Drug Trafficking Laws And Penalties Criminology Essay

Drug Trafficking Laws And Penalties Criminology Essay Drug trafficking laws and penalties should be stricter worldwide because drug use and overdose is becoming more prevalent throughout the world and is destroying the lives of innocent people, especially teens. The effects of drug use and drug trafficking damage our global economy, affects the youth of the word, and spurs violence amongst people. The world must join together to stop drug traffickers from transporting illegal substances all over the world. Economic costs that are related to substance abuse and drug trafficking are extremely high. Drug trafficking cartels can become powerful enough to corrupt a country. The UN Drug Control Program has noted the difficulty of maintaining an honest and democratic government while fighting a drug war when they said: In systems where a member of the legislature or judiciary, earning only a modest income, can easily gain the equivalent of some 20 months salary from a trafficker by making one favorable decision, the dangers of corruption are obvious [United Nations International Drug Control Program]. When a drug trafficking organization gains enough money, they begin to bribe local officials and destroy countries. As the Un Drug Report said, People are easily bribed when they are able to make an equivalent of a 20 month salary in a few days [United Nations International Drug Control Program]. Once a drug cartel corrupts one official, it becomes a chain reaction of corruption. Eventually a dr ug cartel can grow enough to control a country as a whole. Pablo Escobar and his drug cartel are a great example of this corruption. During the 1980s, Escobar became known internationally as the Medellin Cartel gained notoriety. During Escobars era, he and his Medellin Cartel were said to have controlled about 80 percent of the drug shipments that entered illegally to the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. Most of his drug plantations were located throughout Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia because Colombian cocaine was considered to be of the highest quality. Escobars business and products spread across North and South America, and small parts of Asia as well. Escobar bribed and corrupted countless Colombian government officials, judges and other politicians with execution as his main punishment for not agreeing to his bribes. Escobars cruel ways resulted in hundreds of deaths for people that did not comply with his demands. His strategy was referred to as Plata o Plomo; Spanish for silver or lead, which was intended to mean accept a bribe or face assassination. Escobar seized control of all of Colombia and used his power to grow his drug empire [The Medellin Traveler]. Drug Trafficking affects the global economy through health care and welfare costs as well. Drug use can cause HIV and other illnesses amongst people. When drug addicts shoot heroin and other drugs into themselves they do not use sanitary needles and most addicts share needles with others. If one drug user was previously infected with HIV and uses a needle to do drugs. That needle has infected blood on it and when another user uses that same needle, he becomes infected as well. Most drug addicts end up in the hospital and the cost of their treatment is very expensive. Most drug addicts are very poor because they spend most if not all of their money on drugs and alcohol. A large amount of drug addicts are on welfare and are given food stamps and places to live. The costs of providing drug addicts with food and shelters are very expensive as well. Most of these drug addicts do not stop using because they are too addicted. Then there are the recovering drug addicts of the world that create large costs to the economy as well. As I mentioned, most drug addicts are very poor and if they do try to recover, they have to go to treatment centers. The government usually pays these treatment centers for the recovering drug addicts that they treat. Some drug addicts eventually are cured and are then able to word and contribute to the growth of our economy. But, there are millions of drug addicts that leave treatment centers only to come back to them in a few months for the same reasons. Drugs also create productivity losses including deaths, victimization, incarceration, and crime careers. This means that there could have been more people working and stimulating the economy that have been either killed or incarcerated because of their involvement with drugs. A study prepared by The Lewin Group for the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimated the total economic cost of alcohol and drug abuse to be $245.7 billion for 1992 in the United States. The Lewin Group also estimated that 40% or $97.7 billion of that was due to drug abuse. The costs of treatment and prevention as well as other healthcare costs, job productivity, lost earnings and welfare were also included in this number [National Institute on Drug Abuse]. These costs were paid for by the millions of tax payers of the United States that worked hard and did not get involved with drugs. Drug trafficking and abuse is very prevalent among the youth of world. