second, we tell the pornographer that their immoral advertising works.
If you ask an anti-pornography activist outside the Church the same question, the response may be that pornography is the widespread dissemination of pornographic images; that it adversely affects the community; and that the solution is to create a social, economic and political climate that makes it difficult for the pornographer to do business. This broad view acknowledges we tolerate our pornographic environment, and that we have the power and responsibility to change it.
Maybe Church members are not more involved in the community on moral issues because we are defeatist. Since we believe that the world will become ever-increasingly evil, do we accept too easily that community standards will deteriorate?
Can Church members change the apparel industry?
World-wide fashion trends have never been caused by an LDS teenager writing a complaint letter to Dillard's. That kind of activism may occasionally catch the attention of a public relations department or make the newspaper, but has no impact on fashion trends, production or marketing.
The apparel industry is dominated by profit-driven, publicly-traded companies that have no institutional sense of morality. Fashions originate in a handful of world cities, where young adult women create trends followed by fashion designers and mass-market apparel producers. Most of the resulting apparel is produced by conglomerates that make huge quantities of clothing for international distribution. They are not concerned with the needs and desires of local communities, and will continue to sell immodest styles and advertise using pornography so long as it is profitable.
If LDS consumers are to have any impact on apparel trends and advertising, it will only be through economic power. But Church members are an insignificantly small percentage of the global customer base of major apparel producers. A&F is unlikely to change its marketing strategies even if no Church member ever bought another A&F product.
LDS consumers, however, are not completely helpless. Where there are large concentrations of Church members, LDS consumers have enough economic strength to prevent objectionable retailers or brands from doing business in their community. While A&F may never change its advertising in response to LDS consumers, it would not keep open its Provo Utah store for very long if no LDS teenager or college student ever shopped there.
LDS consumers also can use their economic power to support the fledgling modest apparel industry. Modest clothing companies, mostly based in Utah, have sprung up over the last ten years in response to immodest trends. These companies have as core principles modesty both in product and marketing.
Right now modest clothing companies are boutiques, not a large-scale alternative for LDS consumers. These companies are generally small, family-owned and under-capitalized. They lack economies of scale in production and advertising, and suffer from lack of brand awareness and acceptance. Their product lines are limited and wide-scale distribution is difficult. And in the past two years, the modest apparel industry has been weakened by LDS consumers taking advantage of the temporary trend toward modesty in the larger apparel industry.
What would happen if Church members shifted their economic weight behind the modest apparel industry? If every dollar spent by LDS consumers with pornographic apparel producers instead flowed to the modest apparel industry, that industry would multiply many times directly benefiting LDS consumers. Both the number of products and the ability to distribute those products would increase. Over time, the modest apparel companies could provide all kinds of modest apparel for the entire family without pornographic or sexualized marketing.
With the help of LDS consumers, eventually some modest apparel companies might grow big enough to attract the attention of the larger industry, which always looks to acquire up-and-coming brands or imitate new niche markets. With their money, LDS consumers could eventually demonstrate to the apparel industry that there is a profitable segment of consumers who warrant modest clothing without pornographic marketing.
So, what's in your closet?
Copyright 2008 J. Scott Askew
Reprint Rights Statement: Article is free for reprint provided no changes are made to title or content. Author's biography below must be retained, with active links. You may not add "no follow" tags.
How to C-A-R-E About Personal Transformation!
I started stealing when I was about six years old, and did something criminal almost every day for 20 consecutive years. None of my crimes made sense because crime is stupid. The more crimes I committed, the more stupid I became and before I confronted my criminality, I stood precariously on the brink of incurable stupidity. You, or someone you love, might, even now, perch close to that dangerous domain--incurable stupidity.
Can a criminal know when he or she approaches that dangerous domain? Absolutely! You are becoming incurably stupid when the lens of your thinking prevent you from "seeing" the realities of life. Consider these realities: 1) Most criminals do not get away with crime. In fact, law enforcement professionals would capture all criminals if society would willingly pay the price, and if law abiding citizens would not become willing or unknowing crime supporters. For example, when crime victims refuse to report offenses, for whatever reason, they support criminals and conspire to help them get away with crime. Worse, still, when so-called law-abiding citizens buy stolen stuff, they support criminals. 2) Once you establish a criminal record, most people no longer presume you to be innocent until proved guilty. Quite the reverse is true. 3) When you firmly believe that crime, over time, produces more profit for you than legitimate work. Believe this way, and you live self-destructively close to that dangerous domain--incurable stupidity.
Let's first crunch the numbers!
Let's say you rob a bank and steal $250,000, and the police catch you after you've spent about $25,000 and you get 10 years in federal prison without parole. When you're released from prison, after being incarcerated for the 8,736 hours in 10 years, your hourly rate would have been just a tad more than $1. On the other hand, had you worked for those 8,736 hours at just $5 per hour, net pay, you would have earned $43,680. More importantly, you would have been free to take advantage of any opportunities that came your way. So you see, crime surely does not pay!
Well, what about those criminals who seem to live :"high on the hog," so to speak? They drive expensive cars and live in luxury apartments, wear tailored clothes and hang out with beautiful women. They claim, and try to convince anyone who will listen, that crime delivers the good life. These criminals often remind me of an African proverb that exclaims: "When the lion writes history, all antelopes get caught.. The same concept applies to these criminals. They lie incessantly about the so-called "good life" they live between prison sentences.
Okay, enough about how and why crime is stupid. What's the answer? How does a criminal come to C.A.R.E. about becoming transformed? The acronym stands for Comitted Actions [to] Reverse Energy.
One of the very best illustrations of commitment resides in a story about a pig and hen discussing the ramifications of a ham and eggs breakfast. Said the pig: "This scenario requires you to be involved, but it requires me to be committed. Transformation requires life altering commitment. Consistent, long-term actions reveal commitment. For example, transformed thieves not only stop stealing stuff from others. They also stop stealing time by lollygagging, hanging out and skirting productive behavior. They stop stealing talent by learning to develop their talents constructively and productively, even investing them into others to produce synergistic relationships. They stop stealing, as it were, from their temples (physical selves) by living according to a wellness culture, rather than a sickness culture. Certainly they stop stealing treasure. Many thieves never consider this, but the treasure they steal from themselves dwafts, by comparison, what they steal from others. For example, when I would squander money buying loads of useless stuff and the fleeting fulfillment they provided, I stole from myself. That money "seeded" into productive ventures and profitable enterprises would have reaped endless harvests, financial and otherwise.
So how do I get from crime to contribution? You will live through four phases of transformation. I designate those phases as follows:
- Criminal--when you believe it's all right to harm others to gain for yourself.
- Former criminal--when you learn to avoid acting on criminal thoughts.
- Change activist--when you adopt a comprehensive life strategy to become a community contributor, rather than a community predator.
- Change conqueror--when you have aligned with the powerful principles of change and success that reward you with the new life you desire.
In a nutshell, this transformation process requires you to break the crime habit, to earn an ever-free life, and to achieve your crime and prison records into insignificance. This transformation requires you to master a new learning and living process.
Fortunately, I learned the process, and I share it with you and others,.
I learned that my thinking produces my words. My words dictate my actions. My repeated actions form my habits. My habits define my character, and my character develops my destiny. Therefore, early in the transformation process, I defined crime as a way of thinking that attempts to justify harming others to gain for self. Thus, the vision became clear: change from being a getter to being a giver. Like everything worth doing, this change is easier to say than it is to accomplish. Without going into all the details of how I learned the following lessons, let me summarize the principles that govern this "step" to transformation.
The governing principles are:
1. Adopt new thinking, a principle that begins with rejecting your initial perspectives and perceptions in exchange for a different way of seeing circumstances. For example, instead of being upset when a prospective employer refused to hire me, instead of wondering why, I concluded that the firm's leadership suffered with "potential myopia." Therefore, they could not see the new highly contributive me, because that "person" existed as future potential. Take my first job, for example. I worked as a janitor, but I refused to wear the hotel's uniform off the premises because I began to think of myself, not as a janitor, but as a writer working as a janitor. That's new thinking. To be truly committed to a changed future, you must transform your thinking, because, remember: you say what you think, you do what you say, and your behavior produces your habits, which develop your character and determine your destiny. If you desire a new destiny, you must adopt new thinking.
