Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Labor Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Labor Management - Essay Example Workers become members of unions seeing the past record, strength of the union and the reputation of its leaders in the organization. Union security often works to the advantage of the organization as well, because in such a situation the management holds discussions with a representative body of the workers and comes out with requisite policies. In addition, the management also gets a feel of the shortcomings prevailing in the organization. Ensuring the basic minimum wage standards: Law of the land stipulates some minimum wage for different types of jobs. But at times, some companies try to maximize their profits by cutting on the salaries and perks of their workers. The individual worker finds it difficult to raise his/her voice against such practices fearing adverse reaction from the management. But when such instances are taken up by the management, it helps in resolving the issues without any adverse impact on the individual worker. Protection of the basic human rights of workers: While working in difficult situations like coal factories, steel furnaces, chemical and fertilizer industry, colder places etc. the workers are supposed to have some protective equipment or shorter working hours in the harmful conditions. In case the management tries to compromise on these aspects, unions try to highlight it with the management or at other appropriate forums. Collective Bargaining Agreements: Quite often the wage stan... fixed by the management in consultation with the workers representatives by way of mutual agreements termed as Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA). Protection against discriminatory policies: If there are any effort by the management to discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age etc. the union will take up the matter with the management. Providing an informal forum to discuss problems concerning personal issues or official matters: Union meetings, conferences and conventions provide opportunities for interaction amongst the members, union representatives and the management. Quite often, it proves a very useful forum for coming out with remedial measures and taking feedback. (3) Identify actions by Government that have tended to strengthened or weakened union security in the private sector. Unions are not always liked by the government and the management, for a variety of reasons. Therefore the tug of war continues between the management and union representatives. Some actions of the government in the recent past which have resulted into strengthening the unions are; i. Enacting laws protecting the rights of workers ii. Fixing minimum wage standards and working hours iii. Taking cognizance of the hazardous situations in which workers of some industries have to operate and stipulating the requirements for adequate safety precautions. One of the key actions initiated by the governments which have resulted into weakening of the union movement is the excessive emphasis on outsourcing and contractual employment, which at times makes the workers ineligible for the membership of unions. Off-shoring and outsourcing implies that works are done by people in other countries, which again results in attrition in the organizations, thus weakening the unions. B. (1) Discuss
Monday, October 28, 2019
Form and Structure of Abigails Party Emily Huntley Essay Example for Free
Form and Structure of Abigails Party Emily Huntley Essay Mike Leighs Abigails Party was primarily shown on television and wasnt initially meant for the stage, until it was realised how successful it was. The plot is based around a mirror of two partys, one involving 5 adults all living in the same estate but of very contrasting backgrounds and classes which Mike Leigh also depicts, and the other of the sixteen year old daughter of Sue, whos organised a typical teenage rave. The essence of the play is that generally speaking the younger generations should be observed at parties but in Mike Leighs example the irony is that the adults seem just as drunk and obscene as what is imagined next door. This is where the comedy arises and is developed throughout the play as the adults keep a close eye on the teenagers but there is no one to observe the adults. Mike Leigh has also drawn the attention of the audience by focusing on class by contrasting the classes of the characters, Beverly and Lawrence who are aspiring for true middle class, a poor newly married couple and a middle class divorcee. This situation in itself is controversial due to Sue not being nearly as wealthy as Beverly and Lawrence but being by far the most cultured of the group. Another example of this would be shown in Ang, her occupation as a nurse can actually be called a well known and accepted profession, although she has little money and isnt well cultured or travelled, as an outsider you can see the intelligence that Mike Leigh has tried to depict over the other characters. The play is composed of two acts, both of which surprisingly end with the focus on Sue, the most timid character. I think this was purposeful on Leighs behalf as although she seems to be a pretty insignificant character she holds a lot of unknown power over the people in her company. Especially Lawrence who realises her class is above his and he aspires to be like her by seeking her approval. As the play develops so does the amount of alcohol consumed and the tension between the two married couples. Especially from Beverly and Lawrences points of view as they start verbally abusing each other in the presence of their guests, which I believe would not occur otherwise as Ang, Tony and Sue would realise their true characters. Therefore I could also state that the play is structured around class, parties and also alcohol. Everything in the play including props, lighting