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, young people who persistently abuse substances often experience an array of problems, including academic difficulties, health-related problems (including mental health), poor peer relationships, and involvement with the juvenile justice system [Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention]. Additionally, there are consequences for family members, the community, and the entire society. Usually adolescents that use or are involved with drugs often disengage from school and community activities. Drugs deprive students peers and communities of the positive contributions that they might have. These students stop playing sports and do not join extra-curricular activities. There are countless teenagers across the world that have so much talent that is wasted because of drug use. Some kids might have potential to be superstars in sports and c lubs but because of drugs they cannot do so. Substance-abusing youth are at a higher risk for mental and physical problems than nonusers. Youth who abuse drugs are prone to many problems including depression, conduct problems, suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, and suicide. Most kids who begin using drugs become outcasts in schools and do not have many friends. Because of this, they use drugs even more to ease their pain. This causes thousands of suicides and overdoses throughout the world. Drug use is becoming more and more prevalent in very young children as well as well as youth in high school. The percentage of 8th graders reporting lifetime use of any illicit drug declined from 20.9% to 19% from 2006 to 2007. Although the percentage of use has declined, 19% of 8th graders are still a tremendous amount of 13 and 14 year olds using illicit drugs. While the amount of 8th graders doing drugs went down, the amount of 12th graders using drugs has increased. In 2007, 15.4% of 12th graders reported using a prescription drug without a prescription within the past year. Between 2005 and 2007, past year abuse of Ecstasy increased among 12th graders from 3.0% to 4.5%, which makes a 50% change in just two years. Also between 2004 and 2007 abuse of Ecstasy increased among 10th graders from 2.4% to 3.5% [U.S Drug Enforcement Administration]. Aside from personal adversities, the abuse of drugs by youth can jeopardize many other aspects of life for youth, especially family life. Sometimes drug abuse can result in family dysfunction where families do not communicate and sometimes stop living with each other. Substance abuse can also drain a familys financial and emotional resources. Arrests and interventions by the juvenile justice system are eventual consequences for many of the youth that are involved with drug use. This can place unnecessary stress on families causing them to shift apart from each other. Having to constantly worry about your childs safety and security is hard for anyone, especially parents whose children are involved with drugs. The International Narcotics Control Board has urged an international collaboration to stamp out internet trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances around the world, wrote Rohit Sharma in her article about drug trafficking [Sharma, Rohit]. Internet Drug trafficking is becoming much more popular throughout illegal drug organizations. It seems to be safer and more profitable than physically selling drugs. Internet Trafficking also allows these organizations to sell drugs all over the world from one single warehouse or destination. Two internet pharmacies in Bangkok and one in Chiang Mai, Thailand, mainly serving the US market, were closed down between November 1999 and January 2000 after raids by Thai authorities with the close collaboration of US Drug Enforcement Administration. These pharmacies were sending parcels of drugs to US citizens, including many drug addicts, who could not get their prescription from US doctors [Sharma, Rohit]. Since then, millions of pharmacies like these have opened and are constantly selling drugs to people all over the world. The UN should create a new taskforce designed solely for tracking down drug sales over the internet. They can stop these pharmacies by ordering drugs with fake names and addresses so that they can shut down these illegal pharmacies. Other than internet trafficking, many countries have increased their efforts to stop physical drug trafficking by strengthening borders, arresting drug cartels and destroying crops. The International Narcotics Control Strategy Report says, Efforts to restrain the activities of global drug trafficking and money laundering operations gained ground, even in the face of war, corruption, insurgency and economic disruption. Here are some examples of what some countries have done: President Obama and his administration have designed a new plan with the Government of Mexico to stop the transportation of drugs across our borders [Homeland Security]. In Colombia, the Colombian police destroyed more than 124,000 hectares of coca crops in 2003, a third record year for eradication, said Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Robert Charles [Porter, Charlene]. Germany hosted a seminar for Drug Trafficking on Jan. 29, 2010. There were 91 participants from 61 countries. The seminar examined how terrorists can use narcotics profits to fund terrorist activities and how they can make countries corrupt. All of the participants conversed with each other on a strategy to help stop international drug trafficking [Tudor, Jason]. Although some countries have done a lot to stop drug trafficking, West Africa is a country in need of major help. