Garbology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Garbology - Essay Example The archaeologist in the future can readily tell that the place I live is occupied by a young adult judging from my thrash. Such archaeologist would also be able to tell that I am a male student judging from my disposal of school materials such as papers, pens and old tattered jersey (male design). Our refuse will tell that our household mirrors the typical American middle class who enjoys amenities in life. Our thrash will also tell that we do groceries at least once a week and that we are technology savvy just like most people my age. It would also tell that my household is able to afford home entertainment because of the broken DVDs I threw. It is because our thrash that relates to food are regular as well as thrashes that relates to gadgets and technology. It would however be difficult to tell the exact number of people living in our household by our thrash alone. The anthropologist in the future however can make an educated guess how many of us in our household based on our disposals but it would quite impossible to determine the exact number of individuals living in it. For example, there is a consistent disposal of soda and plastic wraps of clothing and gadget and that would indicate that there is a young adult in the household. The archaeologist can also tell that such young adult is male based on the labels of my disposals. It would however be difficult to determine how many young adults are there in the household because some of my thrash coincides with my father. Such thrash include our gym apparels and clothing where we almost have the same preference of brand. I also have regular visitors because we are a close knit family and that include relatives and friends who leave their thrash behind. Now, that would be impossible to d etermine in the future whose thrash belongs to me or my cousins. Nevertheless, investigators in the future can

Marketing communication 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing communication 2 - Essay Example The empowerment of the customers with respect to the availability of information was really understandable by the case of the departmental store of a friend of mine that was seriously affected because of the improper marketing communication. The departmental store of the friend was performing well within the periphery of the expectations in the couple of years since inception but soon it started to exhibit poor performance. The sales revenue was severely hit. External experts, those were employed by the store, investigated and observed that the failure of the firm even though it maintained quality goods and services, was primarily because of the lack of the marketing initiatives and rusty performance of the marketing department. The departmental store basically targeted the middle income groups and middle aged families especially those where both of the spouses were working. In order to meet the needs of the working customers, the departmental stores remained open for all round the clock, seven days a week. Also, the store provided facilities like home delivery of the purchased items free of charge at the convenient hours along with online purchasing. The store also aimed to grab the lower income strata of the society as it proposed and implemented various sales promotion methods. The goals and the objectives of the marketing communication plan would essentially be to reinstate the departmental store with its glory and pride in the city of its existence. Also, the marketing communication plan would essentially aim to make target customers aware about the various sales promotional offers and schemes and increase the footfalls and thereby to increase the revenue. The marketing communication plan should be such that it inculcates the various mechanisms of effective marketing communication. The decision to visit the store and purchase from the store should be depicted as that of high involvement as per FCB Grid Model and the schemes and

A Criminological Analysis Of Domestic Violence Essay

A Criminological Analysis Of Domestic Violence - Essay Example Child abuse and domestic violence often occur in the same family and are linked in a number of important ways that have serious consequences for the safety of all family members as well as for members of the larger community. First, where one form of family violence exists, there is a strong likelihood that the other one does too. Second, research shows that the impact on children of witnessing parental domestic violence is strikingly similar to the consequences of being directly abused by a parent, and both experiences are significant contributors to youth violence. Third, many of the factors highly associated with the occurrence of child abuse are also associated with domestic violence, and many of these are the same factors that put children at risk for youth violence and adult violent crime. Overlapping all these problems is substance abuse, which is associated with each form of violence as a co-factor. These linkages have important implications for intervention and prevention efforts. Researchers have also found that men who as children witnessed their parents' domestic violence were twice as likely to abuse their own wives than sons of nonviolent parents.(Straus, Gelles and Smith 72) A significant proportion of abusive husbands grew up in families where they witnessed their mothers being beaten. Clearly, domestic violence and child abuse are spawning grounds for the next generation of abusers, as well as for violent juveniles. In 1994 there were an estimated 2.9 million reports of suspected child abuse and neglect.(McCurdy and Daro 81) Data from a 1995 Gallup Poll of family violence suggest that from 1.5 million to 3.3 million children witness parental domestic violence each year. These are sobering statistics in light of the known impact of child abuse and witnessing domestic violence on each child, the social costs associated with it.