Weekly Outline
Week 1, 1/14 -- Introductions
Week 2, 1/21 -- What is literature? What is identity?
Week 3, 1/28 -- Narration, paper #1 due
Week 4, 2/4 -- Character, Setting, Symbol, Theme
Week 5, 2/11 -- Quiz #1, film
Week 6, 2/18 -- Poetry
Week 7, 2/25 - - Poetry, paper #2 due
Week 8, 3/4 -- Poetry
Week 9, 3/11 -- Poetry, paper #3 due
Week 10, 3/18 -- (out of class work on blog)
Week 11, 3/25 -- SPRING BREAK
Week 12, 4/1 -- Quiz #2 on poetry, Theory
Week 13, 4/8 -- Poetry paper #4 due, Theory, film
Week 14, 4/15 -- Theory
Week 15, 4/22 -- Theory, quiz #3
Week 16, 4/29 -- Paper #5 due
Week 17, 5/6 - Final Exam PARTY
I think technology plays a key role in the decrease in crime rate. In the late eighties and early nineties, there was not the heavy use of cell phones or tablets like we are seeing today. Computers were not as advanced and people did not have the immediate access to communication. They used land lines, pagers, went door to door, and mailed letters; but with technology, those are becoming a thing of the past. Now that communication is ready at our fingers tips in a matter of seconds, I think it makes people think more cautiously about committing crimes. Most cell phones today have cameras and can take videos, which makes it easy for criminals to be caught in the act of taking part in criminal activity. Security cameras are more advanced than ever and no longer require multiple "tapes" to record footage. I also think that social media can even help out with crime reduction. For example, a business or law enforcement agency can easily broadcast a picture or video of someone committing a crime, and as we have seen before, it does not take long for a video to go viral. This can be a real positive step technology is bringing to society, but will it soon be an invasion of privacy?
ReplyDeleteBrett Gelineau
-Justin Brown-
ReplyDeleteCrime has dramatically gone down since the early 1990's due to three main reasons, we have increased technology, better police force organization, and we live in better time's now than we did back then. To begin with we have increased technology now that deters away crime, we have cameras every-where and as Brett was saying it doesn't take long for the media to get involved. Having cameras practically every-where makes it harder for criminals to commit crimes since they know the danger of getting caught is high. Another reason why crime has gone down is that we have made huge advancements in law enforcement. We have a much better organized system now compared to the early 90's. Personally having worked with federal and state law enforcement I have seen how structured and organized it has become. We have faster reaction times, high tech gear, and a well distributed task force that is able to cover vast areas making it easier to patrol. Another great point in why crime has gone down is simply that we live in better times now. The 1990's was a very problematic time frame for the United States. We had vast changes in the global economy, civil rights movements, Los Angeles riots, and heavy gang activity throughout the entire 90's. Obviously this would cause the crime rates to go up, once we started getting into the early 2000's we began to see the crime rate go down and the social tensions disappear. To summarize the 90's were a troublesome time frame for the United States due to a lot of different factors, but currently the crime rates have gone down and we are leaving the police reform era and moving into the community policing era.
ReplyDelete-Ryan Kay
I believe that crime has dropped throughout the decades for multiple reasons including a stronger sense to treat others equally, growth of our nation’s police force, and evolution of technology. The United States has taken many steps towards a more progressive outlook, such as stronger laws towards hate crimes and legalizing gay marriage in thirty-six states. Not only are we progressing as a nation through implementing laws, but also through our teachings, words, and actions. Another reason I believe crime rate has gone down is because law enforcement is the best it has ever been. Police officers are better equipped, educated, and trained today than they have been. Technology is also a huge factor in why crime rate has gone down. Besides there being cameras on every corner, we also have the technology to analyze crime scenes like never before. Although forensic technology is not 100% reliable, it serves as a piece of a puzzle to solve the crime. I believe that through education, support (counseling, groups, institutions, etc.), and progressive movement, the crime rate will continue to drop.
