Topic Proposal

• I am taking a global approach to presenting a policy argument about to issue of police corruption in the United States of America.
• The issue at hand is that police corruption exists in America today, and not enough measures are being taken in order to prevent/stop its occurrence.  Corruption, which is by definition, "the abuse of police authority for personal or organizational gain," comes in many forms, including drug trafficking, money laundering, stealing equipment, bribery, blackmail, extortion, illegal use of lethal force, or personal favors for friends and family members.  Police forces are supposed to be upstanding, virtuous protectors of the people, but this is not always the case. 
• A solution to the prominent problem of police corruption in America includes a multi-fold program initiating the help of U.S. government, U.S. law enforcement agencies, and also of U.S. citizens.  The solution involves many areas, specifically, higher recruitment standards, a more stringent emphasis on ethics during training, an increase in the responsibilities of police management officers, and working to control both the future and present actions of the officers in ways that both prevent and put a halt to unlawful behavior through punishment. 
• This proposed solution would help fix the problem for many reasons.  First, part of the issue alone is that unqualified, undeserving officers are being hired, and more competitive recruitment qualifications would fix this problem alone.  Secondly, if the officers are trained from the onset of their careers to behave like the respectable, hard-working policemen that they should be, they will be less likely to stray from their intended career paths.  Also, officers in managerial positions need to be more focused on controlling the behaviors of their subordinates so as to report and punish officers who are doing the wrong.  Preventative actions can be taken to ensure that officers do not even have any opportunities to act corruptly, and disciplinary actions can be taken to establish a reason for officers to fear corruption and the consequences of it. 
• I am basing this proposal on the perspective which stated that too many police officers in America today are abusing their power and doing more harm than good.  People who support this opinion believe that corruption is a major problem among law enforcement agencies, and it needs to be addressed as soon as possible. 
• Goldschmidt, Jona. "The Necessity of Dishonesty: Police Deviance, Making the Case, and the Public Good." Policing & Society 
• Holloway, Brandon. "Police Corruption." International Encyclopedia of Justice Studies
• "Police Corruption." Inquisition 21st Century
• I am concerned about being detailed enough in my proposal to stop/decrease police corruption.  I hope that I can clearly articulate exact, detailed ways to stop the problem, instead of just proposing broad, general ways to try and fix it.

Campus Issue

I would choose to improve the issue of parking on the USC campus. This is a persistent and extremely prominent problem amongst both students and faculty, and it would be very helpful if the school did more to help fix the problem. There are more cars than there are parking spaces, so often, people are forced to park in illegal spots, or spots with meters that have very short time limits. I personally already spent $350 on a garage spot per semester, and still have accumulated an outrageous bill for parking tickets in addition to the initial parking permit fee. The parking permit that I purchased only allows me to park in one, singular parking garage. So, what happens when students need to drive elsewhere on campus? They have nowhere to leave their cars, so, having a car is almost useless because it can only be left in one place. In order to fix this problem, more effort could be made to build more parking garages in places where only small lots exist. Also, people with parking permits to one garage could be allowed access to an array of parking lots and garages, not just one. Another helpful change would be if the costs of parking tickets were lowered. The university has complete control over these prices, and they seem to be greedily creating revenue that is not necessarily deserved. If students do not have access to the classroom buildings, workout facilities, and residence halls, then what is the point of them paying such exorbitant housing, book, and tuition fees in the first place? The school is here for the students to learn in, so why should they be punished for parking outside of their own dorm building or their own classroom building for too long? Tickets should not be given so frequently and at such high rates, and more effort should be put towards creating more ample parking lots, garages, and spaces around campus.

Free Write

One instance that changed my perspectives on an issue of importance occurred in my senior year of high school when two girls in my graduating class announced that they were pregnant. Coming from a small, private Catholic high school, it was always taught in our religion classes that abortion is never the answer. However, once these girls both became pregnant and decided to keep the babies or have them and give them up for adoption, they were frowned upon and ostricized by much of the community. It seems that there is a double standard, and although so many people believe that abortion is inhumane, should be illegal, and is an ethically and morally corrupt act, many of the same people judge a girl for NOT getting an abortion if they are pregnant out of wedlock. I now believe that abortion is unfair to the unborn child, and if a mother decides to keep her child, despite whether or not she is married, or too young, etc., she should be admired and not judged for having sex in the first place.

SWA #11: pg. 336 #9

The credibility of an article can be measured by whether or not the source is associated with an upstanding, recognizable organization, by the domain that it is listed under, by whether or not the source is published in a peer-reviewed journal, by if it is current, well-edited, reasonable, well-documented, and by if it is moral, ethical, and supported by evidence that is unbiased.  Based on these various types of criterion, not all of the articles on homelessness in Columbia would be considered credible.  The most credible articles might be those such as "What Did Not Work: Effort to Centralize Homeless Services" by C. Grant Jackson, and "Opposition to Shelter Rises" by John C. Drake.  These articles provide quotes from people offering opinions about the matter at hand, and they insert data and solid facts that serve as evidence to help support their points.  In contrast to the many editorials presented in this chapter, these articles are much more unbiased, and they portray all sides of the issue.  