2. Practice innovative thinking. Here's another example from the early days after my release from prison. I wanted to launch my writing career and I knew I needed a typewriter, but I could not afford one on my $1.25 per hour salary at the hotel. A parttime job would have defeated the purpose because I would not have enough time to write. So I made a deal with my aunt and her son where I lived. I was giving them about $30 per week. I asked them to let me use that money to finance the launch of my writing career and in a year I would give them double the total, about $3,000. It worked. I made that deal with them in 1969 and in the 40 years since, I have averaged more than $20,000 annually from a writing career launched with about a $3,000 investment. That's innovative thinking.
3. Craft creative thinking. Often boldness characterizes creative thinking, as in this example from an interview with the late James Wilson, then Executive Editor of the Wilmington (NC) Morning Star. Wilson's only hesitant concern about offering me a job as a Morning Star reporter in June 1970 was the fact that I didn't own a car. "Mr. Wilson," I said, "tell your editors to assign me to any story that comes up and the first time I miss a story because I do not own a car, fire me." Subsequently, I wrote for The Morning Star for about two years. That's an example of creative thinking.
4. Display enthuiastic thinking. To continually remind myself of this principle, I taught myself to always answer the question, "How are you doing? with the following: "LIfe is great and improving daily." That's not simply an empty repetitive phrase, but the summary of powerful principles that position you to create a new future, based in your potential, rather than your problems. You see, "Life is!" When you awake daily, life is! It's does not matter by whose decision, or what set of circumstances you continue living. All that matters is "Life is!" Now you confront the question, what style of life will I live today? This question introduces you to the concept of personal power and responsibility. This question does not delve into why or how I continue to live, but now that I am alive, how am I going to position myself in however much time I have remaining! Please avoid the following concepts like the plague they represent: "Tomorrow is not promised!" and "Yesterday was terrible." All you can do about yesterday is learn, internalize and implement the lessons revealed in that 24 hours of your life. You have no role or responsbility about getting to tomorrow. Your responsibility and the locus of your power rests in what you do today that positions you to do more in other days, if blessed to see them. Thus I determine what word goes in the blank time spot following "Life is!" What I put in that blank dictates my perceptions, perspectives and power to change. So I decided long ago that "Life is great!." However, if I stop there, I am living, but not planning. You see, what if I awake the following day and "Life is!" What are my plans for a life that continues? I decided long ago that I would always plan today for my life to improve daily in however many successive days I have remaining. So how am I doing almost 41 years after I exited prison, and crime? Life is great and improving daily. That's enthusiastic thinking.
So the change process, the change that transforms you from criminal to contributor, begins with becoming N.I.C.E.
Okay, you are on your way!
More next time.
See you at the top
Don't Look Cheap by Buying Fakes
Browse the internet for your favourite designer or top brand fashion clothing or watch and you will be bombarded with links to sellers of fake/counterfeit goods, the world over. In fact studies have shown that almost 80% of all designer clothing and watches offered for sale on the internet are fake.
In many countries including U.S.A, Australia, U.K, Canada, Germany, italy and France it is a criminal offence to sell, supply, import,manufacture or distribute fake/ counterfeit goods. Businesses found to be in breach of their national counterfeit laws face large fines and possible imprisonment for those in charge of the business. Customers found to be purchasing fake/counterfeit goods also face having the item confiscated and possible fines , so is it really worth it to buy that fake Omega watch or Fake Ed Hardy Hoodie, I think not.
Counterfeiting clothing, handbags and watches is a well organised business , normally conducted in regions where labour is cheap, such as China. These counterfeiting operations are also known to be part of large organised crime syndicates so by buying that fake watch or fake Gucci bag, in a sense you are supporting criminal activity overseas and engaging in criminal activity yourself. Again, not worth the risk.
Now we come to the issue of quality, is a fake watch, bag or piece of clothing as good as authentic versions. All you need to do is browse the net again to see millions of complaints from people who either knowingly or unknowingly purchased counterfeit goods. Time and time again you will read that the quality is poor and the item simply fell apart, soon after the purchase was made. There are many reasons a real Tag Heur watch, authentic Gucci bag or genuine Ed Hardy clothing is not cheap, it is of the best quality construction, the materials used in manufacturing are of the highest quality, you are buying a limited piece made buy people that receive proper wages. Fakes are of poor construction, using poor quality materials and are generally made buy poor people that are paid peanuts.
Whilst it is true that we all want to look good and we can't all afford designer clothing etc, it does not make it OK to buy counterfeit goods, thereby supporting criminals and risking prosecution ourselves. If you can't afford the real thing, don't buy fakes as there are many other great options that will allow you to look good , on a budget. If you can afford it, then great, buy the real deal, get quality and be safe in the fact that you are doing what is right.
In many countries including U.S.A, Australia, U.K, Canada, Germany, italy and France it is a criminal offence to sell, supply, import,manufacture or distribute fake/ counterfeit goods. Businesses found to be in breach of their national counterfeit laws face large fines and possible imprisonment for those in charge of the business. Customers found to be purchasing fake/counterfeit goods also face having the item confiscated and possible fines , so is it really worth it to buy that fake Omega watch or Fake Ed Hardy Hoodie, I think not.
Counterfeiting clothing, handbags and watches is a well organised business , normally conducted in regions where labour is cheap, such as China. These counterfeiting operations are also known to be part of large organised crime syndicates so by buying that fake watch or fake Gucci bag, in a sense you are supporting criminal activity overseas and engaging in criminal activity yourself. Again, not worth the risk.
Now we come to the issue of quality, is a fake watch, bag or piece of clothing as good as authentic versions. All you need to do is browse the net again to see millions of complaints from people who either knowingly or unknowingly purchased counterfeit goods. Time and time again you will read that the quality is poor and the item simply fell apart, soon after the purchase was made. There are many reasons a real Tag Heur watch, authentic Gucci bag or genuine Ed Hardy clothing is not cheap, it is of the best quality construction, the materials used in manufacturing are of the highest quality, you are buying a limited piece made buy people that receive proper wages. Fakes are of poor construction, using poor quality materials and are generally made buy poor people that are paid peanuts.
Whilst it is true that we all want to look good and we can't all afford designer clothing etc, it does not make it OK to buy counterfeit goods, thereby supporting criminals and risking prosecution ourselves. If you can't afford the real thing, don't buy fakes as there are many other great options that will allow you to look good , on a budget. If you can afford it, then great, buy the real deal, get quality and be safe in the fact that you are doing what is right.
Criminal Damage - Straight From the Streets
Established in 1991 in London's East End they set out from the start to tap into every trend, then give it its own unique touch to create something new and fresh. Their designers work under minimal constraint, allowing creative freedom to rule the day, resulting in innovative designs that speak from the streets with a rich heritage to fall back upon. The results are some of the most powerful eye-catching pieces to enter the menswear arena at the moment.
A lot of people have come across Criminal Damage because of their influence within the music scene, it was a relationship that started during the 90s, which was a hotbed of creativity blended with a new, fresh urban/street scene - the brand tapped into this vast resource and positioned itself in a world that was greatly appreciative. This is a situation that is still as fruitful now as it ever was, with high profile celebs still investing in the brand and being photographed wearing their designs onstage and off.
Back in '91 the East End of London wasn't quite the creative, cultural hub that it is today but since they are still based there they can bask in the reflected glory that this area of the capital is beaming out right now. Interestingly, the Shoreditch scene is known for being a real representation of youthful creative energy, direct from the street - which falls directly in line with the ethics of Criminal Damage.
Street wear is enjoying a resurgence almost at the same level of the 90s heydays right now, this is creating a generation of connoisseurs who only buy into brands with a hefty reputation. With so much choice they can afford to be picky, selecting only the freshest pieces from collections that are progressive and putting out the strongest collections of the season. Judging from the latest releases from Criminal damage they fall into the bracket of a brand worth spending some money on. They're not a one trick pony either as they put out a varied array of apparel from varsity jackets to shirts - all with the same level of attention to detail put into the design process.
We've all heard about the testing financial times we're in, but let's face it - if brands don't cut it right now then they will sink into obscurity and potentially not come back. Doesn't look like there's any such fears for Criminal Damage, I'm expecting to see them around for a good many years yet.
I am a regular writer and blogger with a general interest in men's fashion, my major interests include men's designer clothing and labels such as Criminal Damage Clothing make their way to my articles often.