and sound effects is ultra realistic. The set includes real food and drink with a working record player and lamps, which provide the naturalistic lighting throughout the whole play, and the constant thumping from next door really makes the situation believable. To enhance the realism, Mike Leigh also wrote the play in real time, this means that the duration of the play is natural over the period of an evening, with no days or hours skipped. Another tool used by Mike Leigh to develop true realism is the use of colloquial dialect. There is no stylised or poetic language and also no imagery used. It is written so the audience can easily place themselves in the characters positions. Discussing the structure of the play is hard considering the definitions of A Well Made Play 1.) Exposition (introduction of characters and situations) 2.) Conflict (a huge problem is bought to the surface) 3.) Complications (the problem develops) 4.) Climax (the most dramatic, and tension filled part of the play) 5.) Dà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½nouement (the resolution) The exposition occurs between pages 1 and 13 when the characters are introduced to each other and also the audience. This is the period when the audience makes their own assumptions of the characters, and they can recognise different relationships and tensions. This is when we also realise about Lawrences hectic lifestyle and frequent suffering of heartburn so that his heart attack doesnt come as a complete shock and the audience understand and sympathise more. The conflict is primarily to do with Beverly and Lawrences relationship and the strain that it is clearly under. But we also see the stress between Angela and Tony periodically. The complication is when the tension builds as more and more alcohol is consumed predominantly between Lawrence and Beverly. The climax is clearly Lawrences heart attack, which is the outcome, of a stressful job, a nagging wife, being polite to unwelcome guests the consumption of alcohol and the constant thumping of the party next door. This is when the focus and drive of the play changes completely from the future life these characters have built themselves to the present situation. Lastly the dà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½nouement. In Abigails Party there doesnt seem to be a definite resolution, the play is left on a cliff hanger as the audience is left in the dark as to whether the conflicts have been resolved and if not the final outcome of the situation. Abigails Party is referred to as a comedy, but of various types, it contains a slight element of black comedy in the fact that Lawrence has a heart attack. But throughout the play, Leigh develops another form of comedy, not through one-liners, but due to the characters dialogue and movement etc. For example, Tonys monosyllabic answers, Angelas lack of social etiquette, Sues shyness and total dislike of the situation, Lawrences frequent cultural references even though everyone can see he is uneducated in Shakespeare and Beethoven and is simply attempting and failing to reach a higher social class (nouveaux riches). And Beverlys clear lack of self-control concerning Tony and insulting Angelas lipstick. Abigails Party is essentially written as a comedy, until the end, which presents more opportunities, and shows a more tragic and retrospective feel. This play is unique in that it is completely down to the director as to how they depict it as it can be of two extremes tragic or comic, excluding Lawrences death, which is clearly comic with the reference to Angs cramp etc. In the production I saw, it was comic and I thought this worked well but having considered it to be a tragic play I think this could be just as effective.
Friday, October 25, 2019
The Future of Computers :: Essays Papers Technology PC
The Future of Computers The computers of the future are expected to be smaller, faster and smarter. For the past 20 years, CPU performance has doubled about every 18 months. The PC will stay close to this pace for the next 10 years--a nearly 100-fold improvement in that time. The storage capacities of hard drives will continue to expand, they are currently growing at a rate of about 60 percent per year. Intel's Pentium II had only 7.5 million transistors. Within a few years, Intel processors should contain 50 million to 100 million transistors. In 5 years, computers will have 16 times the memory capacity they do now. "One big challenge is the time for the processor to acc-ess the memory. [One solution is that] the processor might be on the same chip as memo-ry. Every time you buy memory, you get a processor." Actual voice input will become a reality, but it may not be widely employed in offices because of privacy and environmental issues. Bill Gates predicts that within ten years, "every computer will have speech and linguistics built into it. Instead of typing or clicking, you'll tell your PC to launch this application or print that document. At the office, your e-mail message is just as likely to be a video clip. At home it probably means that your PC takes control of the lights, temperature, and appliances. When you have a prob-lem, software will look for conflicts, make sure drivers are up to date, when a fix is neces- sary, ask if you want to go online and get a patch. Later on, it will search for the medicine it needs with no intervention from you. Even later, software will watch what you are doing and step in when you're having trouble. In ten years there will be better input systems; handwriting, speech, visual recognition. As much as 90 percent of the operating-system co de will go to these new capabilities. Predictable hardware improvements and unpre-dictable software advances have been a signature of the personal computer industry, thisis simply supply and demand. Technologies That Will Change the World Digital Money-Disposable Money Cards, inspired by the success of prepaid phone cards. Web sites will be quick to accept the prepaid cards. Many items that have been free on the internet, such as downloads and plug-ins can be priced at fees of $1 or $2.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Euthyphro & Classics of Philosophy Essay