Some of the less-credible articles in this chapter include "Columbia Council Should Support Mission, Homeless", "Columbia Must Care for Homeless as Well as Bantus", because they are editorials, and they do not even provide the reader with an author's name.  The level of  credibility is instantly detracted from because the audience does not know whether a trustworthy, reliable person is writing the words, and they are provided with no logical reason as to why they should trust the author's opinion.  These articles present much less solid, factual evidence helping to make their points, and instead, they offer subjective views about one side of the issue.  These would not make good sources in a scholarly research paper because they are limited as to the amount of reasonable proof and support they provide.  Less credible sources can however be used in a research paper if the writer is trying to sway the audience one certain way instead of arguing all sides of an issue. 

In-Class Writing

I. Out of the three articles written for The State newspaper, I think that ultimately, "What Did Not Work: Effort to Centralize Homeless Services," by C. Grant Jackson, was the most effective editorial. It discussed various reasons as to why the Four Corners of Hope project proposal was rejected, and it also continued on to state possible ways to fix the proposal and still make it work. It analyzed all aspects of the project, such as where it would have been located, how much time and money it would take to build, and exactly why the community thought it would or would not be an effective investment. It clearly presented the issue at hand, then it discussed a "Business Solution" to the problem, and also provided a section about "What's Next." It was positive and optimistic.



II.

SWA #10: pg. 336 #10

The three editorials from "The State" newspaper are entitled "One-Stop Homeless Center on Meeting Agenda Today," "What Did Not Work: Effort to Centralize Homeless Services," "Group Still Seeks Homeless Site." They all empoly a similar rhetorical style because they are all arguging the same general topic, about building homeless shelters and services in new locations. The arguments differ from piece to piece slightly, for example, the first article by John Drake argues that Columbia could potentially have a homeless center that features food, rehab, and shelter by next fall; however, it will be difficult, expensive, and somewhat tough to actually make the plans come to fruition. The second article, by C. Grant Jackson, called for the creation of the "Four Corners of Hope" project on Shop Road, but the project proposal failed, so Jackson discusses why it failed, and how its failure may have at least succeeded in directing the communities attention toward the prominence of the issue of homelessness. Jeff Wilkinson's article is short, and its argument is an overview of the first two editorials. The differences in the three editorials is the general attitude toward whether or not these homeless shelters should be built, how much time, effort, and money should be put towards their creations, and the author's beliefs about whether or not the community agrees or disagrees with the need for a homeless shelter/rehab center.

SWA #9: pg. 77 #4

Using the term "retarded" as a negative, derogatory insult is "hate speech" as Lynn Smith states.  Mentally retarded people have feelings just like those without disabilities do, and hearing someone indirectly attack them like that can really hurt their self esteem and bruise their egos.  It is safe to assume that anyone who uses the word "retarded" in a derogatory manner is not acquainted with anyone who is truly retarded.  If so, they surely would not use the term to describe their loved one.  Similarly, when teenagers are trying to make fun of someone, they might say "you are so gay."  However, they would not use this particular insult to attack someone who actually is homosexual.  Because people are implying that it is an undesirable, bad, negative thing to be "gay" or "retarded", they are imposing hate on those who they attack with these insults; therefore, it is "hate speech", and it is rude, demeaning, and ignorant. 

Using the term "retarded" to describe someone who is not actually retarded is not always "hate speech" because it is just a word that happens to describe someone with a mental disability.  A word becomes derogatory depending on how it is used.  By definition, the word "retard" quite literally means "to delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment."  Therefore, someone could correctly use the word to describe someone who may not exactly be mentally retarded, but who is having trouble accomplishing a task, or taking a long time to progress at a given activity, etc.  If someone was wasting their time chatting on the phone and watching television, it would not be "hate speech" if a friend told them to "stop being so retarded," because they literally are being held back in terms of progress and accomplishment.  In this sense, the term has nothing to do with demeaning or abusing a person with mental disabilities.  

In Class Writing #2

1. The issue being discussed is the controversy behind Barbie dolls, and the idea that they may cause poor body image in girls, and that Barbie is the epitomy of an impossible level of beauty that a normal female will never be able to obtain. Barbie dolls swept the nation and they are a crucial part of practically every little girl's childhood; they are everywhere, and they do also have many good qualities to them, such as improving imagination and being a positive, successful role model.