(Gallup, Moor, Schussel 19) Social isolation characterizes many families in which either domestic violence or child abuse is present, although it is not always clear whether the isolation causes the abuse or whether the abuse causes the isolation. A study of the social support and social network relationships of neglecting and non-neglecting, low-income, single, mothers found key differences in the mothers' perceptions of their relationships and interactions. The study found that negative relationships were an important differentiating factor between neglecting and non-neglecting mothers. The relationships of neglecting mothers were characterized by conflict, distrust, and lack of mutua lity, while non-neglecting mothers experienced satisfying supportive relationships which emphasized a sense of mutuality and fairness.(Beeman 431) The separate institutional and grassroots responses to child abuse and domestic violence which have taken place over the last two decades in the form of intensive services for battered women and abused children, while critical, have proved woefully inadequate. In fact, both of these problems continue unabated. However, despite more than 1800 domestic violence programs across the country, the media reports almost daily grisly stories of battered women doing all the right things: calling the police, obtaining restraining orders, getting divorced, moving away - only to be murdered (often along with their

Infra Red Spectroscopy in Chemistry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Infra Red Spectroscopy in Chemistry - Essay Example The absorbed radiation is converted into energy of molecular vibration by the sample molecules. The frequency of absorption of radiation depends on the masses of the atoms in the molecule, the force constants of the bonds, and the geometric structure of the molecule. Hence, the resulting spectrum is an exact replica of sample contents and its molecular structure as supported by Beer-Lambert Law (Duckworth, 1998) which states that there is a linear relationship between how much light is absorbed by a sample and the product of the concentration of the absorbing species and its path length. A close examination of infra-red spectrum fingerprints reveals that absorption peaks correspond to the frequency of vibration between the bonds of the atoms of sample material while the magnitude of peaks corresponds to the amount of material present. Since each sample has a unique molecular structure just like a fingerprint so no two unique molecular structures produce the same infra-red spectrum (l eaving few exceptions). Hence the information provided by infra-red spectra about the composition as well as the structure of a molecule of a sample material clearly paves a way for both qualitative a â€Å"positive identification† and (with an aid of modern software algorithms) quantitative i. e. â€Å"amount† (Introduction to Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry, 2001, p.3) analysis of material, an invaluable tool for QA/QC or contamination analysis applications. For example, Ethanol content is the single most important parameter in alcoholic beverage industries. ‘For many economic and regulatory reasons, convenient, accurate, and fast quantitative determination of ethanol in mixtures is important. With the increased importance of quality assurance in industries, Near-IR spectroscopy has become an important quantitative tool for solvent characterization’.

The Impact on the Automobile Industry in China after Joining the WTO Essay

The Impact on the Automobile Industry in China after Joining the WTO - Essay Example In the end, the entry of China into the WTO was considered a positive thing by most, although there are certainly those with contradictory opinions. The efficacious qualities that China gained by entry into the WTO; an aid to the economy, and the opening up of China’s markets for more international trade and investment (to name a few). The aim of this paper is to discuss more thoroughly on these points and more, and to offer a more in-depth and comprehensive point of view on the situation of the impact on the automobile industry in China after China’s accession into the WTO. â€Å"Since the beginning of economic reform and its opening to the outside world, China’s economy has been growing at a rate of nearly 10 percent annually and its external trade has expanded by more than 15 percent a year. In 1999 China’s trade volume reached $360.7 billion, ranking 9th in the world, with export volume reaching $195 billion. China has emerged to become an important player in world trading system.† (Zhai & Li, 2000). Negotiations over China’s accession into the WTO immediately provoked a debate between â€Å"†¦pessimists who believed that opening the economy would lead to a flood of imports and a de-nationalization of manufacturing industry, and those who believed that it would spur rationalization of state-owned enterprises, lock in domestic reforms, attract foreign investment, and open the way for trade expansion.† (Noble et al). The aim of this paper is to thoroughly realize and discuss these interests and more, in order to come to a clearer and more understanding point of view on the particular situation. In order to do this, the following questions must be addressed: The WTO (World Trade Organization) is an organization which consists of 123 signatory countries. Established on January 1, 1995, and based in Geneva, the WTO replaced the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) as the most primary legal and institutional foundation among the

Switched at Birth Essay Example for Free