A lot of people have come across Criminal Damage because of their influence within the music scene, it was a relationship that started during the 90s, which was a hotbed of creativity blended with a new, fresh urban/street scene - the brand tapped into this vast resource and positioned itself in a world that was greatly appreciative. This is a situation that is still as fruitful now as it ever was, with high profile celebs still investing in the brand and being photographed wearing their designs onstage and off.
Back in '91 the East End of London wasn't quite the creative, cultural hub that it is today but since they are still based there they can bask in the reflected glory that this area of the capital is beaming out right now. Interestingly, the Shoreditch scene is known for being a real representation of youthful creative energy, direct from the street - which falls directly in line with the ethics of Criminal Damage.
Street wear is enjoying a resurgence almost at the same level of the 90s heydays right now, this is creating a generation of connoisseurs who only buy into brands with a hefty reputation. With so much choice they can afford to be picky, selecting only the freshest pieces from collections that are progressive and putting out the strongest collections of the season. Judging from the latest releases from Criminal damage they fall into the bracket of a brand worth spending some money on. They're not a one trick pony either as they put out a varied array of apparel from varsity jackets to shirts - all with the same level of attention to detail put into the design process.
We've all heard about the testing financial times we're in, but let's face it - if brands don't cut it right now then they will sink into obscurity and potentially not come back. Doesn't look like there's any such fears for Criminal Damage, I'm expecting to see them around for a good many years yet.
I am a regular writer and blogger with a general interest in men's fashion, my major interests include men's designer clothing and labels such as Criminal Damage Clothing make their way to my articles often.
Criminal Defendants on Trial - Raising Minor Defenses
Defenses to the charges are always an appropriate area to explore and raise early in the litigation process. Some of them will require special documents to be filed and witnesses to be listed in a timely fashion or they will be deemed waived by the court. Examples of defense claims that will need to be proved affirmatively at trial in order to be complete defenses and that raise other considerations for the Defense include:
"The police got me to sell drugs I didn't even want to do!"
"Sure, I broke in and shot the man, but I had been drinking whiskey all day. I got myself so drunk that I didn't know what I was doing!"
"I did it because those guys were going to kill me and my wife if I didn't!"
Scenarios depicting some of these less frequently raised defenses are presented so you can better understand the terminology and significance of these affirmative defenses. An affirmative defense is one that must be disclosed to the prosecution before trial and it requires the Defense to offer proof through testimony or real (physical) evidence at trial.
· Entrapment
A teenager walks home from school every day. He never has done drugs or alcohol. One day a brand new fancy car pulls up. The driver is dressed in the latest style of expensive clothes. He has plenty of cash. He begins describing to the teenager how he got into a new business and now, after only a couple of weeks, he is rich. In the backseat are two gorgeous girls dressed with the latest fashions. "I have an opportunity to share only with you," he says. The teenager is going home to an old, rundown trailer and may not have much to eat as his grandmother cares for him and has no money. Here the teenager who would have never thought about selling drugs is being enticed to commit a crime using emotional lures.
If the driver of that car is a police officer, this could be the basis of an entrapment defense. Entrapment is inducing, enticing or encouraging a person to perform an illegal act which they never would have done it but for the recruitment. The defendant is entrapped if:
- he/she was induced to commit a crime that otherwise he/she would have never committed; and
- he/she engaged in the criminal conduct as a direct result of the inducement; and
- the inducer is a law enforcement officer or a person cooperating with the police.
Entrapment is another defense where the jury is told that the defendant did indeed commit the crime (i.e. delivered the cocaine). However, that defendant would not have done it if the police hadn't recruited him/her.
The Defense attorney must fully develop the surrounding facts tying the police activities into the enticement of the defendant. If he was predisposed to sell drugs and was actively asking around how to get some cocaine to sell to his known buyers when he met up with the cop, then there would not be any entrapment.
· Voluntary Intoxication
Before discussing the voluntary intoxication defense, it should be noted that most states have done away with it by statute. Historically, when the defendant was charged with a specific intent crime and had chosen to get himself extremely intoxicated, this factor could negate the specific intent element of the crime. In other words, voluntarily getting intoxicated could work as a complete defense.
For instance, let's say the defendant is charged with battery. Battery occurs when the defendant "intentionally touches or strikes the victim against his will." This is a specific intent crime meaning that the State must prove that the defendant intended to touch or strike as an essential element of its case in chief. Where the defendant has gotten himself so drunk that he couldn't even put one foot in front of the other, how can the State prove he intended anything? Theoretically, it cannot. Since the State cannot prove this essential element of the crime, they cannot prove the case beyond reasonable doubt. Therefore, voluntary intoxication is a complete defense to the crime of battery. The same analysis holds for any crime that requires the State to prove that the defendant intended to do the act.
A victim might testify that the defendant didn't need to drink an entire fifth of whiskey and take two Valium pills. He did it of his own accord. He intended, if you will, to get himself drunk. He proceeded to beat the victim within an inch of his life. What if the intent was a premeditated design to kill the shop keeper in an intentional murder case? Should the defendant's voluntary drinking and drug spree be a defense? Should he be favored by his own wrongful act? The various State legislatures don't think so today. Voluntary intoxication as a complete defense is an item of legal history.
· Duress or Necessity
"I am telling you officers, I would never have committed this crime except that Billy held a gun to my head and Bobby had my child tied up in the field out back." Sounds like duress. Sounds like a complete defense. Did the defendant act out of duress or necessity in committing the crime? The judge will instruct the jury, "It is a complete defense to the crime (i.e. forgery of documents) if the defendant acted under duress. In order to find duress the jury must consider these six elements:
- Defendant reasonably believed a danger existed which he did not cause;
- That danger threatened significant harm to himself or others;
- The threatened harm must have been real, imminent and impending;
- There was no way to avoid the danger but by committing the crime;
- The crime must have been committed out of duress to avoid the danger;
- The harm avoided must have been greater than the harm of the crime committed.
It can easily be understood how tough it is to prove the elements of duress in order to be in a position to argue that the only reason the charged crime was committed was because the defendant was under duress. Once proven, duress is a complete defense to the crime charged.
· Independent Act
Three guys drive to the supermarket. The driver remains with the car because all of the parking spots are taken. The other two go inside and begin to shop. They get bread and cold cuts and beer and push their cart to the line. While one is paying for the party items the other pulls out a gun and robs the checkout clerk of $347. What do you think the driver and the party pack purchaser will argue when they are charged with the armed robbery? Will they say, "Hey, we were just shopping. We had no idea that Buster had a gun. We never discussed robbing the money and had no idea what he was up to."
In this trial, the judge will instruct the jury that they must consider whether the act of Buster's action was an independent act where he acted on his own. If the defendant raising this defense can show three things, he must be found not guilty. If the defendant raising this defense can show three things that form an independent act, he must be found not guilty. These include:
- This defendant did not intend this crime to occur;
- This defendant did not participate in the criminal act;
- This criminal act was not a reasonably foreseeable
act contemplated by this defendant.
Proof of an independent act is a complete defense to the crime charged.
In summary, four of the less frequently raised affirmative defenses that might be raised by the Defense in an appropriate case are: entrapment, voluntary intoxication, duress and independent act. Remember, in order to be able to argue at closing argument that one or more of these defenses apply, the Defense Attorney must be able to point to specific facts supporting these defenses from the record of the case. If the Defense proof is strong enough, the Court may give a directed verdict in the form of a Judgment of Acquittal either at the close of the State's case or at the close of all of the evidence.
Where To Find Criminal Records Free To The Public
We live in world where wolves come in sheep's clothing. This is the very reason why getting criminal records free to public is such a good idea. With the help of these records, one can surely protect themselves as they get to sensitive information which can mean safety and security as they deal with people either through business, employment and the like.
First way to obtain criminal records free to public access is by going to designated offices where you get to have access at the said documents. There are places where one can just go to an office where access to the local courts' computer is allowed thus all you have to do look up for the person's name and results will come out in an instant. While information such as SSN, Date of Birth and the like, you are sure to get a bird's eye view of the person's background.
There are countless of websites that specializes in criminal records free to public access. All you have to do is register and log in to these sites. After you have keyed in all the information needed, you just have to type the name of the person that you are looking for and results will surely come up. There is no need to wait for weeks or days like in a regular office.