In its simplest term, the divine command theory holds that given that god exists; an act is good only because God commands it. In other words, anything that is not approved of by God cannot be considered to be good. A major problem associated with this view is raised in Euthyphro. The Euthyphro argues that the gods command things because they are good rather than that they are good because they command it. Seen from another angle, the goodness of things precedes Godââ¬â¢s command. However, considering the polytheistic nature of the society that Socrates and Euthyphro lived in, the conception that what is good is only good because gods command it may be challenged by holing that the gods may have differences in opinion especially with regard to issues of morality. As such, what may be dear to one god may not necessarily be dear to another. As such, one action may be both pious and impious. The divine command theorists hold that the source of all moral value is the will of God (Hall et al). Whatever is willed by God is morally good or obligatory and whatever he forbids is morally evil. With this regard, murder, theft and adultery are morally wrong because, and only because they are forbidden by God. On the other hand, justice and mercy are morally good only because they are approved by God. The majority of divine command theorists hold that there is no intrinsic Good. Whatever is done and willed by God is good and whatever opposes the will of God is bad. As such, the good has its foundation and existence solely in Godââ¬â¢s will. Indeed, it can be conceived that God can alter his mind and command murder. This is especially seen in the scriptures when he commanded Abraham to kill his son. He can also forbid acts of clemency. Simply by an act of will, God can change virtue into vice and vice into virtue. The divine command theory is first broached as a philosophical theory in Euthyphro. Euthyphro and Socrates are attempting to define holiness with Euthyphro proposing a definition that holiness is whatever is loved by the gods. According to Socrates, this definition is ambiguous in the sense that it does not offer any clear comprehension of whether something is holy simply because it is loved by the gods or whether its loved by the gods because it is already holy. By making a generalization from the case of holiness, it can be said that either something is morally good or right because God commands it to be so or that God commands it because it is morally good or right to begin with (Pojman, 2002). In other words, either moral value depends on the will of god or the will of god depends on moral value. In Euthyphro, the two options are dramatically presented. That is, either the source of value depends on the divine will or elsewhere. Both Socrates and Euthyphro agree that it lies elsewhere and therefore reject the divine command theory. They however do not explain where it rests. Platoââ¬â¢s view is right considering his god-independent Form of the Good. However, the argument in Euthyphro can be hardly applied to the Christian God. Platoââ¬â¢s argument, as taken by Leibniz and other philosophers may be seen in the following context; that ââ¬Å"honoring oneââ¬â¢s parents is good because God has commanded itâ⬠implies the counterfactual that if God commanded other things, those other things would be good. God, by the theory, could have commanded those other things considering how powerful He is. According to the divine command theory, therefore, if God had commanded that one should dishonor his parents, then dishonoring parents would be obligatory instead of forbidden (Wilkens, 1995). This is however absurd. The divine command theory is thus committed to counterfactuals about what would have been good that are patently false. The implication is that, even though God commanded the good, this is only so because it is good and not that it is good because He commanded it. The dilemma in the question of whether what is holy is holy because the gods approve of it, or approve of it because it is holy can only be clearer if the polytheistic assumptions are eliminated and the term ââ¬Å"holyâ⬠is replaced with ââ¬Å"rightâ⬠. If the question is restructured, it will appear as follows: does God command us to do what is right because it is right or something is right because God commands it? The question presents two possibilities. First, Godââ¬â¢s commands can be conceived of to be right-indicating or pointing towards rightness. Second, it can be conceived of to be right-making or creating rightness. This question is whether God is viewed as a Supreme Court justice or a legislator. The justice comprehends the statutes and can therefore suggest what should be done for one to stay within the boundaries of the law. However, the law itself is independent of the justice. The legislator on the other hand does not just interpret but also creates law. Until the lawmaker legislates, the law is not in existence. The question thus is; which gives a better conception of God? Voluntarists see God as a legislator since they emphasize on His freedom, will and sovereignty. As such, God is not bounded to the dictates of some standard that He did not create. Instead, right is right because God legislates it. The declaration of God that particular actions are good is right making. This view of God as a legislator evades restricting His freedom and power. However, this may create another problem. If God is so radically free and powerful, could he create a world in which torture is good? If His saying so makes it right and there are no limitations on God, could he decide that rape is