Banning Flag Burning Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Banning Flag Burning - Thesis Proposal Example The above lines perfectly capture the symbolic significance of the national flag. The flag is the most visible emblem of the country and is a reminder of the people who sacrificed their lives for the country. If one were to fully understand what the flag essentially stands for, it would become pretty evident that any act of insult to the flag is but blasphemous. Opposition to the banning of flag burning have been grounded on the premises of freedom of expression and speech. It has been argued that defacing the national flag is justified as a means of protected speech, a claim that is vindicated by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the USA. But one needs to understand the gravity of the situation. It is this very flag which stands as a tall symbol of the freedom guaranteed to every citizen of USA. People's protests are meant against the government, not the country. A clear distinction needs to be made between the government, which merely runs the country, and the nation itsel f. A nation, in all its essence, is greater than the political party in power. And thus, grave offence to a highly esteemed symbolic entity in the name of protest, does not do justice to the nation. More often than not, these protests are aimed at a political leader and his policies, and there are several alternative methods to exhibit public disapproval in such cases. Burning effigies of the leader in question is still justified, but burning the national flag is not only inappropriate, it also fails to serve the purpose. Flag burning is often defended on the grounds of civil liberties granted by the democratic governmental setup. The First Amendment protects the right to free speech, not vandalism.... As there are no absolute laws which deem flag burning illegal, the courts have often found it difficult to prosecute acts of flag desecration. The two most popular cases of flag burning have been Texas v. Johnson, and United States v. Eichman both in the year 1990. And in both the aforementioned cases, the Supreme court declared that flag burning was protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution. But there have been other acts of flag desecration that have ended in conviction. It is rather interesting to note that the cases which did in fact end in conviction involved milder forms of flag desecration like using the flag for commercial purposes. In one such case Halter v. Nebraska, the owner of a bottling company was charged with selling bottles with the American flag imprinted on them in 1905. In 1903, Nebraska made it a crime to â€Å"sell, expose for sale, or have in possession for sale, any article of merchandise upon which shall have been printed or placed, for purpose s of advertisement, a representation of the flag of the United States†. Under this law, the Supreme court ruled 8-1 to uphold Halter’s conviction. This case was significant for a variety of reasons- it was one of the first Supreme court cases pertaining to protection of the national flag, and also because it was seen as a moral victory for people who sought greater government regulation in the matter.

Reaction Time & Hemispheric Asymmetry Dissertation

Reaction Time & Hemispheric Asymmetry - Dissertation Example The tests failed to demonstrate a clear association with hemispheric aptitude in terms of reaction speed based on results of previous investigations in the literature. Introduction The two halves of the human brain are responsible for different perceptions and styles of information processing. Handedness as a functional preference begins with an entire half of the brain, one of which is personally dominant, and it is that dominant half that is used to process much information. Nonetheless, cognitive functions are enhanced when both sides of the brain learn to get along cooperatively, sharing capabilities in a balanced fashion. To optimize this sharing for the benefit of performance, there should always be room for strengthening whichever a person's weaker hemisphere happens to be. The left brain functions in a sequential, linear manner. It is an organizing, rank-making, list-maker. Left-brained individuals enjoy orderly planning, schedule-creation, and structured organization. Left-b rains finish tasks in sequence and enjoy the regularity that this regimented approach allows. And thus, learning in sequence can be easier for these individuals. Functions such as spelling are probably easier for left-brains. A sequential approach to mathematical calculations and stepwise directions are ideal conditions for this learner. This left hemisphere is also vital for many forms of communication. Aphasia can result from trauma, tumors or stroke-damage to the left hemisphere. Certain complex mouth-movements may be affected also. It is clear that language processing as well as spatial intelligence, and subtle movements involving hand-gestures are dependent on the left hemisphere. (Toga et al. 2003) In seeming opposition is the approach of the right-brained thinker. More haphazard and spontaneous. The right-brained thinker may drift through different modes and styles of thought. They may lack the regimented prioritization of the left-brained operator when they do complete the w ork they have set themselves towards. They may not accomplish less, but in a less direct fashion. A task may be delayed not because the right-brained wasn't applying themselves, but that they were applying themselves to many different priorities. Excessive regimentation provokes feelings of restlessness or rebellion. But schedules and order are still useful, and are perhaps more essential for this thinker. Editing, error-correction and spell-checking will be more important for this learner. Colors and images may be useful to this thinker as an organizational tool, as vivid depictions will be impactful for a right-dominant mind. Mnemonic devices should be the most beneficial for this thinker. In addition, the right cerebral hemisphere specializes in spatial perception and topographical comprehension, and men score higher than women when the input is restricted to the right hemisphere, or conversely, obtain significantly lower scores than women on such tasks after damage to this hemis phere. The left hemisphere specializes in language, and trauma here leads to aphasia, linguistic impairment in speaking, comprehending, or both. The fact that women score lower than men in right hemi-sphere tasks was for years explained in terms of the crowding out effect, a concept referring to the left hemis