The Internet is such a good source of all information, big or small, important or not. While it may give out useless facts, it also never fails in giving out information such as criminal records which can mean safety of your family, business, transaction and the like. As there are paid sites that give out criminal records, there are also sites that do it for free. It is up to you to decide whether to go for paid or pro-bono ones.
Criminal Defense Lawyer's Advice: What Is Date Rape And How Can It Be Prevented?
When folks imagine rape, they might think of a stranger jumping from a shadowy spot and sexually attacking a person. But it's not just strangers that rape. Actually, about 50 % of those who are raped know the individual who assaulted them. Girls and women are most often raped, but guys also can be raped. Most friendships, acquaintances, and dates never lead to violence, of course. But, regrettably, it sometimes takes place. When forced intercourse happens among two people who know one another, it's called date rape or acquaintance rape.
Understanding date rape as a social issue is very difficult because of conceptual differences about even what comprises "rape". It both reflects and is mirrored by political and sociological differences in ways of viewing gender roles, personal obligation, and social norms. Debates on this subject often reflect polarized opinions where the points of argument are considered as "radical feminism" or "misogynistic". Similarly, institutional reactions, including efforts within the criminal justice system have been difficult to create. Universities and colleges, settings in which date rape is considered a common problem, have tried to develop policies and guidelines for avoidance and discipline which can be unwieldy and unenforceable.
This crime additionally occurs when one person forces another person to have sex. This criminal offense is a felony offense. The main difference between rape and date rape is that in cases of this particular rape, the victim consented to spend time with the assailant. Probably the target even went out together with the attacker a few times. Date rape remains to be rape. In recent years a new kind of rape hazard has reared its ugly head at functions, on campuses as well as in nightclubs - so named "predator" or "date rape" medications. Exactly what are these types of medicines? Technically speaking, any substance that makes you incapable of saying no or asserting yourself as well as your needs may be used to commit rape. This can contain things like alcoholic beverages, cannabis or other street drugs, designer or club drugs like ecstasy, over-the-counter sleeping pills and antihistamines, even cold medications.
These crimes are destructive. Not only is this type of violence a breach in itself but the target has been hurt by someone she earlier trusted. It's a betrayal that makes victims have to learn to trust people all over again. This is not an easily achieved task.
If you have been date raped, follow these steps: Do not wash or douche. You don't want to wash out any kind of proof which could be used against your assailant in court. Contact the authorities, especially a criminal defense lawyer and tell them what went down. If you're afraid to contact the police, call up your neighborhood rape crisis center. Visit an emergency room. While there, you will be examined. A doctor will make a record of your injuries and treat you. Samples of any kind of fluid remaining inside the vagina or anus (particularly sperm) are going to be collected. Hair, pieces of clothes, or other items left by the attacker may also be used. These samples may be used to help identify and convict your attacker.
Discounts on Designer Clothes - The Best Christmas Gift!
Christmas time means shopping time. Celebrations call for new clothes and the Christmas time becomes the perfect excuse for refreshing those old closets. With Christmas carols, chocolate covered candy hearts, stuffed turkey and New Year round the corner; new dresses seem to be a must. But with all the other expenses of shopping, gifts, celebrations and decorations, you always have to let go one of the favorite piece of clothing you were longing for.
With so many expenses piled up there is always something that you have to sacrifice. But blessed be those stores which offer special festive season discounts. With Discount Designer Clothes you can somehow manage to buy everything you had an eye on. With the festive season starts the time for get-together. Repeating the dress you wore on some other occasion among the same people is almost criminal, so you ought to have your refill of Celebrity clothing. On family dinners and parties with friends, choosing what to wear is one of the biggest ordeals and it becomes more important than anything else to have sufficient number of dresses so as to be complimented on every dinner you too.
One of the best ways to shop is to shop online. Online designer stores often have much more variety and at times you can spot pieces which you may not get otherwise. Besides being exceedingly comfortable and easy, online shopping also proves to be more economical than shopping otherwise. You can often strike some genius bargains that are almost a steal. Many awesome brands like Soul Revival Clothing, Sledge, Wild fox, Testament etc. are available online and that too at great prices.
Intro To Criminal Justice Courses Teaches Students About Crime History And Trends
What if, after spending much of your life in Key West, Fla., you stripped down to your birthday suit at a bar in Toledo, Oh.? In Key West, after all, clothing in the saloons can be optional. What's more, dress code signs aren't always all that specific.
An Introduction to Criminal Justice course typically explains the definition of crimes and criminals. Students in Introduction to Criminal Justice often learn about how laws in different places have changed throughout history. They might also come to understand how people in England once believed that criminals maintained a crime "gene" and how experts in the United States now suggest a variety of aspects can cause someone to commit crimes - or prevent them from doing so.
Fast forward to the future, as many Introduction to Criminal Justice courses might do. A 2006 National Institute of Justice Journal article suggests that technology, changing demographics and terrorism are to affect criminal justice systems worldwide into 2040. A more global society also is expected to have an effect, according to the National Institute of Justice Journal article.
Think there are differences in laws when traveling from Key West to Toledo? In a global society, the borders that separate nations vanish. People become more mobile and, with economies, become more blended. As it stands, a recent Palm Beach Post report suggested that nearly 5,000 women were murdered between 2000 and 2009 in Guatemala, where attitudes toward violence against them have been different than they might be elsewhere.
Christopher E. Stone, a criminal justice professor with an Ivy League university, points out that people from different regions also speak different languages and might have different expectations when it comes to the roles of attorneys and judges. In the National Institute of Justice Journal report, he notes that exchanging information with different countries might cause prosecution systems to change. As it stands, professionals involved with an International Crime Court are coming up with new procedures that might affect what happens in the countries from which they hail.
In the National Institute of Justice Journal article, Stone also brings up areas such as technology, prison designs and consulting services and their relationship in a more global society. He addresses changes as far as criminal justice systems in Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and England are concerned. Stone also talks about law enforcement oversight on the part of civilians in some countries.
Students might take Introduction to Criminal Justice in instances where they're considering a major or have one in mind. Because the field is varied, students might be pursuing studies that can lead them to careers in areas such as law, law enforcement, social work and investigations. Students in Introduction to Criminal Justice might gain a broad overview of these fields and then study them in greater depth as they proceed in their studies.
Tips to Prepare for Your Criminal Trial
If you have been put on notice of an upcoming trial in your criminal case it is important that you take the necessary steps to ensure that both you and your attorney are fully prepared. By properly preparing you give yourself the best chance of a favorable outcome. This article is designed to provide basic guidance to defendants and their families in both misdemeanor and felony criminal cases.
1. Ensure that you have identified all of your witnesses and have provided their contact information to your attorney. Determine whether or not your witnesses will voluntarily appear or if arrangements need to be made to formally subpoena them. By reviewing your witnesses with your attorney in advance of trial you provide an opportunity for both your lawyer and your witness to prepare for their testimony. Further by ensuring that your witness is notified of your Court date in advance allows them to make necessary arrangements for child care, work or travel as necessary.
2. Review your fee arrangements with your attorney and any expert witnesses that you have retained. You do not want to put your attorney in the position of preparing for your trial with any uncertaintly as to whether or not they are going to be paid. If you have any expert witnesses who are not paid in advance of trial they may not show up to testify on your behalf.
3. Plan on what you are going to wear. If you are going to be appearing in front of a judge or jury on a serious case it is important that you look your best. Make sure that your clothes are professionally cleaned and pressed. Shine your shoes. If you do not have a properly fitting suit, shirt or tie buy new ones. If you do not know how to pick out clothes for Court ask your attorney for help.
4. More on looking your best - You may need to consider if you need to cover up any tattoos. Ideally you should not have any tattoos visible in Court during your trial. You may also need a haircut of a manicure. These details may matter - especially if your credibility is going to be considered by the Court.
5. Prepare for last minute plea negotiations. Often times the prosecution may make a last ditch plea offer immediately before your trial is to begin. These offers may the be same as have been made before or may be different (not necessarily better). You can be placed under substantial pressure by the Court to make a quick decision - and in fact may be given only seconds or minutes to decide in some cases.