virtuous? Affirming this option is frightening since there is a natural inclination to believe that a command that we ought to rape would be morally repugnant, even if it emanated from God (Ross & Stratton-Lake 2002). However, there is need to notice its implication. It assumes a standard of goodness that is independent of God. Otherwise we would not have at our disposal anything by which to measure the commands of God. With this regard, a conclusion can be derived that the gods approve of holy (right or goodness) because it is holy (right or good). Holiness is an objective feature of the world and as such, the moral order is just as a fundamental nature of the universe as the spatial or numeric structure of the universe. Our moral attitudes do not make actions good or right. Rather, they are responses to rightness or goodness. What makes our belief that something is good is the property or objective characteristic of being good that it possess. If one defines holiness as meaning what is approved by the gods, one is putting forward a naturalistic definition. If one however defines it as such that it ought to be desired, one is putting forward a non-naturalistic definition. However, both the definitions show that what is good is intrinsic as opposed to what the divine command theorists attempt to postulate. Holiness, goodness or rightness refer to a property or a quality of something and thus, this quality or property cannot be decided by the goods but rather exist independently of the will of the gods. However, there comes a challenge when they refer to a relational property rather than the intrinsic property of the things of which it is predicated. This is the major challenge not only to the divine command theorists but also to Euthyphro. References Plato, Euthyphro Pojman, L. (2002). Classics of Philosophy. Oxford University Press Ross, W. & Stratton-Lake, P. (2002). The Right and the Good. Oxford University Press Wilkens, S. (1995). Beyond bumper sticker ethics: an introduction to theories of right & wrong. InterVarsity Press
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
The Art of Ballet
The art of ballet started out as a fun dance for the wealthy and throughout history, has evolved into an elegant, world wide form of structured expression. From its beginnings in European cultures to its now widespread and diverse variations, ballet shows no signs of slowing down in popularity any time soon. Early ballet was influenced by the social dancing of its day, ballroom dancing. This art was born when the ancient Greek and Roman renaissance of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries took place, reviving an interest in all things human and the arts.The word ââ¬Å"balletâ⬠derives from the Italian word ââ¬Å"balla,â⬠meaning dance. In the Italian city-states of the fifteenth century, many ââ¬Å"balliâ⬠meaning ââ¬Å"dancesâ⬠were held. The ballis involved specific steps that our generation would classify as ballroom steps. Ballet got much recognition when Louis XIV ascended to the throne of France. He came from an arts school where he studied the arts of f encing, music, and dance. His passion for dance was very serious. So serious in fact, that he established the Academic Royale de Danse in 1661, employing 13 ballet instructors.Another well ââ¬âknown founder of ballet is Jean-Georgeos Noverre, also known as the ââ¬Å"Shakespeare of Danceâ⬠. He argued for a new, more expressive form of ballet. He created ballet dââ¬â¢action, meaning ballet with out instruments. The Romantic Period played a very important role in the development of women in ballet. This period began in the early eighteen-hundreds. The milestones accomplished within this time period included large female background dancers to accompany the prima ballerina, the lightening of female costumes, and women dancing en pointe.Dancing en pointe, turn out, and the basic five ballet positions exemplify ballet, and are now standard for all ballerinas. The next step on the road to modern ballet is the formation of classical ballet. While the first production of the ball et known as La Sylphide took place in Paris and most famous ballerinas of the day were still coming from Italy, the second half of the nineteenth century saw the axis of the ballet world shift from Western Europe to Russia. However, a Frenchman was responsible for this shift.Marius Petita created five of balletââ¬â¢s greatest classics in the late nineteenth century: Don Quixote, La Bayadere, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker, as well as restaging Giselle and La Coppelia. All of these classics share common similarities marking them as the trademarks of what is now regarded as the classical repertoire. They generally begin with group dances and evolved into complex stories between two or three main characters. The grand pas de deux, meaning big step for two, commonly begins with an adagio (slow, lyrical dance) between a male and a female dancer.The dance includes high extensions of the womanââ¬â¢s legs, multiple pirouettes, and big leaps forming a long straight line with the femaleââ¬â¢s legs in the air. Following the adagio is the allegro. This portion is merely a solo showcase of the male dancerââ¬â¢s ability and strength across the stage. An allegro for a ballerina features softer, yet intricate footwork and pirouettes. Finally, we have the coda, or finale, which reunites the dancers in an exuberant flourish. During that time period, three schools of classical ballet emerged.The French school is the oldest of the three. Known for its grace and elegance rather than its technical virtuosity, the French school was nevertheless held in high regard. The Italian school was known for its dexterity, difficulty of its steps, high leaps, and multiple turns. Lastly there was the Russian school. The Russian school was basically a hybrid of the prior schools. This school was held in high esteem due to its