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates at least 50 tons of cocaine transits through West Africa annually. The availability of narcotics to the public in the region is increasing as well because traffickers pay transportation cost with drugs instead of money. The UN needs to help West Africa in the global war against drugs because it has been a crucial area for drug traffickers to transport drugs from. West Africa is a notably poor country and barely has enough money to support itself let alone stop drug trafficking. Over the past several years, an estimated $2 billion of cocaine was transported from Latin America to Europe via West Africa. More money and Drug task forces should be sent and activated in West Africa to stop this area from being the massive drug transport area that it is [Kruzel, John]. The United States has done a lot to stop drug trafficking throughout the US as well as the rest of the world. The HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas) Program is the main government run program that works to stop drug trafficking across America. They have about 30 headquarters around the country and use different strategies to stop drug trafficking depending on the region in which they are located. One of the greatest examples of their work has been in Philadelphia, PA and Camden NJ. Being that Philadelphia and Camden are very close to New York City, they have become one of the busiest illegal drug transit routes on the eastern seaboard. There are major interstate rail and highway systems along with a major airport that have become the key shipping terminals for illegal drugs in the region. The Philadelphia/ Camden HIDTA division has setup a total of 11 squads in Philadelphia to reduce the amount of drug trafficking to and from the city. The Regional Investigative Support Center was made successful by assigning full-time Philadelphia Police Department officers and supervisors manning the Watch Center, 8:00 AM-10:00PM, Monday through Friday. The HIDTA also works with Internal Revenue Service which provides the HIDTA with financial information on people being investigated and reports suspicious activity to the HIDTA as well. Lastly, field drug identification training is currently offered to the newly assigned Philadelphia police officers to teach how to distinguish people who are under the influence with people who are sober. Since the establishing of the program in 1995, the Philadelphia / Camden HIDTA have decreased the flow of drug trafficking by 30% until now [Office of National Drug Control Policy]. Drug trafficking cartels spread violence and lawlessness throughout our border region and reach into all of our communities, large and small, said Attorney General Eric H. Holder. Drug dealers create violence because they have their own wars with each for profits. During these wars, innocent people are put at risk because of the constant shootouts and gun fights that happen. Two ongoing gang wars over drug markets in Chicago accounted for more than 100 homicides during 1987-1994. This total represents 11% of all gang-related homicides in Chicago in that time span [Howell, James]. Los Angeles, California is one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. Los Angeles is also known for the two major gangs that are constantly at war throughout the city. The Bloods and the Crips are one of the two most dangerous gangs in America. The profits from each of these gangs come from their drug trafficking and selling. With these profits they buy weapons which then create more violence and catastrophes across the state. Drug trafficking and gang violence go hand in hand with each other around the United States. Where there are gangs, there is drug trade and vice versa. I believe that if we eliminate drugs in this country, we eliminate gang violence once and for all. Drug Trafficking is causing gangs to spread all over the U.S and put more and more towns in danger of gang violence [Howell, James]. Drug trafficking efforts have to drastically increase throughout the world and the United States. Although a lot is being done, there has to be more done if we ever want to stop the horrors of drug trafficking. The affects of drugs destroy our economies and our youth. They do nothing but bring violence and mayhem to the world.

