Death Penalty in New York State Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Death Penalty in New York State - Research Paper Example George Kendall is documented as being the first man to be officially put to death in colonized America by the state in 1608. Since then over 20,000 accused criminals have been executed in America for a variety of offenses ranging from murder to property crimes. The inclination of jurists to award the death penalty almost at will in the early part of American history was partly influenced by the lack of penitentiaries and an organized prison system. Execution was seen as the primary method to protect society from subversive and anti-social elements. Capital punishment was also employed as a means to control the slave population and many disproportionate capital sentences were imposed on slaves of African descent when the same would not have applied to Caucasians. In New York attempted murder or rape were capital crimes only when committed by slaves (Acker, 2003). The colony of New York was originally under the control of the Dutch albeit without any formal legal system. The death pena lty was practiced and administered in an arbitrary and reckless manner in those early days. It was often the case that when the culprit could not be identified, the accused would have to â€Å"draw lots† in order to determine who would be executed. The arrival of the British to New York saw the implementation of a penal code, where the death penalty was still a frequently awarded punishment. In 1741, 18 white colonials and 13 slaves were sentenced to death by burning at the stake. However, the new British legal system also contained a clemency clause. An individual on death row was eligible for a pardon if they agreed to leave the colony or chose to enlist in the armed forces. As a result of this provision during the 18th century 51% of individuals sentenced to death in New York were eventually pardoned (Heller, 2008). The death penalty statute continued to evolve after the formation of the United States of America and the subsequent imposition of its new legal system. In 188 8, The New York State Assembly passed a statute which would see it become the first state to directly administer the death penalty. According to the statute the death penalty was mandatory for extremely grave and depraved offences. The law also called for a new method of execution, which was â€Å"death by electricity†. William Kemmler became the first man to be executed by means of electric chair, in 1890. Up until the 1930’s the State of New York was responsible for more executions than any other state. During this period state statutes were amended in order to encompass a wider array of crimes that could be punishable by death. The most significant of these was kidnapping, influenced greatly by the â€Å"Lindbergh baby’ saga which dominated headlines during this period. Due to these amendments juries were also instructed to give sentencing recommendations in trials where the convicted were eligible for capital punishment (Heller, 2008). Rise of Abolitionist Movement Throughout the colonial era and up until the mid 20th century voices that were opposed to the death penalty slowly began to grow in strength. By the 18th century many American’s had begun to question the application of the death penalty for crimes that were petty and trivial in nature. Dissenting voices could also be heard in

The Impact of Social Media and Viral Marketing on the Film Industry Essay

The Impact of Social Media and Viral Marketing on the Film Industry - Essay Example Different network websites focus on different issues which include books, general, film, music, community, health, education and tourism. A Marketing technique similar to a self-replicating virus through an internet, using social networking or other internet applications for creating or increasing brand value is called as viral marketing. According to St-Amant (2012 p. 1), a patient principal uses viral marketing for stronger results. This paper seeks to analyse and make recommendations as to how the managers of the film industry can respond to the issues relating to social media and viral marketing considering their impacts on the industry with justification for recommendations. Evolution of social media over a period of time indicates how businesses have made use of it for marketing. Understanding the developments taken place in social media is important for evaluating its impact and reorienting our strategies in line with technological changes. Evolution of social media Once, word of mouth was the greatest marketing mantra. Also, rumour gets thicker as it spreads. In social media, it can become a mania or rage due to viral power in self-replicating techniques, if the strategy is logical and sound. According to Hinz et al (2012 p. 12) ‘hubs and bridges are key to the diffusion of viral marketing campaigns.’ Social media has broken the concept of ‘time’ in marketing perspective. Time and place are no longer the prohibiting factors in viral marketing in social media. The Web 2.0 phenomenon made collaboration with the customers easier.... 12) ‘hubs and bridges are key to the diffusion of viral marketing campaigns.’ Social media has broken the concept of ‘time’ in marketing perspective. Time and place are no longer the prohibiting factors in viral marketing in social media. The Web 2.0 phenomenon made collaboration with the customers easier. A single new contact brings all of its other contacts to the business in viral marketing that could be compared with infection through a web of the network with endless permutations and combinations. ‘Going viral is like a calculus function mixed with the element of randomness – Brad Hines.’ (Torkildson, 2012) Viral marketing’s impact on brand or content propagated in social media can be positive or negative. The absence of copy rights or patent laws for the contents propagated in social media attracts people and viewership is encouraged. Monetisation of viewership becomes easier where there is surge in demand for content. The Ou tdated brand of Old Spice has been revived by P&G in their viral marketing strategy for the product. The Responses to the Old Spice marketing strategy ‘topped 6 million total views and 60 000 Tweets in the first 24 hours on YouTube’ (Mills, 2012 p. 165) Similarly, negative impact affects the business severely. In a way, it increases the level of corporate social responsibility among the companies as the customers’ views on corporate practices converge at a faster pace that forces the companies to review their strategies more in line with public expectations. ‘Greenpeace supporters were so successful at flooding Nestle's Facebook page last year that the Kit Kat maker's social media rep publicly lashed out’ (CNN Money, 2011). Social media is an evolving theme with a very short history. Releasing