6. Review your case with your lawyer. Understand what elements the prosecution must prove and by what evidence they will try to use. If you have not already done so ask to review a copy of your case discovery with your attorney. To prepare for any last minute plea negotiations you should understand what the minimum and maximum sentence could be and what the tendencies of your trial judge are.
The Craftiness of Criminality
Clever criminals hide inside each of us. Like the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing, human nature easily spans the realm from the normal to the abnormal. People are capable of anything, both good and bad. Regardless of the socio-economic status, criminal behavior can cross any social boundary lines. Crimes large and small happen every day. Just because some are minor doesn't mean they're less important. Such incidents are still crimes. For most of us though, the criminal is the other guy. Not us of course. We're quick to point the finger, gossip and pass judgment. Roll our eyes, stick out tongue and shoot a finger, everyone dislikes someone. Holy virtues are always at war with deadly sins. We don't like to let on that the only reason we're not him or her is because we didn't get caught. Although, in everyday life, we've probably had some similar thought. Motives, intentions and proclivities run deep in the dark recesses of the human brain. Sometimes, we call it the mind, an illusion the brain chemistry creates. Our perception of criminal behavior is a conception based on denial of our complicity in self-conceit. At the same time, some of us make choices, albeit poor ones, to plan, execute and carry out own desires, urges and yearnings. However, once apprehended, there are a myriad of excuses surface from that personal inner sanctum of cunning craftiness. Yes, we're sneaky, sly and shrewd. Some of us are really good at it.
From running stop signs to cheating on taxes, or drugging a date for sex, we'd do anything if we thought we'd get away with it. Wily and devious, the human cerebral processes fantasize an amazing range of possibilities. Our entire entertainment industry, from the news media to public policy, offers escapism in one form or another. The more tragic the story the better the ratings factor. Fact is traded for fiction and myth becomes reality. Not too long ago, responsibility and accountability became the twin relics of lost ethical principles. Moral absolutes have been replaced. Precepts of morality are quickly traded for easy answers and comfortable feelings. Instead toughening up, we search for ways to explain away the failure of leadership, a crisis of integrity or so called lapses of judgment. Politicians, the press and the priestly class know these sleight of hand tactics all too well. Throughout society, at every level, we've covered our tracks. There are so many more psychological ailments than ever before. When push comes to shove, we'll find some reason to rationalize the heinous commission of injury to another. The age of hypocrisy, double-speak and passing the blame has fallen on contemporary society. In short, we can justify anything, concoct conspiracies and slip away quietly while no one is watching.
As a public, we love a good mystery, brazen tragedy or major crisis. We'll shut down an interstate system just to get a glimpse of roadside carnage. So often, we cleverly overlook our own ability to make decisions, select alternatives and otherwise exercise the freedom of our willfulness. When it comes to committing crimes, criminals are no different than the rest of us. Behavior is one of making choices. Elementary issues relate to rational exercises of personal freedom. From ideation to commission, criminals premeditate their actions into self-gratifying activities.
Being crafty, clever and cunning, some criminals, like the rest of population, are better skilled than others. Sly and devious, perpetrators of criminal behavior are people who've made choice to break the law. They're self-centeredness is a primary characteristic of their overall personality. From psychology to psychopathology, the continuum is one of connectivity to the inner urges of self-indulgent proclivities. Trespassing across the boundaries of another is a breach by which perpetrator find alluring, tempting and seductive. To them, other people are a means to an end. It's a matter of getting what they want, when they want it and where ever they can get it. Their intended victim is an objective. They'll stalk, hunt and prey on someone or something they perceive belongs to them. Criminals go after targets of opportunity, given the selected environmental conditions, and abilities for personal gain. The challenge, temptation and enticement relate to individual motives, inclinations and desires. Aware of the risks, they take the steps necessary to achieve their goals. Objectives depend on the skill-set of the mindset.
Like the rest of us, criminals apply their talents, abilities and capacities to the crime that fits their needs. From political corruption, to corporate embezzlement, to armed robbery and murder, we all have potentials for committing a range of anti-social behaviors. While some commit infractions, others commit murder. Yet, the inherent motivations are the same. It's all about personal gain, such as love or money, and the variations of these two basic themes. On occasion, it could be power, dominance and control that turn one on. Gives excitement to the senses and provokes the acquisition of the objective in question. Or, the love of self or obsessive possession of another person. Just depends on individual ideation, fantasy and motivation. Within this secret realm of the fantasy, there is the sowing of expectation to extend into the real world. Ideation loves the fruition of the subconscious into the reality of the conscious. From inside these darkened reaches comes the intention of carrying out a criminal act.
Criminals see themselves as clever, creative and competent within the sphere of their criminality. But, then again, don't we all dream of getting away with some unconventional activity? Display our arrogance in a number of ways, means and motions? Or, coming into possession of something for nothing? While some of us divert ourselves into acceptable diversions, those who don't prefer the deviance of crime. We chose what we do and know why we do it. People don't suddenly one day up and "snap", "go off the deep end", or "fly off the handle". The feelings inside have been building, plotting and scheming over a period of time. Premeditation is a uniquely human activity. By reason and rationality, we pursue our goals for a purpose. Likewise, so does the person who chooses to accept a bribe, carry out treason or report fraudulent news stories. Similar to other endeavors, criminality spans the spectrum of crimes of choice. While some may have a preferred method of operation, they are capable of changing, adapting and altering the nature of their criminality. As such, the mysteries of the mental processes are more complex than we can predict. The problem of predictability is compounded by the fact that we all share a heritage. The criminal inclination is part of human nature. To know what a criminal looks like, all one has to do is look in the mirror.
For the individual, deviating from accepted social norms harbors seductive possibilities. The sensual transcends the sexual and evolves into the spiritual realm of our thinking processes. We make it so, by virtue of our choices. Inherent in the design of human nature is the propensity to depart from the rules by acts of disobedience. That is, of course, if we choose to do so. Likewise, we can agree not to deviate. From the allegory of the first fall, to the perceptions of postmodern society, allusions abound in the metaphorical depictions of free-will selectivity. Yet, we ignore the fine detail. Bottom line, conscious decisions are made to do things we want to do. Cleverly, we seek out repetitive behaviors, seeking the pleasurable delights in the gain we obtain. The core of our essential personality harbors the contents of thoughts, fantasies and desires. We cloak them is a myriad of deceptions. Fooling everyone, from family members to authorities. When caught, we fabricate a mystery. Tell tales of tall stories. Find as many excuses as we can. But, in the end, we have to realize you don't catch criminality like the common cold.
On a simpler level, we think we're crafty in our criminality. Misbehavior becomes an attractive alternative attached to the libidinous notions of our sexuality. Instead of the boredom of "law abiding" community service, our clever sense of ourselves brazens the transgressions of cross the lines. Producing the sensations of a psychic "high", the craft of criminality provides the release of pent-up desires. Hidden notions of private motivations. Astute, shrewd and devious, people play roles. Posture in public and private performances to bring out their inner thoughts. Test the reality of the real-world from within the depths of mental proclivities. But, not completely. Only the tip of the iceberg ever emerges above the surface. In the process, they fool the best of us. From psychics to psychologists, from profilers to politicians, cops and the community, the con job pervades the public policies of societal institutions. Acting out "stupidity" in public allows people to escape responsibility. We project wishful thinking. In the vicarious witness of a bizarre heinous act, we rush to judgment. Pull out the straightjackets and conclude only a "crazy" person does things like that. Yeah, crazy like a fox.
The craft of criminality has fostered whole industries of various "schools of thought". Some are innovative, creative and some are ridiculous. All the while, most of us miss the point. We overlook the decidedly dangerous dark side of humanity. People can be cunning, sly and devilish. They can change, alter and transform their thinking, behavior and methods of operation. And, from an investigative standpoint, our hope is that we're cleverer and craftier than the criminals think they are. Or, for that matter, we got to be better at "fighting crime" than they think we are. Criminal arrogance views the rest of us "law abiding souls" as being foolish, gullible and naïve. We have to follow the evidence trail. And, perform our criminal behavioral assessments by careful crime scene analysis, astute investigative follow-up and determined innovative processes. Caution must be exercised in the face of quick fix fads of contemporary fiction instead the facts. Our theories and conclusions must adapt to changing situations, circumstances and pursue the technology affecting forensic evidence. People aren't necessarily stupid, even though they act that way. But, they do make mistakes and rely on our misconceptions about criminal behavior. The craftiness of criminality is the sleight of hand magic of postmodern societ
Criminal Damage - Straight From the Streets
Established in 1991 in London's East End they set out from the start to tap into every trend, then give it its own unique touch to create something new and fresh. Their designers work under minimal constraint, allowing creative freedom to rule the day, resulting in innovative designs that speak from the streets with a rich heritage to fall back upon. The results are some of the most powerful eye-catching pieces to enter the menswear arena at the moment.
