Grimshaw V. Ford Motor Company Essay Example for Free

Grimshaw V. Ford Motor Company Essay Facts: 1. Ford developed a new model, later to be known as the pinto, changing the design drastically. 2. Ford discovered that the fuel tanks position was in a vulnerable place and the car failed to met crash safety standards. 3. Ford was aware of the small cost to help the fuel tanks meet standards but refused to use them due to the slight delay in production that might occur and approved production of the prototype. 4. A 1972 Ford Pinto was involved in a rear ending when it unexpectedly stalled causing the care (presumably the fuel tank) to burst into flames. 5. A Mrs. Lilly Gray was died as result and her son 13 year-old Richard suffered severe and permanently disfiguring burns to his face and entire body. Legal Procedure/History: 1. Grimshaw sued the Ford Motor Company for punitive damages. 2. Grimshaw awarded damages in the amount of about $3.5 million. 3. Ford appeals punitive damages. 4. Appeal is denied and decision to award punitive damages up held. Issues (Holdings): 1. Did Ford exhibit â€Å"malice† which is necessary to establish in order to award punitive damages? (Yes) 2. The punitive damages awarded are too high for current Californian law, is this unlawful? (No) Reasoning: 1. Malice has been also interpreted to mean â€Å"a conscious disregard of the probability that the actors conduct will result injury to others.† 2. Although higher than monetary penalties under government regulations, the punitive damages are to prevent firms in the future from disregarding safety and possible negative consequences. Rule of Law: 1. The primary reason for having and awarding punitive damages is to â€Å"punish and deter the conduct by wrongdoers and others.† Your Response: I completely agree with the decision. Questions 1. Punitive damages were awarded due to the fact that Ford was found to have acted with malice in regards to their production of the Pinto. It has been also interpreted to mean a conscious disregard of the probability that the actors conduct will result injury to others.† And this is exactly what Ford did when they disregarded the fuel tank findings and refused to add the safety precautions to the fuel tank. Although higher than monetary penalties under government regulation, the punitive damages were high in order to set an example so that firms in the future would be deterred from disregarding safety and possible negative consequences when producing their products. 2. Although the cost is higher than the saving in the short run I believe it would be to Fords benefit to take on the cost of adding the additional safety measures due to the fact that in the long run with more and more deaths attributed to what could be called the greedy, callous nature of Ford, sales could decrease. By absorbing the $137.5 million and allowing the public to know of Fords action (due to our concern over their safety) could possibly generate a good amount of future sales. On the other hand should the public discover that deaths could have been prevented public trust in the company could decline causing Fords sales to suffer the same fate. 3. First the actual cause of Holmes accident should be verified, if it was indeed due to the tires, then yes he should be allowed to appeal for a trial. 4. First of all, even though they bare the heaviest blame (in my opinion) they werent the only ones responsible for the advancement of the Pintos design. Putting them in jail would just make way for Ford to replace them with others who could potentially make the same decision. It would also be sending the message to other firms officers to make sure that they arent the ones holding the bag at the end of the day. This only put a few in the industry on guard. Having the entire company pay punitive damages causes the entire industry to be on guard and makes all within the company liable. On the other hand, having to pay such exorbitant amounts could potentially cause a company to go out of business or cause them to downsize (fire employees to save money) effecting all that work there, whether or not they were involved in the design and decision making process. (I.e. they could fire janitors that work at their offices.)

Invisble Man :: essays research papers

Invisible Man – Part II by Ralph Ellison Before being expelled Dr. Beldsoe tries to make a deal with the narrator. He says â€Å"if you can get a well paying job in New York, you can come back to the college†(pg. 101). The narrator agrees to this, and Dr. Bledsoe gives him several letters of recommendation and sends him on his way. When the narrator gets to New York, the son of Mr. Emerson, one of the people Dr. Bledsoe wrote a letter to, tries to tell the narrator about the tyranny that he is being exploited by. But the narrator refuses to listen until he is shown the letter that Dr. Bledsoe wrote. He discovers that all the letters of recommendation are phony and that Dr. Bledsoe never actually intended for him to be able to re-enroll in the college. This realization finally causes the narrator to become at least partially disillusioned. Because of this, he decides to forget about the college and takes a job at a paint factory. At the paint factory he begins working as an assistant to Lucius Brockway, an old black man that works the machines in the basement. Brockway explains to the narrator that it is the people who work the machines, and not the machines themselves that are responsible for the success of the company. He tells him, "We the machines inside the machine." The narrator, however, fails to grasp the broader meaning of this quote. Afterwards, Brockway tells the narrator that a union has been trying to get the employee’s higher wages and that if that happened the paint factory could go under. When Brockway discovers that the narrator went to a union meeting, he attacks the narrator. While they are fighting, the machinery goes haywire and when the narrator tries to fix it, it explodes, knocking him unconscious. The narrator wakes up in the factory hospital. At first he thinks they are going to help him-that they are going to try and relieve his pain and suffering. But again, this i s only a naive illusion. Instead, he becomes a guinea pig for experimental electroshock therapy. The electroshock therapy causes him to forget who he is. This is symbolic of how his continual exploitation has been robbing him of identity. After he recovers from the amnesia and leaves the hospital, he realizes that he is no longer afraid of important men since he no longer expects anything from them.