combination of serene elegance, breathtaking choreography, and the most complete and well-developed technique in all of ballet.The Russian b allet school slowly led the movement of ballet throughout the world and is responsible for how far ballet has grown. While Petipaââ¬â¢s traditional romantic style still held sway over Europe and Russia, Isadora Duncan, a freethinking American brought a completely new aesthetic to the stage. She believed in a more ââ¬Å"anit-balletâ⬠view of dance. She believed ballet was elitist and superficial. Duncan started a form of dance that was quite the opposite of what ballet was known for. This style of dance would be natural, free, and unbounded by rules.Duncan took her dancing on the road, touring through Europe and Russia alone, barefoot, and dressed in long tunics. The traditional aspect of her performance was the music she danced to, which was mostly Mendelssohn, Beethoven, and Chopin. She had many enemies, but with every enemy she gained, there were hundreds who thought her dramatic expression was lively and wquite enjoyable. Through the next few years, modern dancers began to fuse ballet with their own expressive movements. Also, ballet choreographers began incorporating modern techniques into their dances.As time moved forward, so did the swift evolution of ballet. Cultures took the basics and made it their own and by the late 1970ââ¬â¢s , many classical ballet companies started incorporating modern steps into its repertoire and hiring modern choreographers to construct distinctive works on its own dancers. It is evident that as the world changes and its people continue to gain knowledge about their surroundings, the art of ballet will continue to spark interest and develop creativity in many people aspiring to gain the technique of the craft.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Free Essays on Structurs Of Resistance
The nature of interaction between traditional agrarian society and the ââ¬Ëmodern worldââ¬â¢ has remained a controversial debate amongst anthropologists, sociologists and political theorists. It remains contentious as to whether the dominance of modern values over traditional is desirable; whether the arrival of the market and modern commerce betters or worsens the conditions of rural society and its relationship with the metropol; whether such change is received with apprehension or optimism by the members of rural society. Joel Migdal, for example, puts forth certain arguments proposing the concept of ââ¬Ëculture contactââ¬â¢- ââ¬Ëthat exposure and contact are the causes of change.ââ¬â¢ Migdal identifies three reasons suggesting why such change would be likely to occur: (1) The benefits of the modern far outweigh the benefits of the traditional. (2) The individual is free from severe institutional restraints which would prevent him from making an unimpeded decisio n. (3) Those individuals who select the new are rational and are optimisers, and those individuals who do not accept the modern fail to do so because of ââ¬Å"wrongâ⬠or nonrational values.ââ¬â¢ Most theorists, however, tend to agree that modern society, for good or bad, is clearly encroaching on traditional agrarian society and gradually moulding its values, economic systems and sociopolitical institutions into variants of the modern equivalent. However, this consensus fails to account for one extremely significant fact: that despite the overwhelming economic, political and cultural dominance of the modern world, traditional agrarian structures continue to persist in various forms: the feudal estates of Third World countries, plantations and latifundismos in Southern Italy and much of Latin America, and so on. The questions thus arise: why do such traditional social relations persist in spite of the modern impulse? Why do customs and rituals and social codes play such an i mportant part ... Free Essays on Structurs Of Resistance Free Essays on Structurs Of Resistance The nature of interaction between traditional agrarian society and the ââ¬Ëmodern worldââ¬â¢ has remained a controversial debate amongst anthropologists, sociologists and political theorists. It remains contentious as to whether the dominance of modern values over traditional is desirable; whether the arrival of the market and modern commerce betters or worsens the conditions of rural society and its relationship with the metropol; whether such change is received with apprehension or optimism by the members of rural society. Joel Migdal, for example, puts forth certain arguments proposing the concept of ââ¬Ëculture contactââ¬â¢- ââ¬Ëthat exposure and contact are the causes of change.ââ¬â¢ Migdal identifies three reasons suggesting why such change would be likely to occur: (1) The benefits of the modern far outweigh the benefits of the traditional. (2) The individual is free from severe institutional restraints which would prevent him from making an unimpeded decisio n. (3) Those individuals who select the new are rational and are optimisers, and those individuals who do not accept the modern fail to do so because of ââ¬Å"wrongâ⬠or nonrational values.ââ¬â¢ Most theorists, however, tend to agree that modern society, for good or bad, is clearly encroaching on traditional agrarian society and gradually moulding its values, economic systems and sociopolitical institutions into variants of the modern equivalent. However, this consensus fails to account for one extremely significant fact: that despite the overwhelming economic, political and cultural dominance of the modern world, traditional agrarian structures continue to persist in various forms: the feudal estates of Third World countries, plantations and latifundismos in Southern Italy and much of Latin America, and so on. The questions thus arise: why do such traditional social relations persist in spite of the modern impulse? Why do customs and rituals and social codes play such an i mportant part ...