What Time is It? :: Essays Papers

What Time is It? Before meeting with my friend Leticia from Honduras, Central America, I would ask her if she was arriving according to North American time or Latin American time. Smiling, she would answer, "A la hora Latina, of course." This meant that she would be late. The concept of time is very different for Latin Americans than for North Americans. Life in the United States is fast-paced. There are fast food restaurants, overnight delivery services, shuttle services, instant cash machines, fast weight loss plans, and even instant minute rice. Avidly following such sayings as, "The early bird gets the worm," and, "First come, first served," North Americans even have their meals in an efficient manner. Microwaves help nuke their early breakfasts, noon lunches, and five-o'clock dinners. "Time is money" for big businesses. Everyone follows set agendas. Minutes are taken at meetings that are precisely scheduled. North Americans take pride in juggling busy work schedules and still finding time to spend with family and friends. Latin Americans stroll leisurely through life. They amble past open-air restaurants, across shaded patios tucked behind walls of Bougainvillea. In the cafes, the service is slow but courteous. Outside on the streets, people walk by, not for weight purposes, but to get somewhere. Buses arrive and depart on their own schedule, sometimes sooner or later than their printed times. And if you miss the bus, wait. One will come along eventually. Mid-morning breakfasts are homemade. Lunch is around three in the afternoon and dinner could be anytime after the arranged time. No one follows a set agenda, but business is accomplished at a gradual and comfortable pace. Watches are not followed precisely, and one barely ever hears the question, "What time is it?" This cultural difference has proven to be a problem for many North Americans visiting Latin American countries and vice versa. For example, this problem has escalated on the issue of adoption. While in Honduras the summer of 1989, I translated for couples from the United States who were looking for children to adopt from Central America. All legal procedures were transacted between a lawyer from the U.S. and a Honduran lawyer. Legal matters on the North American end were handled almost immediately. The Honduran lawyer, however, was considerably slower with field work and paper work and was unable to give definite dates or times for the completion of the adoption. This created a cultural barrier and added to the confusion of the situation.

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 22

Chapter 22 A Nod to the Queen of the Damned It only took five minutes to convince the police that Tommy had been at work all night and had seen nothing. Simon had done most of the talking. Tommy was so shocked to see his book in the cop's hand that he couldn't find the answers to even the simplest questions. He was, however, able to convince the cop that his shocked state came from a body having been found outside his apartment. Sometimes it paid to play on the â€Å"I just fell off the turnip truck from Indiana† image. They hauled the turtles up the steps and set the crates on the floor in the kitchen area. â€Å"Where's the little woman?† Simon asked, eyeing the huge chest freezer. â€Å"Probably still sleeping,† Tommy said. â€Å"Grab yourself a beer out of the fridge. I'll check on her.† Tommy palmed open the bedroom door, then slipped through and closed it behind him. He thought, I've got to keep Simon out of here. He's going to want Jody to get up and†¦ The bed was empty. Tommy ran to the bathroom and looked in the tub, thinking that Jody might have been caught there at sunrise, but except for a rust ring, the tub was empty. He looked under the bed, found nothing but an old sock, then tore open the closet door and pushed the hanging clothes aside. Panic rose in his throat and came out in a scream of â€Å"No!† â€Å"You okay in there?† Simon said from the kitchen. â€Å"She's not here!† Simon opened the door. â€Å"You got a nice crib here, Flood. You inherit some money or something?† Simon said. Then he spotted the panic on Tommy's face. â€Å"What's the matter?† â€Å"She's not here.† â€Å"So, she probably went out early to get a doughnut or something.† â€Å"She can't go out during the day,† Tommy said before he realized what he was saying. â€Å"I mean, she never goes out early.† â€Å"Don't sweat it. I thought you were going to teach me to read. Let's drink some beers and read some fucking books, okay?