2. The argument is solid and well-analyzed. She thoroughly discusses all aspects of the argument and he provides good examples to back up her claims. The author creates lots of credibility for herself and logically appeals to the audience, who may be parents of children who want to purchase Barbies for their own children, or girls who own/owned Barbies themselves.

3. There are "anti-Barbie camps," "pro-Barbie camps," and "Barbie moderates."

• Anti-Barbie: Barbie sets impossible standards of beauty that girls strive for, but will never be able to reach, so they are setting girls up for defeat, and creating negative body images. Her thin, blonde appearance is a superficial stereotype, and she is overly materialistic.
• Pro-Barbie: Barbie fosters imagination and healthy games to play. She is also very multi-faceted, holding an enormous range of jobs/professions, and she sends a message that girls can be whoever they want to be if they set their minds to it.
• Barbie moderates: They recognize both the positive and negative aspects to Barbie dolls. By banning Barbie, there will still be poor body image, and she is not necessarily the source of the problem.

4. The author remains successfully unbiased. She presents all sides of the issue, shows several different viewpoints, and analyzes each equally. At the very end however, she does admit that Barbie is not necessarily the cause of the issues that people believe she has created among children in the world. She says that our culture is wrongly blaming the Barbie doll for issues that are inherently problematic already. Thus, although the entirety of the essay is unbiased and fair to each position, the author seems to favor the moderate Barbie standpoint.

Most Interesting Thing from Research

Throughout all of the reading and researching I did about the topic of police corruption, I found it to be very interesting that so many studies and cases have proven the prevalence and existence of extreme levels of corruption, yet it still exists. I wish that there were police officers to punish the police officers, just as they do to people who break normal laws. It seems that in our society today, whatever they say, goes. Research and studies showed that law enforcement officers even admitted to bending the rules and doing immoral things in order to benefit themselves, but, why is there still corruption? More effort should be put into the search for upstanding officers, and more training and regulation of their authority should be instated to ensure that integrity among police officers still exists.

Topic Proposal

1. I would like to explore the levels of corruption and the amount of integrity within today's police forces in the United States. Is there more injustice or justice amongst law enforcement officers, and are they given too much power?

2. There are many cases in which innocent people die, get injured, or murdered because of a police officer, whether it be directly or indirectly. While they often tend to go above and beyond their job descriptions in a positive way, sometimes they exceed their expectations in ways that are unjust, immoral, illegal, and unfair to the common citizen. People all over the country are affected by the police in both positive and negative ways. Many, probably those who have been directly corrupted by the actions of a police officer, believe that law enforcement agencies have been granted too much power and too few restrictions on how to use this power. Many others believe that the police are completely beneficial and valuable to society, and that they should have ultimate authority in all situations.

3.

a. Too many police officers are abusing their power and doing more harm than good.
b. The police are only doing their jobs and they should not have any limits or restrictions on the amount of power they are given. They are not corrupt and they are helping society.
c. Police officers have too much power but they are all deserving of their titles and positions, so the power is safe in their hands.
d. People who hold positions in law enforcement offices do not see that there are any flaws or issues in the systems or in their behaviors and practices.

4. I believe that police officers are in high demand, so the qualifications needed, the amount of training required, and the levels of background checks being performed on potential candidates are quickly decreasing. Holding a position a police officer is an extremely powerful, honorable, and arduous task, and I believe that those granted this privilege must be absolutely qualified and deserving of the job in every single way possible.

Annotated Bibliography

Goldschmidt, Jona. "The Necessity of Dishonesty: Police Deviance, Making the Case, and the Public Good." Policing & Society 18:2 (2008): 113-135. Academic Source Premier. EBSCO. Thomas Cooper Library, Columbia, SC. 24 Feb. 2009. .

This article is an actual case study relating to ten actual police officers, rather than a large, broad generalized category of police officers as a whole. The ten officers are asked their attitudes and beliefs about the use of dishonesty in their day-to-day practices, and their opinions on the motivations that may or may not cause police corruption among today's forces. This article is useful because it provides solid fact-based data and surveys from real, life officers who see firsthand the integrity of themselves and their peers, their subordinates, their bosses, etc.; this solid evidence would provide sound, logical, exigent evidence and support in my paper. They give honest accounts that explain how police deviance benefits themselves both personally and professionally; thus, directly helping me show that corruption exists and that it is prevalent.

Helms, R. "The impact of political context on local law enforcement resourcing: An analysis of deputy employment rates in US counties." Policing & Society 17.2 (2007): 182-206. Criminal Justice Abstracts. EBSCO. Thomas Cooper Library, Columbia, SC. 1 Mar. 2009. .