Switched at Birth Essay A few years ago, I remember seeing my sister watching Switched at Birth, but I never really thought I would need, or even want to watch the show, but I could honestly say that I may continue watching it just to see what happens. I was planning on watching three episodes somewhere in the middle of season two, but I ended up watching the first three episodes of the series since I had no idea who any of the characters were. I also felt that in the middle of the series, all of the characters might be comfortable with each other already, which might make the experience less memorable or eye-opening. A few times during the three episodes I watched, Daphne and Emmett shared conversations at their school, Carlson School for the Deaf. During these scenes, the two of them carried on with their conversations using sign language, and after a moment, I realized there were no voices, which made the scenes harder to follow and struck me as quite interesting. I have taken a class that taught me how to analyze TV shows, movies, and other types of footage, and I noticed that the absence of voices within the scene is essentially the same thing as taking out the background music in a movie or TV show. My whole life, I have watched shows where there were people constantly speaking or where background voices kept my attention. This leads me into the fact that the subtitles I had to follow in order to understand the conversation were the only things keeping my attention. The negative affect of this is that I was not able to watch the two of them sign, in other words, my full attention was on the subtitles. This was the case for Daphne and Emmett’s conversations at their school, but throughout the rest of the show, it was much simpler to follow the conversations with sound and with the signs. In addition, I think that the use of signs, while also speaking aloud, is quite an interesting thing, especially since Daphne signs and speaks almost all of the time, whereas Emmett never speaks, which must be due to him never advancing his speech skills. Another interesting thing IÂ  noticed is that Emmett does not want anything to do with hearing people. He believes that they are all the same and they just don’t understand the Deaf community. He is Daphne’s best friend, but Daphne is beginning to learn that maybe all hearing people aren’t the same. While Daphne and Liam were on their date, both of them were having a great time until Liam’s friends caught up to them and started making fun of Daphne. Liam had no idea what to do; he wasn’t sure if she was upset or if their comments were hurting her at all. This made Daphne think of hearing people the same way as Emmett, but when she went back to see Liam again in his food truck, I think she finally realized that being with him may be tough at first, but he may be worth the fight. All in all, I believe Switched at Birth has given me some insight in how hearing people react to Deaf people, and vice versa. At first, I thought that hearing people were the only ones that produced bad stigmas about Deaf people and their culture, but after seeing how Emmett acted around hearing people, I see now that some members of the Deaf community also produce bad stigmas about hearing people. This was an interesting experience that actually taught me a few more things about how Deaf and hearing people coincide. I am quite intrigued on how the show will continue, which means another show has been added to my playlist.

Weapon Trafficking When Will It End Politics Essay

Weapon Trafficking When Will It End Politics Essay The news that people hear coming from Mexico, especially in recent times have not been very positive. The continuing violence along the U.S.-Mexico border has escalated even more dramatically within the past few years, mainly because of the Mexican governments constant efforts to cut off Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTO). The violence associated with Mexican DTOs continues to hurl major challenges and obstacles towards U.S. law enforcement, while at the same time threatening the citizens on both sides of the border. Drug trafficking may be the root to these problems, but the firearms used to perpetrate crimes in Mexico are being illegally trafficked from the U.S. across the southwest Border and is causing serious problems as well. There needs to be a complete removal, or at the least a reduction of the illegal arms passing through the border, but this can only occur through an improved sense of security and supervision and regulation of the arms market. Not only will the f ailure to bring improvement to this situation raise the level of violence and deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border, but will further diminish what the border was made to stand for, in promoting free trade and globalization. To start off, Mexico itself has very strict gun laws, especially the gun-ownership regulations. Very rarely will you witness citizens carrying guns with them or around the house, because of the serious issues that revolve around the possession of these weapons. Since the countrys already existing constitution makes it legal for the citizens to bear arms, the conditions it places on the actual ownership, through amendments to the constitution prove to be much more strict and limiting. The fact that only one body is permitted to sell weapons, and it is run by the army makes it even harder to attain or own these weapons (Ellingwood). Although these rules and regulations are given to the citizens of this country, it does not mean that the weapon-smuggling situation is completely under control and taken care of; as you will learn later on, there are definitely a few ways around any law or institutional arrangement, and the involving parties definitely know how to make the most of the ways around the system by utilizing many types of illegal trade. Yet the violence in the northern border states of Mexico seems to be produced not only by weapons being brought illegally from Mexico, but also by those weapons trafficked illegally from the United States. Since these dangerous