A lot of people have come across Criminal Damage because of their influence within the music scene, it was a relationship that started during the 90s, which was a hotbed of creativity blended with a new, fresh urban/street scene - the brand tapped into this vast resource and positioned itself in a world that was greatly appreciative. This is a situation that is still as fruitful now as it ever was, with high profile celebs still investing in the brand and being photographed wearing their designs onstage and off.
Back in '91 the East End of London wasn't quite the creative, cultural hub that it is today but since they are still based there they can bask in the reflected glory that this area of the capital is beaming out right now. Interestingly, the Shoreditch scene is known for being a real representation of youthful creative energy, direct from the street - which falls directly in line with the ethics of Criminal Damage.
Street wear is enjoying a resurgence almost at the same level of the 90s heydays right now, this is creating a generation of connoisseurs who only buy into brands with a hefty reputation. With so much choice they can afford to be picky, selecting only the freshest pieces from collections that are progressive and putting out the strongest collections of the season. Judging from the latest releases from Criminal damage they fall into the bracket of a brand worth spending some money on. They're not a one trick pony either as they put out a varied array of apparel from varsity jackets to shirts - all with the same level of attention to detail put into the design process.
We've all heard about the testing financial times we're in, but let's face it - if brands don't cut it right now then they will sink into obscurity and potentially not come back. Doesn't look like there's any such fears for Criminal Damage, I'm expecting to see them around for a good many years yet.
The Next Marketing Tool: Deisgn
Design sells. It's something that all of us know, but few of us consciously acknowledge. There is an age old adage that warns people not to "judge books by their cover." In other words, we shouldn't judge people or products by their appearance. But this isn't true in America. We do judge books by their cover - in fact we spend billions of dollars on products that have prettier "covers."
Many people are aware how easy it is to create a web page and put your business online, but you have to ask yourself: is it going to be enough? Sure, you can get all the vitals of your business online and available for the whole world to see, but will your visitors remember your site? Will they trust it? More importantly, will your site cause them to contact you after leaving the web site?
iPods, cargo pants and cell phones
Oh my! What do these three items have in common you might ask? Design, of course.
Back in 2001 Apple Computers unveiled their new offering to the tech world: the iPod. This smart looking little gadget was an MP3 player, one of thousands already on the market. Against all odds, the iPod has risen above its vast competition and become a common household term. What can we attribute to Apple's success? The iPod did not offer any features that other MP3 players were already offering, except a sleek design, stunning advertising and Apple's clever branding. Great design has obviously paid off for Apple. In the first quarter since releasing the iPod, Apple more than tripled its net profits and sold nearly 900,000 iPods! Some may even speculate to say that the iPod has taken Apple from a failing company to the leader in portable music.
Old Navy started off as just another value clothing store spawned from the successful Gap Inc. While this company had the advantage of already having a multi-billion dollar brand backing it, it had no incentive for customers to actually buy the clothes. Old Navy has since become one of the leading clothing retailers in America becoming a multi-billion dollar brand on its own feet. Old Navy's president, Jenny Ming, attributes this success to design. Old Navy has taken a new approach to advertising and clothing style relying on fresh, new design. It seems to have worked, attracting millions of customers to their cargo pants, PJ bottoms and fleece jackets.
Cell phones. They're everywhere: on the street, in cars, and even the hands of thirteen year old girls. No amount of numbers is needed to prove that cell phones have become an everyday accessory as common as a pair of sunglasses. Back in the early nineties, Nokia realized that cell phones might one day catch on and become something of an accessory. The idea was brought up that cell phones could be made in a variety of colors and in attractive shapes. Shortly after concept, Nokia's rounded cell phones with changeable plates were introduced into the market. They were an instant success. Since then Nokia has come to be the world leader in cell phones, owning nearly 40% of the world market. Cell phone design hasn't been the same since.
Taking these ideas to the internet
Okay, so it's understandable how design sells, but web sites aren't tangible products like iPods or cell phones. Design of web sites goes beyond designing something that "looks cool" or uses fancy fonts. The design of web sites goes into the realm of usability, information design and graphical appearance. All three of these aspects must come together to create a great web site design.
First off, your web site must be usable. This means that the web site visitor must be able to read, navigate and use the different elements of your site. A web site is no good if visitors cannot find where your nearest office is located. Secondly, the information contained within the web site must be arranged in a way that visitors will naturally find the information they need in the least amount of effort possible. Lastly, your web site has to look great. It has to have a professional look and one that's both pleasing to the visitor and conveys the image you need your company to portray. Would you expect a criminal defense attorney's site to be composed of light blue and pink hues? Strong, vibrant colors project authority and power; qualities you would definitely want in a criminal defense lawyer.
Wrapping it up
Design is a major part of modern day business. Making sure your business has a well designed web site ensures you are giving your business the best possible chance. A poorly designed site can be a waste of money and effort. Don't take the chance; hire a professional to do the job.
Clues to Criminal Conspiracy in Towns and Corporations
You, too, can be a detective. All you have to do is learn the clues, listen and watch.
"Crap rolls downhill," says the tough-talking detective, and that's a basic human truth. The expression is older than the Golden Rule, an observation common to every culture and language group. It is also a basis for analysis of human behavior, and it can help any investigator, even an amateur detective, identify when corrupt practices are taking place in town, county or state government, or in a large corporation or NGO. The principle is simple: You watch the behavior of people at the bottom. If you find blatant corruption at the bottom, it rolled downhill. If you find fear, you're looking at someone who's intimidated by the corruption up above, and doesn't want to say anything.
Now direct your gaze up the hill and study the people you see.
Do not the middle-class women of the world want to wear the same gown worn by the First Lady, or by actresses on the Red Carpet? They can't afford that same gown, perhaps only one was made for the very rich female wearing it, but thousands of milliners and designers watch the Oscar and Emmy awards for interesting new ideas, they take pictures and they make copies. They know they can always sell those copies, because middle-class women always buy the copies to look like the wealthy women they admire.
With men, it's sports equipment and casual clothing. How many men wore copies of shirts worn by Tiger Woods, and carried putters and irons with his name engraved on them? In the fifties, the Eisenhower putter was a big seller. And speaking of sports heroes, are you wearing Hanes right now?
People with lesser incomes imitate the wealthy and powerful. They make a conscious effort to look like the rich and act like the rich. This takes place whether the economy is good or bad.
The behavior of leaders in a good economy tends to be cheerful. In good times there is no pressure on leadership to "fix it," leadership can be happy, good-natured, casual. This behavior insensibly is adopted by business leaders, then middle management and the middle class and it is slowly communicated downward to the poor as "good government." The leaders are happy, they're not worried, therefore we don't need to worry.
This happy, relaxed behavior becomes something to strive for, something leaders practice and try to project in public. They don't want to appear angry or tense, because that would "send the wrong signal." But leaders do reveal themselves in subliminal ways to the people around them, and those people react by trusting or distrusting the leader.
When an economy is under stress, politicians become desperate and devious, it's difficult to be graceful when many voices are blaming you for something caused by a whole nation taking the wide and easy road of buying during boom times. Increased tension from the top of the pyramid breeds distrust and fear in the ranks, so the nervous and defensive behaviors of wealthy and influential people are unconsciously and insensibly adopted by those who look up to them. This is because people further down the wealth ladder tend to believe they should look like, dress like, act like, those at the top.
If those at the top are angry, anger becomes fashionable. If those at the top communicate hate, hate will be adopted as a majority behavior. When those at the top are greedy, people at the bottom notice how little they have.
No-one deliberately copies anyone, and no copied behavior is a perfect similitude of another's behavior. But when politicians and judges are taking bribes, even when they are merely suspected of taking bribes, we soon find policemen, department heads, housing inspectors and corporate officers who can be paid to change their minds, lose a document, or disguise a deliberate contamination of a river as an accidental spill. Magistrates who sell out may sustain only the objections of the defense, or deny a prosecutor the right to introduce certain evidence in court. How many times have we seen evidence hidden from the jury because it might tend to convince them the defendant is guilty, or for that matter, innocent?