This source from the Criminal Justice Abstracts will be highly effective in my paper because of its thoroughness and complexity of analysis. There is a surplus of data and experimental support that will help show the differences in the strength of law enforcement agencies throughout various U.S. counties, particularly, the differences between more complex and less complex organizations. It states explores 190 different sheriff's offices throughout the United States, and concludes that law enforcement personnel are strongest and have the highest number of deputies in counties where voters are strongly supportive of law and order, and in counties that capture large portions of the county budget. This data could add an interesting spin to my paper by explaining several factors that cause a law enforcement agency to be successful and functional; if these factors are missing, there is a higher chance that corrupt and ineffective police officers will be hired.

Holloway, Brandon. "Police Corruption." International Encyclopedia of Justice Studies (Dec. 2002). 1 March 2007. .

This source is a definitional, informational summary and exploratory essay about the general issue of police corruption itself. It will be helpful in the essay to differentiate between what actions actually qualify as corrupt, immoral, or unlawful. People's opinions differ about what police officers should and should not be able to do. There are many ways to define corruption, but some of the violations include bribes, personal favors, being persuaded to look the other way for friends and family members, or more grandiose violations such as drug trafficking and money laundering. I must find an operational definition of what is just and what is unjust in order to write an unbiased exploratory essay, and this article will be very helpful in doing that.

Huberts, Leo, Lamboo, Terry, Maurice, Punch. "Police Integrity In The Netherlandsand and the United States: Awareness and Alertness." Police Practice & Research 4.3 (Sep. 2003): 217-233. Academic Source Premier. EBSCO. Thomas Cooper Library, Columbia, SC. 24 Feb. 2009
.

In this particular article, the authors compare the U.S. to the Netherlands in regards to their awareness about the set norms and values that police officers are to follow, and also in regards to their alertness, or their willingness to report acts of deviance or violations of their colleagues. This will be extremely useful because it offers a level of comparison to which I can relate the United States to somewhere else, to show other possible levels of integrity somewhere else. The article provides 47 in-depth interviews with police officers which will provide helpful, detailed examples of evidence to either show the corruption or the integrity of various police officers.

"Police Corruption." Inquisition 21st Century (2003). 25 March 2009 .

Similar to the previous source, this article gives in-depth analysis and break down of the various levels and types of police corruption. It discusses possible police executions through shootings or electrocution without prosecution, as well as various possibilities for corruption and the extent of the corruption. Much of this source is made up of letters and quotes from real people and responses from real police officers and politicians. The rebuttals from police officers about citizen's inquiries may offer valid support against the corruption and help show officers in a positive way. Specific examples will be needed as support and proof that there is or is not a real problem at hand.

"Police Shooting Revives Debate Over Use of Lethal Force." Criminal-Law Lawyer Source (19 Nov 2007). 24 Feb 2009 .

This online article is somewhat different than the other sources, because it is spurred by a very case-specific account of a one-time event. It comes from a Criminal-Law Lawyer Source website, so perhaps lawyers use articles such as this one to prove cases that are seeking to find a police officer innocent or guilty. It is very brief and concise, and it summarizes a police shooting in New York that killed an 18-year-old teenage girl. This killing is one of several that have made headlines in recent years, and this is a recurring problem among police officers. This short article will help set precedence and provide the paper with specific instances where police may have too much power. In this case, I can show that many believe that police should not have the ability to use lethal force, and that a large number of people are against their use of weapons, because innocent people are dying as a result.

Schafer, Joseph A., Martinelli, Thomas J. "First-line Supervisor's Perceptions of Police Integrity- The Measurement of Police Integrity Revisited." Policing- An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management 31:2 (2008): 306-323. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Thomas Cooper Library, Columbia, SC. 26 Feb. 2009 .

This is a very informative and relevant article that analyzes the operational definition of police integrity. It explores how supervisor's define police integrity situations and the use of a police integrity instrument. 478 lieutenants and sergeants completed the survey instrument in this study, and it shows that respondents tended to claim that they had better integrity than their peers. This appears to be a common trend, and many police officers may not see themselves or their actions as being corrupt, while citizens, or even fellow officers may disagree with them. First-line supervisor's opinions are important to take into consideration in this paper because they probably play a large role in the hiring, training, and regulating of officer's behaviors.

"Videos to be Installed in L.A. Police Cars." Criminal-Law Lawyer Source (30 Nov 2006). 24 Feb 2009 .

This article is also an extremely short and brief source that comes from the Criminal-Law Lawyer Source. It is stating that in 2007, new digital video cameras would be installed in many Los Angeles Police Department patrol cars in order to keep a closer watch on how arrests are made, and whether the police officers are following procedures and regulations correctly. It is not very detailed, but it shows that efforts are being made to maintain justice and integrity among police officers, which is an important position to be discussed in my paper. I want to show that if police officers are in fact using unnecessary force or illegal actions to make arrests, at least the issue is being addressed, and it has come to the attention of LAPD inspectors.