firearms are still not legally available for sale in Mexico, it leaves it up to the various drug cartels to smuggle them through the U.S. or Guatemalan borders, or even by sea as a last resort (Money, Guns). A good number of these firearms are brought in by foreign countries by cartel members that participate in these illegal trades and theft and then they are smuggled to Mexico a few at a time. Now in a neighboring country, such as our very own, where most people who own guns have the right to bear arms and are protected by the rights, a small number of gun shows are put together and showcased nearly every weekend of the year. States like Texas, Arizona and California are considered to be the three main source states and hotspots that supply for the vast majo rity of the guns that are bought and snuck into Mexico (Gunrunner). To be able to absolutely prevent these guns from making their way south is a pretty tough battle that challenges the power of the second amendment rights of US citizens against the ever so bloody battles and increasing numbers of Mexican victims of these mini wars that are killed everyday by these brutal weapons that are bought here in the US (Gun Control). As far as the locations where these guns are purchased from, the Gun shows that are put on by the source states take place a couple of times a year, as mentioned earlier. For example, in Arizona, the gun shows occur almost every weekend. They are often times organized by a variety of different groups and unified organizations. One of the well known organizations goes by the name of the Arizona Arms Association, and since they are a group that is most importantly legal and allowed, they are given the power to partake in private transactions between gun owners and citizens. In being able to utilize such a network of these strawmen, the native Mexican arms traffickers have the potential to collect over a dozen of different weapons each weekend (Cartel). After they gather these weapons each week, their next move is to smuggle them into Mexico, which is usually executed using over land routes with a wide range of vehicles and means of transportation that are able to hold a quantity of weapons that are much smaller across the various border crossings. This type of smuggling, in which smaller groupings of guns are smuggled across the border, is known to be called ant trafficking, and continues to serve as one of the biggest reasons why it is so hard to actually detect these weapons that are being pushed down south from the U.S. region of the border. Now focusing back on the gun show, in the positions of the vendor, some private vendors are often entered into the world of the gun trade by taking on the role of a supplier, where he/she takes the orders ahead of time and to make deliveries at a later time, which would most likely take place at an upcoming gun show or event (Gun Control). These people then round up the repeat clients and gradually produce the majority of the supply source for the arms traffickers which have been reported by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives also known as the (PAYAN). Once again, as mentioned earlier the main issue with this is that these transactions are not always closely and precis ely monitored, and so more times than not it puts the salesperson in a position where he/she is able to recognize interested buyers who are likely to be purchasing weapons for a third party. These so-called strawmen who serve as salesmen are the main suppliers and catalysts of these illicit and dangerous weapons that flow southbound, which they sell off to or illegally hand to gun traffickers who then round up and separate into groups and categories of the shipments at certain border crossings. Once they reach their destination in Mexico, the weapons smugglers are ready to make thousands and thousands on their merchandise (Gun Control). For example, an already used AK-47 assault rifle may sell for around 400 U.S. dollars and possibly more. In addition, an AR-15 rifle also has the potential to sell for 800 U.S. dollars up to 2,000 U.S. dollars, but that depends mostly on the model number of years it has been in production for that specific weapon as well as other options and accessories such as the scope or trigger. In Mexico, these weapons start to become more valuable and rocket in re-sell price, and in some rare cases as much as a whopping triple or more, according to the ATF (Gun Control). So an AK-47 rifle that has been purchased in Arizona for about 500 U.S. dollars might go for as much as 1,500 U.S. dollars or more once it crosses the border (Gun Control). At border crossings, Mexican customs agents are usually in the perfect position to interrogate and have the right to detect all smuggled weapons, but their can be a gut-wrenching one at times. Many times, these agents are given a pretty harsh ultimatum which goes by the name of Plata o plomo, meaning silver or lead which then translates into take the bribe or take a bullet. This message, is often times sent by Mexican organized crime groups and targeted to those who patrol the Mexican side of border crossings, known as plazas (Cartel). So here is another factor in why it may be difficult at times to put a halt to the weapon trafficking. Since these Mexican cartels are so menacing and uncooperative, the custom agents who are given the task to detect weapons, are presented with life and death decisions. Certain happenings like these just add on to the fact that it will be difficult to put an end to this war. These kinds of encounters are vital in understanding the rise of violence along the borders, because agents should not be in a position to be fearing of their lives. In the US, the second amendment advocates and supports the gun shows that many people consider an excuse to make weapon smuggling allowed and operating. While the political views surrounding tracing and information