So when the people at the top have sold us out, the people who take orders from them, people who know them, begin to sell us out also. They see their superiors, their bosses and betters, becoming rich while violating laws and ethical standards, and they think: "Hey. That's just wrong!" Then they think. "Wait a minute, if they can do it, I can do it!" And many members of the organization begin looking around for ways to improve their incomes, legal or otherwise.
Individuals who are "getting away with something" go through a series of behavior changes, and that's how others begin to perceive that they have become corrupt. Actual evidence is unnecessary, gathering evidence is a secondary act. The first stage in identifying corruption is pure, raw suspicion, the sudden realization that a leader is hinky. Sometimes we don't know what "makes us think so," but hinky is as hinky does. We can perceive the basis of our suspicions by analyzing behavior.
An ideal leader, a "good" leader, is someone who works as a member of teams, who cooperates and exchanges information, he sets positive objectives, he supports others in the achievement of their goals and he champions talented newcomers, all toward the improvement of the organization and the accomplishment of positive, life-affirming acts. Everything he does contributes to the overall success of the organization and to the respect with which the organization is held.
Everyone who becomes a leader wants to be seen as the ideal leader and so most leaders behave roughly within this description until they become corrupt. Once they are "getting away with something," they keep secrets, they becomes tense, irritable, and begin mandating, threatening, ordering others to accomplish tasks. Most noticeably, they begin rejecting the advice offered by highly moral friends and contacts, although they never disagree with the morality behind the recommended act.
They also become less efficient, spending a lot of money on projects, personnel and contract, which don't seem to do anything to achieve organization goals, or achieve those goals only at an unusually high price.
The corrupt leader also becomes conservative, he doesn't want to do anything that would attract too much attention. Indeed he accepts advice from fewer and fewer people, he shares only information which has already become public. In explanation of his sudden urge for secrecy, he may say: "If you give them information they'll only use it against you."
Ordering and mandating behaviors, my-way-or-the-highway attitudes, implied or direct verbal threats of termination or loss of status, and the outright firings of those who have tried to do their jobs correctly, all are indicators of a defensive state of mind, a mind which feels it is surrounded by enemies. On the one hand, the leader appears confident; at least his cavalier treatment of others and their ideas makes him seem confident. But these behaviors are expressive of a severe lack of confidence, largely arising out of guilt. Those who understand guilt and pay attention to behavior are always the first to recognize the leader is "getting away with something."
For a person with diminished moral and ethical standards, that's all it takes. "If he can get away with it, I can get away with it," they say. And so, let the corruptions commence. Any gossip permeating the organization which discusses the leader, his cronies and what they might be doing to "get away with something," should be thoroughly investigated. If an employee says, "Well, everybody knows he got paid to get those crooks a license," it's time to begin questioning the people who know this. It might be gossip, but it might be the instinctive "reading" of changed behavior by sensitive people.
Persons near the top of the chain of command are well-educated, intelligent and familiar with psychology, risk analysis and trend analysis. When the leader's psychology changes and the trend of his behavior demonstrates more guilt and "covering behavior" to disguise his growing lack of confidence, middle managers quickly adapt their operating methods to the dubious situations in which they more frequently find themselves.
When leaders become dishonest, whole pages of the rule book go out the window. Certain people who were in the "inner circle" are suddenly terminated, though they were considered to be long-term friends of people at the top. The memo on the bulletin board explains only that they "took early retirement" or have decided to "seek opportunities elsewhere." This is called bloodletting, and it means the leaders cannot trust their closest friends. The secret they share, or don't want to share, is too dangerous.
And because of this, the leaders suddenly cannot be trusted, so those further down the ladder from the top make a curious adjustment of their own. Corruption must be secret, and it must gain wealth. So in order to be successfully corrupt, the middle managers don't copy the leader's style of corruption. After all, any corrupt action he takes is secret, invisible to them. Instead, they copy his style of caution. They are as careful or as reckless as the bosses are. Always the rule is: "If he can get away with it, I can get away with it." The more reckless these employees become, the more obvious, to them, is the leader's corruption.
As corruption moves down the chain of command, threats and intimidation begin to affect the lives of citizens:
Developers freely exchange the names of Building Inspectors who can be paid to ignore the signs of unreinforced construction, and they threaten their employees with firing if they talk about this. (They talk about it anyway; of what value is a job working for a crook who builds dangerous buildings to increase his profits?)
City Councilmen who have been "taken care of" unanimously approve the construction of a sewage treatment plant across the street from a factory, so that hydrocarbon toxins can be conveniently poured into a creek, disguised by half-treated sewage, and flow without interruption into the Great Lakes. Factory owners threaten their employees: "If EPA ever so much as tries to investigate us, I can move all your jobs to Mexico and pay those people $1.56 an hour!" Intimidated, the workers keep quiet. Later, when investigators discover the cancer infection rate is suddenly three times the national average, the threat becomes: "Any of you people with cancer, if you give information to those liberals, you could lose your medical insurance."
When a house is partially burned, the Town Council orders it completely demolished, citing health and safety, because the councilors get a percentage from the developer who rebuilds it, and they want him to rebuild the whole house, not just the burned portion. The percentage is bigger, but sometimes this leaves people homeless because their insurance won't cover the cost of the entire house. The Town Council doesn't care, they just resent the loss of that larger percentage.
So the perfidious acts of elected officials and corporate officers are beginning to produce negative impacts on the lives of the working poor. When corruption becomes the norm among the middle class and middle management, the poor merely see it as "the way things are going." Risk-taking poor individuals now commit crimes of armed robbery, while risk-averse individuals commit crimes of drug sales and identity theft. Again, the only behaviors that are copied are the behaviors supporting caution or the lack of caution.
The more profligate the corruption at the top, the more outrageous the anti-social behavior will be at the bottom. The first public clue to widespread corruption is an increase in local crime, unemployment and prostitution, coupled with an increase in outrageous behavior in schools, sports events and places where alcohol is served.
When adults commit crimes against children, and when children routinely engage in acts of cruelty against each other and small animals, these are signs that the corruption has become thoroughly entrenched in a regional society. Parents are communicating their corruption to children, perhaps by screaming, threatening, or attacking them, and secretive acts committed throughout the community (murdering pets or wildlife, arson, vandalism) demonstrate a growing depraved indifference to life, a growing disrespect for the feelings of others. School teachers, coaches or administrators become oppressive, threatening, they engage in severe punishments more frequently than in the past. Politicians call for stronger laws to "deal with these out-of-control teen-agers." Children and teens exchange acts of corruption and cruelty in the schoolyard. Drug use may increase if drugs are available. Frustrated teen-age drivers swerve on the highway to kill raccoons and possum because it "makes them feel better." Verbal communication in the lower classes of local society begins to be infused with threats, intimidation, bullying, anger, contempt, ridicule. Jokes become jokes about death and murder: "Oh, look," a pretty girl says, "a small child, kill it," and all her friends giggle. Signs posted in the local public park threaten litterbugs with prison. "Civilized" young adults gossip and there are no limits to the lies they spread. To a stranger, the local society appears vicious, more dangerous than a ghetto.
All these signs are symptomatic and related. They are forms of evidence indicating the local society is damaged by the corruption in leadership. People are angry and frustrated at being unable to improve their situation. An error frequently made by investigators is the assumption that when one or two flagrantly guilty persons are indicted, the investigation has been successful. This is generally not the case when corruption originates at the top of society. When "successful" persons in the middle of a hierarchy are violating ethics and laws, they are taking their cue from at least one, perhaps all, of the top five senior leaders in the organization. Someone up above middle management is "getting away with something," and the flagrantly obvious deviants below are merely copying what they see.
Throughout the organization, people "know," without having proof, that their leadership is corrupt and that the corruption is bleeding into the lives of average citizens, it is affecting business, it is altering the economy. There will be programs to "cut spending" because the leadership has been siphoning money out of the local or company economy to fill their offshore accounts.