† â€Å"No, I have to go look for her. She could be out in the sun†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Chill, Flood. She's fine. The worst that could happen is she's out with another guy. You might be a free man.† Simon picked up a book from the stack by the bed. â€Å"Let's read this one. What's this one?† Tommy wasn't listening. He was seeing Jody's burned body lying in a gutter somewhere. How could she let it happen? Didn't she check the almanac? He had to look for her. But where? You can't search a city the size of San Francisco. Simon threw the book back on the stack and headed out of the bedroom, â€Å"Okay then, Slick, I'm out of here. Thanks for the beer.† â€Å"Okay,† Tommy said. Then the idea of spending the day alone, waiting, threw him into another wave of panic. â€Å"No, Simon! Wait. We'll read.† â€Å"That one on the top of the stack,† Simon said. â€Å"What's that one?† Tommy picked it up. â€Å"The Vampire Lestat, by Anne Rice. I hear it's good.† â€Å"Then grab a beer and let's get literate.† Rivera, bleary-eyed and looking as if he had slept in his suit, sat at his desk looking over his notes. No matter how he shuffled them, they didn't make sense, didn't show a pattern. The only link between the victims was the way they had died: no motive. They wouldn't get the autopsy report for another twelve hours, but there was no doubt that the same person had done the killings. Nick Cavuto came through the squad room door carrying a box of doughnuts and a copy of the San Francisco Examiner. â€Å"They fucking named him. The Examiner is calling him the Whiplash Killer. Once they name the killer, our problems double. You got anything?† Rivera waved to the notes spread over his desk and shrugged. â€Å"I'm out of it, Nick. I can't even read my own writing. You take a look.† Cavuto took a maple stick from the box and sat down across from Rivera. He grabbed a handful of papers and began leafing through them, then stopped and flipped back. He looked up. â€Å"You talked to this Flood kid this morning, right?† Rivera was looking at the doughnuts. His stomach lurched at the thought of eating one. â€Å"Yeah, he lives across the street from where we found the body. He works at the Marina Safeway – was working at the time of the murder.† Cavuto raised an eyebrow. â€Å"The kid was staying at the motel where we found the old lady.† â€Å"You're kidding.† Cavuto held out the notes for Rivera to read. â€Å"List of guests. A uniform talked to the kid, said he was at work, but no one confirmed it.† Rivera looked up apologetically. â€Å"I can't believe I missed that. The kid was a little squirrelly when I talked to him. His friend did most of the talking.† Cavuto gathered up the papers. â€Å"Go home. Shower and sleep. I'll call the manager of the Safeway and make sure the kid was working at the time of the murders. We'll go there tonight and talk to the kid.† â€Å"Okay, then let's ask him how he's getting the blood out of the bodies.† Tommy had spent two hours trying to explain the difference between vowels and consonants to Simon before he gave up and sent the cowboy home to wax his truck and watch â€Å"Sesame Street.† Maybe Simon wasn't meant to read. Maybe he was meant to be all instinct and no intelligence. In a way, Tommy admired him. Simon didn't worry, he took things at face value as they happened. Simon was like the strong, free and easy Cassady to Tommy's introspective, overanalytical Kerouac. Maybe he would put Simon in his story of the little girl growing up in the South. The story he would be working on if he weren't worrying about Jody. He sat all day on the couch, reading The Vampire Lestat until he couldn't concentrate anymore, then he paced the apartment, checking his watch and railing to Peary, who listened patiently from the freezer. â€Å"You know, Peary, it's inconsiderate of her not to leave me a note. I don't have any idea what she does while I'm at work. She could be having a dozen affairs and I wouldn't even know.† He checked the almanac eight times for the time the sun would set. â€Å"I know, I know, until I met Jody, nothing really ever happened to me. That's why I came here, right? Okay, I'm being unfair, but maybe I'd be better off with a normal woman. Jody just doesn't understand that I'm not like other guys. That I'm special. I'm a writer. I can't handle stress as well as other guys – I take it personal.