sharing can be a bit complicated, the procedure of buying the guns and the required background checks has been reorganize and restructured. These background checks are not required at gun shows because the sales are oftentimes considered to be made between two private and unlicensed individuals instead of a licensed dealer and an individual, which usually takes place in legitimate gun stores where a background check is indeed mandatory. Even the background checks that are made in gun stores are simple and quick (Gunrunner). For example, when a customer at a store is ready to make his/her purchase, the seller of the product is supposed to make a phone call to an ATF hotline, where the person gives out the proper information to the person talking on the other end of the hotl ine. Usually, this process should take less than five or ten minutes, but within the past couple of years, this background check has transformed into a slow and grueling process (Gunrunner). As for the strawmen, who buy off the weapons from law abiding gun merchants serve as a stepping stone into the crooked world of the grey market, where the weapons stay put until they are smuggled into Mexico and then resold. Before these guns are let into the hands of others, usually for criminal use, expert gunsmiths thoroughly check and inspect the working parts, and clean them for the necessary adjustments to transform a usual semi-automatic into a dangerous fully automatic assault weapons. They tweak parts of the gun and make them stronger. Once the strawman flees the scene of the store with gun in their hand, or leaves the show area in the case of a gun show or event, it becomes pretty much impossible to trace the weapon until it is picked up or discovered at a crime scene or if it has been seized. Often times, the weapons that have been captured in Mexico are able to be traced back to gun stores in the US, but the only pieces of information the gun dealer is allowed to legally share with is the information that has already been attained and solidified by the background check. As you can see, the tracing of the weapons captured in Mexico back to the US is proves to be a very complicated and frustrating matter. Due to this complicated process, a large number of weapons usually remain untraced due to the fact that the agents do not want to harass or bother with the bureaucracy (Cartel). In the U.S., there are approximately 2 million guns owned currently, and at any given time, any one of these guns has the potential to be sold to both men and women who will then smuggle them to Mexico. Reasons can range from personal use and self-defense while others for recreational or criminal use. When put together, the mixture of such a enormous supply with demand mixed in with the ant-trafficking produces a countless number of opportunities and possibilities, variables and pretty much leaves the ATF and others with only a limited arsenal of legal tools and, most importantly, gives them the constitutional rights to respect and defend (Gunrunner). As you can see, the conflict here resides in the fact that there are so many possible ways for these weapons to be smuggled, and with all the underground activity that is going on, it can be a very difficult task for the ATF to track down these trades at times. In a sense, the amount of illegal trafficking that is being presented here c an also be overwhelming to the forces that are trying to prevent the illicit trafficking of these weapons. As far as the types of guns that are smuggled, the most popular, or common smuggled firearms include the AR-15 and AK-47 type rifles, FN 5.7 caliber semi-automatic pistols and a variety of .50 caliber rifles and machine guns (AK-47). About a fourth of these AK-47 assault rifles that have been seized have also been created and fixed up to select fire weapons, which then allows for the assault rifles to be used by the cartels (AK-47). In the past, there have been a great number of reports regarding grenade launchers being used against security forces, and at least a dozen M4 Carbines with M203 grenade launchers have been confiscated (AK-47). It was believed that a lot of these lethal and high power weapons alongside their related accessories were actually stolen from U.S. military bases. However, the majority of these military grade guns and heavy duty weapons like grenades and light weight rockets are brought in by the cartels via the humongous supply of arms that remained after the w ars in Central America and Asia. The weapons that are being smuggled are serious weapons that can cause heavy damage and harm, so just the fact that the weapons talked about in this arms trafficking war are heavy duty once again reminds us of how dangerous this situation can get. This constant flow of arms between groups has lead to what has been dubbed the iron river of guns, because of the pouring amount of ammunition and light weapons that have been in flow southbound into Mexico, and how the organized crime hit men and others then use them in order to fight off the Mexican military and police. More times than not, innocent civilians are caught in the midst of shoot outs and random collision between the opposite groups and that is what leads to the rising number of deaths and high volume of violence throughout the years. The resulting body count that is the end product of this violence has greatly pressured the Mexican government over time to call for additional help from the U.S. capital, but these leaders have continued to remain silent and stubborn to put forth a strict gun control legislation. Many have waited and waited for someone to step up to the plate and address the problems along the border, but the subject has been ignored time and time again. Finally, in April of last year, a statement was made by U.S. President Barack Obama regarding the ongoing arms trafficking situation between the U.S. and Mexico, and to