When money becomes unavailable or more expensive, honest bankers and savvy journalists begin to question where the money is going. Soon the leaders confirm their suspicions by erecting barriers to public communication, barriers to criticism. They design twenty-page "security agreements" which all employees are required to sign; the excuse is security, but the purpose of these agreements is to prevent whistleblowing and exclude union activism. Leaders may refuse to answer questions or sit for interviews. They punish those who ask "too many questions." Journalists may be threatened, lose their entry credentials, suckered into other stories with red-herring bait or their editors may be influenced to reassign or terminate them. In cities and towns, new laws may be passed to prevent public meetings or to require a license application and fee for any person or group sponsoring a large gathering of citizens. The police may investigate anyone found to be circulating a petition. This will be "for the security of the community." Whispering campaigns may warn middle-class citizens to "keep away" from someone considered too inquisitive. Strangers may circulate through the parking lot, writing down the license plates of citizens who gather to discuss the problems of the community. Threats are focused on the wives and children of men who attend those meetings, because women "fold" more readily.
The overall message sent down to the working poor by a corrupt leadership is this: "You are powerless, we are strong. We can terminate you, we can take away your pension and your medical insurance. We can have you arrested and punished. We can have you ostracized from your community. We can have your children harmed if you make it necessary. We can frighten your wife, and if she cannot convince you to behave, we will harm your children. Do you want to be responsible for the pain they suffer?"
When a small town is prosperous, it is generally prosperous because one of two situations exists: 1. Everyone works very hard, they cooperate, they exchange information and they have a "one for all and all for one" attitude. OR, 2. There is one key player which provides employment for a lot of people. When that key player (a big factory, a bank, a military base) hires many workers and contracts with small business in the region, the economy is boosted, people become prosperous, and the middle class becomes generally thankful that the key player is in their little town. They would consider it a tragedy if the key player moved or went out of business.
A relationship between any two individuals will evolve, will change, as the individuals enjoy prosperity or suffer financial loss. The relationship between citizens of a town and the management of a key player is no different. Sooner or later, the key player begins to recognize the financial dependency of the town's middle class on economics generated by the key player. Suddenly overconfident, the management team of the key player begins to communicate heightened expectations of cooperation from middle class citizens. They begin to make demands. Who has not observed or heard of the heavy-handed influence of a large factory in the elections of a small town? The management of the factory wants greater influence in the design of laws and enforcement of law in the town; therefore any unethical exercise of power to support the factory's chosen candidate becomes acceptable behavior...as long as it is secret.
The longer the factory or bank controls the town, the more radical the demands of its management become. They have grown confident in their power and they feel they have a divine right to increase their control. Simultaneously, their overconfidence leads them to make decisions which they know would cause a public outcry if the decisions became known. So, overconfident, but feeling guilt and fear at the thought of "being caught," they make decisions which can only be described as a cover-up. They become desperate to halt inquiries made into their dealings, they begin to make "enemy lists," they engage in secretive behavior. Threats and lies follow the secrecy, terminations of "talkative" employees follow the threats and lies.
When a key player is continually successful at electing its "insider" candidates to the town council, the swelling confidence of management makes greater demands on the candidates who are elected. The pressure is on to accomplish tasks the key player has decided are necessary to its success. At the same time, co-optation strategies (bribery, extortion, threats, public accusations) are used to gain the unwilling cooperation of "outsiders" who are accidentally elected. As a result, new laws are passed to support activities of the key player, and to thwart activities of those who are considered by the key player to be its enemies. Thus we have the image of the one-factory town in which the one factory is acknowledged by all citizens to "have the whole town sewed up."
Two aspects of behavior exist to demonstrate when a key player is moving aggressively to dominate a small town. First, the "outsider" candidates complain during elections that they are attacked unfairly, that others are telling outrageous lies about them, and that the truth they tell is never printed or distributed by local media. Second, the design of laws passed by "insider" legislators may provide clues to the influence of a key player.
In a typical town, a petty law exists and is strictly enforced. No citizen is allowed to post bills or signs on the telephone poles and fences belonging to the town. This seems unfair to most Americans, it is a custom in free cities of America, when your puppy is lost, you put a picture of the puppy on a sign saying "Lost Puppy" and staple the signs on phone poles around the neighborhood. But in a town where the greatest fear of the key player's management is a union organizer whose sign might read: "Fight for Union Wages, Bob's House, Saturday Night!" the posting of bills is strictly prohibited and violators are warned, threatened, arrested and prosecuted.
Rejecting behavior toward "undesirables" has become more sophisticated since the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the various Hate Crime laws of more recent vintage. Blatant, angry behavior of power groups toward the people they despise has disappeared, and rejecting activities are much more subtle and refined. These actions fit into a formula combining freedom of speech, legal acts of avoidance and secret maneuvers or gossip. When a large, successful organization engages in rejecting activity, the actions of their supporters are subtle and sophisticated, because they are advised by attorneys. These rejecting behaviors become habitual among the middle-class culture which seeks to imitate and please the powerful organization which dominates them. Thus we have the image of the "town without pity."
As the key player becomes more powerful, the desire of the management team for control and domination of the town begins to violate the U.S. Constitution. Laws which are not strictly legal are passed to keep "undesirables" out of town. Forms of propaganda may be circulated, may even be taught in the high schools and preached in the churches. The propaganda is designed to destroy respect for the federal government, especially with regard to investigative agencies which enforce financial (SEC, FDIC), environmental (EPA), labor (National Labor Relations Board) and other major groups of federal laws. Any "over-the-top" conspiracy theory which is being fed to young people should bring an investigation of the school board, the church hierarchy, or whatever decision-making group is responsible for championing this propaganda. Investigators should inquire to learn why the theory is being taught and who financed the effort. Members of the public should be informed that they have a right to refuse the "training" sessions, disagree with what is taught, and that any effort to punish them for disagreement is illegal, discriminatory and a good reason for a public lawsuit. When whole communities are spoon-fed a political theory which undermines respect for the government, there is usually a financial payment, funds are donated to churches and private in return for the delivery of the desired propaganda. The source of financing should be publicly identified.
In one town, when newcomers rent or buy into the neighborhood, they are visited within the first weeks by a middle-class neighbor, generally smiling and bringing a small gift. A clue to the purpose of her visit may be the number of questions she asks, specifically with regard to how the newcomer earns a living. The newcomer's next experience will be of two policemen showing up at his door, asking questions and mentioning that they have received an anonymous complaint. The police will have checked the newcomer's arrest record, they may demand his social security number. These visits by police will never stop, they may be weekly, monthly or quarterly, but their investigations will continue as long as the anonymous complaints keep rolling in, and the complaints will continue until the unwanted newcomer leaves. The police will never mention that the officer taking calls at the station knows all the middle-class and wealthy people in town by the sound of their voices. In a small town, there is no such thing as an anonymous report, but the officer at the phone is careful never to write down the names of leading citizens.
Middle class citizens involved in a local culture which protects the key player will shun or insult certain newcomers. This is a demonstration of their confidence and their fear at the same time. They owe their prosperity to the powerful mover-and-shaker, so if a newcomer is identified by insiders as an undesirable, they feel no social obligation to be polite or to moderate their anti-social behavior. They may quietly insult him with a smirk, they may scream at him in the public street, they may quietly gossip behind his back, but their behavior will not be moderated by any obligations to the ideals and ethics of the larger society. They are demonstrating their membership in a powerful, ghetto-like gang.
This membership is strongly enforced by gossip, and it creates comical situations. Members of the insider group have been warned away from the newcomer. They have been told not to deal with him or do business with him, to make him go away. Some of these members may accidentally become involved in a conversation before they realize they are speaking in public with someone who must be shunned. Suddenly the face registers surprise, the insider stops talking, steps back confused, turns and walks away without even finishing a sentence. When this happens three or four times, assume you are being shunned. Make a list of the people who are shunning you.
An associated clue might be your equality of racial and economic status with the insiders. If members of other races are shunned, or if middle-class people self-importantly shun working-class people, the newcomer might decide the cause of shunning is his racial or economic differentiation. But if a man is white, middle-class and Christian, and he is shunned by white, middle-class Christians, that is a clue which has great importance. The newcomer is perceived as a threat; the members of the clique which supports the key player have something to hide. They fear the newcomer.
Because he is their intellectual and social equal, he might perceive their secret. He might "see right through them."
"Yeah," says the tough detective. "White men know all about gravity. Crap rolls downhill."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)