† Tommy heated up a frozen dinner and left the freezer lid open so Peary could hear him better. â€Å"I have to look to the future, you know. When I'm a famous writer I'm going to have to go on book tours. She can't go with me. What can I say, ‘No, I'm sorry, but I can't go. If I go away my wife will starve to death'?† He paced around the turtles, who were struggling in their crates. One of them raised his spiny head and considered Tommy. â€Å"I know how you guys feel. Just waiting for someone to eat you. You think I don't know how that feels?† When he could no longer look them in the eye, he carried the turtles into the bathroom, then returned to the living room and tried to get through a few more chapters of The Vampire Lestat. â€Å"This is wrong,† he said to Peary. â€Å"It says that vampires don't have sex after they are turned. Of course it only talks about male vampires. What if she's been faking? You know, she could be frigid except for when she drinks my blood.† He was working himself into a frenzy of sexual insecurity – something that felt familiar and almost comfortable – when the phone rang. He yanked it off the cradle. â€Å"Hello.† A woman's voice, surprised but trying to not to show it, said, â€Å"Hello. I'd like to speak to Jody, please.† â€Å"She's not here,† Tommy said. â€Å"She's at work,† he added quickly. â€Å"I called her at work and they said she left her job over a month ago.† â€Å"Uh, she has a new job. I don't know the number.† â€Å"Well, whoever you are,† the woman said, losing the pretense of politeness, â€Å"would you tell her that she still has a mother. And tell her that it is common courtesy to tell your mother when you change your phone number. And tell her that I need to know what she is going to do for the holidays.† â€Å"I'll tell her,† Tommy said. â€Å"Are you the stockbroker? What was it†¦ Kurt?† â€Å"No, I'm Tommy.† â€Å"Well, it's only two weeks until Christmas, Tommy, so if you're still around, we'll be meeting.† â€Å"I'll look forward to it,† Tommy said. Like I look forward to a root canal, he thought. Jody's mom hung up. Tommy put down the phone and checked his watch. Only an hour to sunset. â€Å"She's alive,† he said to Peary, â€Å"I'm sure of it. If she survived her mother, she can survive anything.† She heard steam rushing through pipes, rats scurrying in shredded paper, the spinnerets of spiders weaving webs, the footsteps of a heavy man, and the padding and panting of dogs. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was on her back on the basement floor, alone. Cardboard boxes were scattered about the room. Moonlight and sounds of movement spilled through the broken window. She got up and stepped up on a crate to look out the window. She was met by a yap and a snort and the growling countenance of a bug-eyed dog with a pan strapped to his head. â€Å"Ack!† She wiped the slime from her cheek. The Emperor fell to his knees and reached through the window. â€Å"Oh goodness, are you all right, dear?† â€Å"Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine.† â€Å"Are you injured? Shall I call the police?† â€Å"No, thank you. Could you give me a hand?† She would have leaped through the window, but it wasn't a good idea in front of the Emperor. She took his hand and let him pull her through the window. Once on her feet in the alley, she dusted off her jeans. Bummer had fallen into a yapping fit. The Emperor picked up the little dog and stuffed him into his oversized coat pocket. â€Å"I must apologize for Bummer's behavior. There's no excuse for it, really, but he is a victim of inbreeding. Being royalty myself, I make allowances. If it's any consolation, it was only on Bummer's insistence that we ventured down this alley and found you.† â€Å"Well, thanks,† Jody said. â€Å"I don't know exactly what happened.† â€Å"Check your valuables, dear. You've obviously been accosted by some ne'er-do-well. Perhaps we should find you some medical attention.† â€Å"No, I'm just a little shaken up. I just need to get home.† â€Å"Then please allow me and my men to escort you to your door.† â€Å"No, that's okay. My loft is just at the end of the alley.† The Emperor held up his finger to caution her. â€Å"Please, my dear. Safety first.† Jody shrugged. â€Å"Well, all right. Thanks.† Bummer was squirming and snorting inside the Emperor's buttoned pocket like – well, like a pocketful of dog. â€Å"Can he breathe in there?† â€Å"Bummer will be fine. He's just a bit overexcited since we've gone to war. His first time in the field, you know.† Jody eyed the Emperor's cruelly pointed wooden sword. â€Å"How goes the battle?