ReplyDeleteWhy did crime in the United States drastically decline from the 1970’s to present day? As stated in the article linked to this question there are many possible answers but not exactly one that is profound. I believe that the bill president Clinton passed to expand the death penalty and the extra billions of dollars that were given to the police force to fund more investigations on drugs, homicides, and other forms of crime definitely played a part in continuing the decline in the national average of crime. But president Clinton’s decision is not what started the initial decline in crime. Maybe the answer is as our country became more liberal and racial tension as a whole continued to decline we as citizens started to feel more unified and then with the events of September 11th in the year 2001 a patriotic vibe fed off that unified feeling and kept the decline of crime continuing. I am uncertain to exactly why crime has declined over the last half century but I am sure it is the result of many things that happened between the 1970’s to present day.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Ledo-Massey
I think the reason the U.S. is currently a safer place is because of how our society has evolved over time. I think we all have learned that there is a better way to handle our disagreements than murder and violence. Improving living conditions for our society has also helped because it decreased the tension between everyone. Poverty stricken areas were more likely to be areas with high crime rates. I have spoken with some of the criminologists at my internship and they agree that improved living conditions contributed to the decline of crime. The topic of technology has been brought up by many students and I have to agree with them. Technology has come a long way since it first started and has helped the justice system. It has only been a few years since technology has begun helping the justice system solve crimes, but our knowledge of how to use it has quickly increased which has made it easier for criminals to be caught.
ReplyDeleteChristopher Bijou
The US is experiencing lowered crime rates for multiple reasons. As the country advances, we find ourselves with a better looking future every day. Looking at the statistics, it appears people are becoming less violent and more tolerant. The social situation in America, while still radically far from perfect, is still generally better than it ever has been. This will generally lead to a more peaceful society, with less hate and class based crimes. Another large factor in this discussion is technology. Because there is a very slim chance a person could commit a crime without being caught, more and more people are choosing not to do anything illegal. Technology has become a large deterrent for crime. In a perfect world, no one would want to commit crimes in the first place, but being afraid of getting caught seems like a good second. A large amount of money goes into training and arming the police, and while some are poorly trained or irresponsible with power, many are good people that want to help keep US citizens safe.
ReplyDeleteAllison McDowell
The increasing number of law officials plays a key role in the drop of the crime rate. The larger number of officers allow more area to be patrolled. Hot spots such as certain streets or bars can be monitored more closely due to the higher number of officers. However, I believe that the decrease of crime is due to just natural causes. I think that history is experiencing a time of decreased crime rates that are beyond human capabilities. When this time of low crime rates is over and rates start to rise again, then another cycle of low crime rates will happen again in a never ending cycle.
ReplyDelete-William Canaday
I believe that crime went down in the past ten years because the new technology has given people more things to do rather than commit crime. The fact that people have more entertainment at their fingertips means that they are less likely to be wandering the streets and causing trouble. Also, the population is growing, but the amount of space is not growing. This means that more officers are enlisted and they all have the same amount of area to patrol. This means that crime can be more controlled, and people are less likely to commit crimes. The technology also makes it so criminals can be caught earlier. The mugshots can be shown on social media, meaning it is very hard to hide a crime from friends. DNA and fingerprint scanning also have become more advanced to the point of deterring crimes. - Brittany Clemmons
ReplyDeleteI believe the reasons behind the radical drop in overall crime are more effective due to our technology and longer sentences depending on the crime. The technology used during the highest crime records during the 1980’s-1990, s was not as commendable as the technology used today. Crime investigators today use many different kits to solve cases, Such as Trace evidence collection kit, blood collection kits, and finger prints etc... This makes the law force easier to find clues to severe crime reports. When congress came to an agreement and enforced the “Death Penalty”, this gave billions of dollars to the states to build more prisons and hire more police officers. the effect of this law was a success and had cut extreme crimes in half.
ReplyDelete-Hampton Schaffer
I think the U.S. is experiencing lower crime rates now because our quality of life is better than it was in earlier years and larger amounts of law enforcement means that more areas are covered. Technology could also play a very large part. The majority of businesses and public places now have digital security cameras, allowing activity to be closely monitored. Facial recognition software, DNA testing, and fingerprint scanning software allows police to identify criminals more quickly.