Improving Health and Wellness in Students Essay

Rising consumerism is a problem that has a profound effect on children today.   Children and adults watch television and are inundated with commercials that urge viewers to buy the latest technological gadgets that replace outdoor activities and exercise.   As well, the latest candy, ice cream, and other unhealthy products are cast in between cartoons that capture children’s attentions and their parents are pressured to please their children and buy them material objects to satisfy them rather than engaging them in healthy activities and studying much of the time. Many parents are working and have little time to spend with their kids, sitting in front of the television together or encouraging kids to quietly play with their gadgets (play stations, computers, and others), so parents can relax may become the norm.   To make up for this lack of involvement many parents guiltily give in to children’s whims and buy them candy and unhealthy food, to save time â€Å"fast-food† replaces a healthy dinner and that much needed time at the dinner table to interact and be involved in their children’s lives. An efficient school program would not only target the youth, but their parents, as well then.   â€Å"Operation Pause the PlayStation† will be aimed at educating parents and children separately on issues involving obesity and other unhealthy behaviors.   It is probable that parents of children, who are not obese, will be less receptive and unlikely to come to these after-school classes. But, it is postulated this involvement program will be less receptive if it were labeled as a program for â€Å"troubled kids†.   Therefore this program will have the contingency that children will not be able to pass to the next grade level unless parents attend (this is fitting as the program should be implemented at the end of the school year before children have summer break and may be more sedentary and involved in unhealthy activities without the benefit of healthy school lunches and physical education). Therefore, parents and children should attend at least three classes that tackle these problems.   Class one should tackle the â€Å"McDonaldization of Society† and demonstrate that busy working families do not mean to do their children harm when settling for fast food, but that fast food is unhealthy and can lead to obesity and/or unhealthy learned behaviors that will follow children into adulthood. â€Å"Giving in† to children and buying them unhealthy food to fill the void that is left from lack of quality time, should also be addressed.   Most importantly, the lack of parental involvement in school activities due to rushed lifestyles should be addressed.   This class will be a sort of forum, as well, not meant to single out any parent, but an opportunity for parents facing the same kinds of strain to network with one another and see that they can be part of a healthy solution. Class two should encompass the overuse of technical gadgets (including television) that interfere with healthy activity.   Teachers of these classes that can be taken from high school level health classes and may choose films or other forms of media that deal with these issues to show that, in a sense, these parents and their families are â€Å"victims† of consumerism. Outside of class, more and more children are watching more and more TV, to the point that they are watching approximately 40,000 TV commercials annually. (The CEO of Prism Communication notes, â€Å"They aren’t children as much as what I like to call ‘evolving consumers’† (Heiner, 2006). Deconstructing these facts that lead to sedentary and possibly unhealthy behaviors in children from a larger, systemic base will, also, help parents to realize that they are not being singled out, but instead part of a consumer culture that demands this type of behavior. While the parents are involved in the first two classes, high school level physical education and health teachers should teach the children about food pyramid and what different foods do to help the body grow and be strong.   They should, also, focus on different exercise techniques that are fun and help to keep children in shape.   The two courses should help children to begin to think beyond McDonald’s and PlayStation and the children will take what they learn and teach their parents. This is what class three should be revolving around, a fun and light-hearted end to the requirement.   Here students will tech their parents what they have learned as far as healthy eating and a better overall lifestyle.   The parents will, most likely, appreciate that their children are making an effort to improve their lifestyles and will continue where the classes left off.   Additionally, there should be representatives from various summer camps and programs that are inexpensive , so that even children in poverty could attend.   The YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and other organizations should promote what they have to offer at this time and, hopefully the summer will serve as a break from studies, but a beginning to more healthy behavior. In conclusion, problems with obesity and unhealthy behavior are systemic.   We live in a consumer culture that causes both the old and young to sometimes believe that having â€Å"things† is essential.   Hurried lifestyles, as well, from long work hours, and especially in single-parent households may lead to turning to â€Å"fast food† and a lesser interest in school activities.   Competing with friends to have the most up-to-date technology may lead to parents having pressure put on them to provide these unnecessary gadgets and relaxing may start to take the form of television watching or other technological time.   These problems are not unique to any one group, but all parents and all children are at risk.   â€Å"Operation Pause the Playstation†, should help change attitudes on this. References Heiner, R. (2006).   Social Problems: An Introduction to Critical Constructionism.   New York: Oxford University Press. Insidehighered.com.   Advanced Placement Still Ascending.   (2007). Retrieved February 18, 2007 from       http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/02/07/ap.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leone, Peter & Drakeford, William.   Alternative Education: From a â€Å"Last Chance† to a Proactive Mode. (1999).   Reprinted with permission of The Clearing House: Volume 3, Number 2, November/December 1999: The Helen Dwight Reid Educational Foundation. Published by Heldref Publications, 1319 18th St. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-1802. Copyright 19.   Retrieved February 18, 2007 from http://www.edjj.org/Publications/pub_06_13_00_1.html. Payne, R.   (1996).   A Framework for Understanding Poverty.   p. 59.   Highlands: aha! Process, Inc.   