no surprise it sparked a serious and very much heated debate. The President, who referred to the data gathered from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (A.T.F.), stated that 90% of the weapons that were seized in Mexico could be traced back to the U.S. (ATF) In concurrence with supporters of putting forth a stricter gun regulation and opponents of the so-called War on Drugs, this information helped their cause and pushed to strengthen their cases. On the other side of the table, the statistic of 90% was greatly criticized and put down by the people who were against the finding of new or alternative solutions to the current situation in Mexico and also to any thoughts or ideas of making some changes regarding gun ownership in the U.S. Out of all the top news corporations, Fox News projected that the percentage of arms that could be traced back to the U.S. was actually closer to 17% percent (Gunrunner). This is a prime example of how things can get taken out of context and a serious issue at hand can be mistaken or overlooked because of little details that are misrepresented or reported. Not only does this add more unnecessary nonsense to a situation and blow it up bigger than what it already is, but it makes the already existing problem a dragging subject. In order to give the material substance and to enhance its rich meaning, all data must be presented in its original context; otherwise, statistics risk becoming meaningless sound bites and generalizations. In the Firearms Trafficking Report, given by the American Government Accountability Office (GAO), they explain the importance that even though it is pretty much impossible to know the exact number of firearms that are illegally smuggled into Mexico in a certain year, roughly 87% of the firearms that are obtained by the Mexican authorities and traced within the past couple of years originally started off in the U.S., according to the data that was gathered from Dept. of Justices Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Also, according to the Mexican and U.S. officials, these firearms have been increasingly more powerful and lethal in recent years. The report continues to polish and purify its data and information, by pointing out that between 2005 and 2008, more than 90% of the firearms that were obtained in Mexico and traced have once again, come from the United States (Gunrunner). When put together, there are a couple of elements that make the overall presentation of thi s data more convincing than just some random statistics put together because there was limited time frame, there was a specific set of weapons seized and traced, which applies to all illegal trade, and that the truth of the matter of the arms trade was imprecise. With all that being said, besides all the conditions and uncertainties that the percentages hold in these reports, there is no denying that there is a considerable amount of movement of weapons from the U.S. to Mexico that, to the dismay of many people, find their way into the hands of the people that are involved in this problematic drug trade. The G.A.O. report makes note of the fact that this trafficking is certainly not new to officials on the border, explaining that the U.S. and Mexican government and law enforcement officials did not see any reason why the drug cartels would go through so much hassle and endure the difficult task of obtaining a gun somewhere else in the world and then transporting it to Mexico when it is so easy and so simple for them to do so from the U.S. (Ellington). This proves to be in unison with the reports statement that even though the eTrace data only corresponds to data from the gun trace requests that were turned in from confiscation in Mexico and n ot all the guns seized, it is currently the only methodical and precise data available. Furthermore, the conclusions that the majority of firearms seized and traced were originally in the United States were consistent with the final conclusions reached by U.S. and Mexican government and law enforcement officials personally involved in the prevention and reducing of arms trafficking to Mexico (Cartel). The G.A.O.s data proves to be pretty clear and straight forward in its presentation. Although, the 90% figure that is being brought up constantly in these reports is just an extra number that creates a shock factor to an already stirring issue. Still, while discussions continue as to the appropriate use of this number, the reality is still readily apparent: there is an important and undeniable illegal market of weapons at the U.S.-Mexico border that fuels the violence between different drug-trafficking organizations. In Loreys book The U.S.-Mexican Border into the twenty-First century, he argues that the long-term objective of thinking and policymaking should be to overcome the U.S.-Mexican border (Lorey 12). When he says this, it could mean resolving material inequalities between the two sides of the boundary and more importantly, reducing conflict between the nations. Weapon trafficking is a serious issue that has been lingering for many years, and in order to cooperate with Loreys arguments, the weapons that are short in Mexico need to be dealt with in a different manner. Also, the violent conflicts between the government and drug cartels need to be put to rest. The task at hand may be difficult and long, but there are blueprints to solutions that can be implemented. The main obstacle and challenge that lies ahead in the fight against trafficking, and also where the conversation should be the focus of, is to address the different flaws in the system that ultimately makes way for such arms-trafficking to happen. The G.A.O. report makes not of certain factors that make trafficking possible, including faults and weaknesses found in both the Mexican and U.S. dealings, as well as the system of government: Uncontrolled and universal corruption in the Mexican