Monday, October 21, 2019
Lizzie Borden Essays - American Folklore, Axe Murder, Lizzie Borden
Lizzie Borden Essays - American Folklore, Axe Murder, Lizzie Borden Lizzie Borden L I z z I e B o r d e n A little over a century ago a gruesome double murder was committed, in the 2- story house at 92 Second Street, in Fall River, Massachusetts. This crime shocked the nation as Lizzie Borden, a 32-year-old Sunday school teacher, went on trial for the murder of her father and her stepmother. An all male jury eventually acquitted her on the accusations. To this day, the murderer of Andrew J. Borden and Abby Gray Borden is still unknown, but in the public mind everyone believes it was Lizzie Borden. Lizzie was born and grew up in Fall River, Mass. She was the youngest daughter of Andrew Jackson Borden, who was a very successful Banker and Sarah Morse Borden. Sarah died when Lizzie was very young and Andrew then married Abby Durfee Gray. Lizzie grew up with an elder sister, Emma. Neither of them has ever married. The sisters hated their stepmother, mainly because of the familys inferior social position. On the day of August 4, 1892, the bodies of Andrew Borden and his wife were found mutilated. As opposed to 40 whacks, in the popular rhyme, 19 blows struck Abby Borden by a hatchet or axe to the back of her head and neck. At the time she was cleaning the guestroom of the family home, at 9:30 am. Andrew Borden, who had returned home around 10:30 am, after his daily business had been attended to, was either napping or reading the newspaper on a couch in the parlor, when he was attacked. 11 blows were rained upon Mr. Borden's head and face, to the point that one eye hung from its socket upon his cheek, and his close friend and physician, Dr. Bowen, couldnt recognize him. There were only two people in or about the house at the time of the killings, Lizzie Andrew Borden and Bridget Sullivan, the Borden's maid. There is some speculation as to others that may have been responsible for these heinous acts. Among the other alleged killers are John Morse, the brother of Andrew's first wife, a secret lover Lizzie was said to have, though never named, Emma Borden, Lizzie's elder sister, and William Borden, who, while legally Andrew's second cousin, was rumored to really be his illegitimate son. Soon after the murders, Lizzie emerged as the prime suspect after John Morses alibi checked out. She then was arrested and tried on three counts, the murder of Abbey, of Andrew, and of them both and, if found guilty, faced death by hanging. Six days after the murders occurred, she went to court. The all-male jury was put into a difficult position. It was the Victorian Era where women were considered delicate flowers and not capable of killing someone and it was not a common or working class woman they were to judge guilty or innocent, it was a wealthy society lady. After only an hour of deliberating, the jury declared Lizzie to be not guilty. It is said it only took them 15 minutes to decide, but out of respect for the prosecution, they waited another 45 minutes before they informed the court of their decision. What makes the Fall River murders so perplexing is that the motive, the weapon and the opportunity for such a crime are all seemingly absent. When the Fall River constabulary investigated the murders, they found no money or jewelry missing, not even small amounts of change or the packet of bus tickets as were taken in the daytime break-in at the Borden home twelve months earlier. Later, Prosecuting Attorney Knowlton hired a machinist who spent two days cracking open Andrew Borden's safe in hopes of finding a missing will disinheriting both daughters. But Borden died intestate, leaving Lizzie and Emma to inherit his entire fortune. Besides the lack of a clear motive for the murders, there was also the disconcerting lack of opportunity. Fall River found the entire Borden house locked up as usual, and during the two-and-a-half-hour period in which both murders were completed, the maid Bridget was outside the house washing windows and daughter Lizzie was inside the house reading a magazine. Even if one of the two committed the crime,
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