† â€Å"I believe we are closing in on the forces of evil. The fiend will be vanquished and victory will soon be ours.† â€Å"That's nice,† Jody said. When Tommy heard her coming up the stairs he threw his book across the room, ran to the loft door, and yanked it open. Jody was standing on the landing. â€Å"Hi,† she said. Tommy was torn between taking her in his arms and pushing her down the steps. He just stood there. â€Å"Hi,† he said. Jody kissed him on the cheek and walked passed him into the loft. Tommy stood there, trying to figure out how to react. â€Å"Are you okay?† Once he was sure she wasn't hurt, he'd tear into her for staying out all day. She fell onto the futon like a bag of rags. â€Å"I had a really bad night.† â€Å"Where were you?† â€Å"I was in a basement, about half a block from here. I would have called, but I was dead.† â€Å"That's not funny. I was worried. They found a body out front last night.† â€Å"I know, I saw the cops all over the place outside, just before dawn. That's why I couldn't get back.† â€Å"The cops had my copy of On the Road in an evidence bag. I think I'm in trouble.† â€Å"Was your name in it?† â€Å"No, but obviously my fingerprints were all over it. How did it get there?† â€Å"The vampire put it there, Tommy.† â€Å"How did he get it? It was here in the loft.† â€Å"I don't know. He's trying to freak us out. He's leaving the bodies near us so the police will connect us to the killings. He doesn't have to leave bodies at all, Tommy. He's killing these people in a way that leaves evidence.† â€Å"What do you mean, he doesn't have to leave bodies at all?† â€Å"Tommy, come here. Sit down. I have to tell you something.† â€Å"I don't like the tone of your voice. This is bad news, isn't it? This is the big letdown, isn't it? You were with another guy last night.† â€Å"Sit down and shut up, please.† Tommy sat and she told him. Told him about the killing, about the body turning to dust, and about being dragged into the basement. When she had finished, Tommy sat for a moment looking at her, then moved away from her on the futon. â€Å"You took the guy's money?† â€Å"It seemed wrong to throw it away.† â€Å"And killing him didn't seem wrong?† â€Å"No, it didn't. I can't explain it. It felt like I was supposed to.† â€Å"If you were hungry you should have told me. I don't mind, really.† â€Å"It wasn't like that, Tommy. Look, I don't know how to file this – emotionally, I mean. I don't feel like I killed someone. The point I'm trying to make is that the body crumbled to dust. There was no body. The people the vampire is killing aren't dying from his bite. He's breaking their necks before they die. He's doing all this on purpose to scare me. I'm afraid he might hurt you to get at me. I've suspected it for a long time, but I didn't want to say anything to you. If you want to leave, I'll understand.† â€Å"I didn't say anything about leaving. I don't know what to do. How would you feel if I told you I had killed someone?† â€Å"It would depend. This guy wanted to die. He was in pain. He was going to die anyway.† â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† â€Å"Of course not. But I need you to try and understand.† â€Å"I am trying. That's all I've been doing. Why do you think I've been doing all these experiments? You act like this is easy for me. I've been a mess all day worrying about you and you're in a basement a few steps away. What about that? Who dragged you into the basement?† â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"Whoever it was saved your life. Was it the vampire?† â€Å"I said, I don't know.† Tommy went across the room and pick up the paperback of The Vampire Lestat. â€Å"This guy, Lestat, he can tell when there's another vampire around. He can sense it. Can't you sense it?† â€Å"Right, and that's why we have a dead guy in the freezer. No, I can't sense it.† Tommy held up the book. â€Å"There's a whole history of the vampire race in here. I think this Anne Rice knows a real vampire or something.† â€Å"That's what you thought about Bram Stoker, too. And I spent an hour standing on a chair trying to turn into a bat.† â€Å"No, this is different. Lestat isn't evil, he likes humans. He only kills murderers that are without remorse. He knows when there are other vampires around. Lestat can fly.† Jody jumped up and ripped the book out of his hand. â€Å"And Anne Rice can write, Tommy, but I'm not throwing that in your face.† â€Å"You don't have to get personal.