government; Fragile and weak institutional links and information sharing between A.T.F. and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that lead to incomplete data; The absence of a Spanish language version of the eTrace program to be utilized by the Mexican authorities. Focusing in on these issues will help improve the quality of information being received by both U.S. and Mexican authorities, which can also lead to a much more informed and knowledgeable anti-arms trafficking strategy. This do es not mean that there must be a complete stop in the ongoing actions and efforts to reduce the weapons trafficking, but that the information gathering and collection and sharing between the countries and institutions must get better. There is hope in finding solutions to these weaknesses in the system. In efforts to help improve information collection and sharing, the ATF is hopeful that future funding and increased cash flow will eventually allow for these manuals (eTrace program) to be translated into Spanish, and also to put in a greater number agents on the border alongside an expansion of real-time intelligence sharing between the ATF and the many agents in Mexico. But besides the obviously simple and easy task at hand of translating English to Spanish, the new plans of the Merida Initiative, which is the name of the new proposal brought forth, guarantees to give the Mexican authorities scanners. These scanners, which will be planted at or near the main border crossings, will then be set up completely in order to detect and locate the drugs in traffic moving north and guns in traffic moving south (Mex). There are little things that can change that can help lead to the ultimate goal of reducing the smuggling of these weapons into Mexico, and it is reassuring to hear that after so many years, things are starting to progress and advance in putting an end to a situation that has caused so many problems for so many years. But it is also very important for us not to lose sight of some of the larger issues at hand surrounding arms trafficking at the U.S.-Mexico border. We must keep in mind that in both countries, even with the few restrictions, the weapons markets are legal. And as it applies to all kinds of markets, it is in the interest of those that are involved in the business to keep it alive and running. Being a weapon dealer, especially in the U.S. it is a very vital role they play in the market. For example, according to a 2006 report, the Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, also known as the CATDN put together and produced by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (C.R.S.), which is an office of the Library of Congress, the United States was by far the leading supplier of weapons to the developing world (ATF). Furthermore, in a report that came out in more recent times, the C.R.S. reported that for a 3 year span for the 2005-2008 timeframe, the United States and Russia st ood tall and completely took charge of the arms market in the developing world in the value of arms transfer agreements. These statistics may seem honor worthy and impressive, but when considering the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, the statistics seem to diminish in value and glory as the weapons that are being brought to Mexico from the U.S. is doing more harm than it is doing good. These reports have also made it clear that is it the eighth consecutive year in a row that the United States has been a leader and top force in worldwide arms deliveries (Gunrunner). And even though the report does not really break down the information for the Latin American region, the report also makes clear note that the U.S. and Russia are the regions two biggest suppliers of these weapons. Even though the U.S. is the world leader in weapons agreements according to these reports, there are indeed other countries that also sell and re-sell weapons. While the data from the reports seems to confirm that the vast majority of these weapons are found and captured in Mexico make their expedition into the country over the U.S. border, it is also most likely that many of these weapons travel through different routes as well. A good number of the arms seized could have also arrived in Mexico through legal transactions that occur time to time between governments but somehow have found their way into the illegal market coincidentally and ultimately into the hands of these drug cartel members. The data from reports may explain general facts and information, but sometimes things can happen without any documentation, and that is where the information gathering and collecting, and addressing of these actions needs to shape up. In conclusion, the ongoing discussion and debate on the U.S.-Mexico border and also on the future of the relationship between these two countries is not an easy one to put to rest or come up with a solution. There are so many important subject matters that are also in need of attention: immigrant migration (legal and illegal), the drug policy, border communications, homeland security, and a mutual environment, just to name a couple. It is clear that, although the tiniest details have the ability to offer a foretaste into the bigger picture, to rely and base the conversation purely on the immediate, just like the debate over Obamas use of the 90% statistic, is to completely lose focus of the much greater and more significant debate that holds the future of a complex and vibrant relationship. The reality of all this is that an illegal arms market is one discussion that fits that description and will be a hot issue for many more years to come until the problem is fixed permanently. In t his circumstance, it is clear that the number of illegal weapons passing through the border every year must be significantly and immediately reduced, and this can only happen through tighter supervision and adjustment of the arms market.