ReplyDelete*Megan McNeely*
The evolution of our society overtime has had a direct effect on the dramatic lowering of America's crime rate. In a lot of situations the law enforcement is able to stop a crime before it happens saving a lot of possible harm from happening. I believe that the past regulations and additions to the law enforcement portion are now paying off greatly. We have a greater amount of well trained law enforcement who have also gained a lot more respect from the public than in the past. I also believe a large reasoning of this decrease can be placed on the ability to obtain great amounts of technology. Also I believe that people have been able to see how committing a crime can pay a toll on your life in the long run. The prison systems have a harsh reputation steering people away from doing anything that could land them a spot within. I believe that this crime drop is a wonderful thing but that crime will always exist and should always be looked over closely instead of easily dismissed so that this rate can be maintained.
ReplyDeleteJordon Hepner
DeleteThe drastic decrease in overall crime is due to new technology and more experienced law enforcement. In the 1970's committing a crime was immensely easier to get away with. In this century, technology has made extensive advancements. Law enforcement can see, hear, and track anything they desire to. With the help of security cameras, phone records, finger print detectors, getting by that is the job of a mastermind. There is too much technology out there to miss evidence from cases. Also, there are many people employed in law enforcement positions and having more people in these jobs will help more laws be enforced. The stakes are very high for punishment, it could result in losing a job, not being able to own some things, the list goes on and on. Many people fear prisons since the harsh treatments of these facilities turns people away, as it should.
ReplyDelete--Natalie Diciaula
It would be nice to say that the decrease in crime is due to the improvement of human morals, but this is not the case. I believe the two main factors are police behavior, the increase in technology, and forensic science. People fear law enforcement more than they used to. Criminal cases are cracked much easier with new technology, for example, you have eyes on you every you walk out of your house. The higher imprisonment rate is a curse and a blessing because more criminals are locked up, but innocent people are as well. I believe that the police cross their lines and wrongfully accuse people more often than they used to. Many people would agree that at least once they have been unfairly harassed by an officer. People fear law enforcement, even people who aren't criminals. When did the fact that law enforcement was made to spread a sense of protection, change?
ReplyDelete-Angela Beabout
3 main factors***
DeleteThe dramatic decrease in crime rates could be dedicated to many of the different theories mentioned in the article. I think that the harsher justice policies contribute to the lowering crime rate by creating longer sentences for less severe crimes. I also believe that this change can be due to the overall evolution of society, and its newer generations. Eckholm mentions that teenage pregnancy, and juvenile delinquency also declined with the crime rate and can be used for further evidence of the changing youth culture. Trained and strict police forces could also be a reason for less crime, with officers focusing on crime related areas.
ReplyDeleteI believe the overall crime record has gone down because of technology, and our police force has become much better. Since the 1900’s, crime was a lot easier to get away with because they did not have advanced technology then. Now, if you tried to rob a store you would be caught on camera, and sensors would go off and it would be clear. Back then, it took a little training but not an extreme amount. Now, you have to go through immense training before you can go out on duty. You have to pass certain law tests, and a physical test to make sure you can handle it. With technology and better training, committing crimes has become much harder than it used to be. With the advancements of technology, it forces criminals to think twice before they go out and perform a crime.
ReplyDelete-Stephen Stroop
Technology has given criminals a run for their money. It's hard to steal when you know that your face is being recorded and your license plate was photographed six times before you even got out of your car. Cameras are always watching and they're always aware. I believe that technology directly contributed to the lowering crime rates. It has nothing to do with our morals in acting on whats wrong and whats right and everything to do with our egos and how our fellow man would see us if they saw us over and over again on camera.
ReplyDeleteThere are and could be several different ideas as to why there is a drop in crime. Perhaps the legal system is working. If we only live between seventy and ninety years why spend ten of those years in prison. Life is short and precious, if people take more time to think about there actions before they take them they won't wind up doing time in prison. With grants and loans more readily available there is a possibility that even the way of life of criminals may become more involved in education. Increased amounts of law enforcement, geared toward stopping low level criminals. Judges may also have an impact with increased prison sentences. The legalization of marijuana should not only decrease crime in some cases it will also create jobs.
ReplyDelete- D. Jones
I believe there are quite a few reasons the crime rate has dropped over the past decades. The legalization of certain things that used to be illegal could be one of the reasons, and certain things that used to be legal are now illegal. We have less poverty now than we used to, theft (and other crimes) are more common among poorer people. We now have better education, this allows people to expand their skill sets and achieve higher paying jobs. I believe the Civil Rights movement, and Women's Rights have brought our nation closer, and made us less violent towards each other.
ReplyDelete-Shane Parent