Bullshit Army Essay - 1247 Words

OP Sec Working Title Operational security is an extremely important part of our everyday lives while in a deployed enviroment. This fact is amplified that much more when the deployment includes being stationed in a country where the enemy could go undetected, as our foes do not wear a uniform. In a war where there is no front, and as part of our out reach with the citizens of the country that we are occupying, it would be incredibily easy for our enimes to merge themselves into our everyday dealings. With that knowledge, it becomes ever more imnportant to maintain a hold of items that could easily be aquired by our foes. These items include papers, documents, unlocked computers, and identification cards. If left unattended or†¦show more content†¦The easiest solution to preventing an unprepared operational security hit, aside from maintaining proper operational security is by reporting the incident as soon as it becomes known and by not obstructing any inquires made into the infraction. If th e knowledge of an unintentinal security breach is made aware to the proper channels, the necesary steps in prevention can occur. Being prepared helps to reduce significant amounts of damages that can be done if left otherwise unprepared, and unknowledgable of any of the specifics of the nature of the breach of security. With that being said, it is without a doubt not the best course of action to keep such things in-house, or attempt to cover up infrindgments of opperational security. By attempting to cover up an event as significant as an operational security breach, one can also infrindge on the Army Values. The army values are a guide line for behavior and conduct. As follows are the defenition of each values and a brief description as how each are affected by attempted cover ups; Loyalty Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. constitution, the Army, and other soldiers. Be loyal to the nation and its heritage. By not reporting critical information, one is indirectly being disloyal to his fellow troops. Withholding information also shows a lack of faith in anyone who could be in a position to aid inShow MoreRelatedTupac Shakur : A Influential Writer1966 Words   |  8 Pagesreason because it is meaningful music not some of the nonsense we hear today. Pac was born in 1971 in New york City. Although he represents him as a west coast rapper. His mother Afeni Shakur was a member of the Black Panther party. In this 10 page essay Im going to speak on his mother and what importance she had on him also on the whole country, and the black power movement. Also Tupac’s relations with Assata Shakur. Afeni Shakur also known as Tupac’s mother is much more important then just beingRead MoreRbi on Discipline Essay3991 Words   |  16 PagesOne thousand words on discipline, one thousand words on the Army Values, and one thousand words on what being a Soldier means to me, not counting words that are less than three letters in length, which i dont uderstand because they are words too, poor little guys, just cause theyre small , they dont exist? Discipline, this part of the rbi is being written and discussed on discipline. I am condudcting this rbi because myself along with a few other soldiers in the platoon fucked up today and sinceRead MoreAmerican Slang Essay 115481 Words   |  62 Pagesleft its mark with jazz and the rise of the machine, creating such terms as flapper - â€Å"a female dancer in a short skirt† and percolate - â€Å"to run smoothly†. The 1940s was the decade of the military with such coinages as pea-shooter, from World War II Army Air Force p ilots to denote a fighter pilot or plane, and the word buddy (meaning â€Å"pal†), which, although created in the 1800s, was heavily used by American GIs1 and took on a particularly sentimental connotation. This term later evolved into severalRead MoreEssay on Fall of Asclepius95354 Words   |  382 Pageswent to a flash game site. The big risk taker. If the teacher caught him playing online games, he would be kicked out of class immediately with the idiotic explanation of Its distracting or It takes up too much bandwidth. Both reasons were bullshit, though. But Thomas and Duncan were not ones to start something with the teachers. They were too smart for that. Luckily for Duncan, whenever the teacher says he has to go do something, it always means, Im going to smoke a joint, Ill be back in