† â€Å"Look, Tommy, maybe there's some truth in one of these books that you're reading, but how do we know which one? Huh? Nobody gave me a fucking owner's manual when I got these fangs. I'm doing the best that I can.† Tommy looked away from her, then at his shoes. â€Å"You're right, I'm sorry. I'm confused and I'm a little scared. I don't know what I'm doing either. Hell, Jody, you might have AIDS now, we don't know.† â€Å"I don't have AIDS. I know I don't.† â€Å"How do you know? It's not like we can send you down to the clinic to test you or anything.† â€Å"I know it, Tommy. I could feel it if I did. Except for sunlight and food, I'm not even allergic to anything anymore. Hand lotions and soaps I couldn't get near before without breaking into a rash don't affect me. I've done a few experiments of my own. My body won't let anything hurt me. I'm safe. Besides†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jody paused and grinned, waiting for him to ask. â€Å"Besides what?† â€Å"He was wearing a condom.† Tommy resumed staring at his shoes, said nothing, then looked up at her and laughed. â€Å"That's incredibly sick, Jody.† She nodded and laughed. â€Å"I love you,† he said, moving to her and taking her in his arms. â€Å"Me too,† she said, hugging him back. â€Å"That's really sick, you know that?† â€Å"Yep,† she said. â€Å"Tommy, I don't want to break this beautiful moment, but I have to take a shower.† She kissed him and pushed him away gently, then headed into the bathroom. â€Å"Uh, Jody,† he called after her, â€Å"I got a present for you in Chinatown today.† There's an explanation for this, she thought, standing in the bathroom, looking at the turtles. There is a perfectly good reason why there are two huge snapping turtles in my tub. â€Å"Do you like them?† Tommy was standing in the doorway behind her. â€Å"These are for me, then?† She tried to smile. She really did. â€Å"Yeah, Simon helped me get them home. I didn't think I could carry them on the bus. Aren't they great?† Jody looked in the tub again. The turtles were trying to crawl on top of each other. Their claws screeched on the porcelain when they moved. â€Å"I don't know what to say,† Jody said. â€Å"I thought that we could feed them fish and stuff, and you'd have a blood supply right here at home. Besides me, I mean.† She turned and regarded Tommy. Yes, he was serious. He was really serious. â€Å"You haven't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Their names are Scott and Zelda. Zelda is missing a toe on her back foot. That's how you tell them apart. Do you like them? You seem a little reticent.† A little, she thought. You couldn't have brought me flowers or jewelry, like most guys. You had to say it with reptiles. â€Å"I don't suppose there's any chance that you saved the receipt?† Tommy's face avalanched into disappointment. â€Å"You don't like them.† â€Å"No, they're fine. But, I really wanted to take a shower. I'm not sure I want to be naked in front of them.† â€Å"Oh,† Tommy said, brightening. â€Å"I'll take them into the living room.† He pulled a towel off the rod and began maneuvering over the tub, trying to get a drop on Zelda. â€Å"You have to be careful; they can take off a finger in those jaws.† â€Å"I see,† Jody said. But she didn't see at all. The idea of biting one of the spiny creatures in the tub gave her an industrial-size case of the creeps. Tommy lunged and came up with Zelda, wrapped in swaddling clothes and snapping at his face. â€Å"She hates being picked up.† Zelda's claws tore at the towel and Tommy's shirt as she attempted to swim through midair. He set the turtle on her back on the bathroom floor and readied the towel to lunge into the tub for Scott. â€Å"Lestat can call animals to him when he's hungry. Maybe you can train them.† â€Å"Stop it with the Lestat stuff, Tommy. I'm not sucking turtles.† He turned to her and slipped, falling into the tub. Scott snapped, barely missing Tommy's arm, and latched on to the sleeve of his denim shirt. â€Å"I'm okay. I'm okay. He didn't get me.† Jody pulled him from the tub. Scott was still attached to his sleeve and was determined not to let go. Turtles hate heights. They don't even like being a few feet off the ground. It's the main reason they have resisted evolution for so long – fear of heights. Turtle thinking goes thus: Sure, first our scales turn into feathers and the next thing you know we're flying and chirping and perching on trees. We've seen it happen. Thanks, but we're staying right here in the mud where we belong. You're not going to see us flying full-tilt boogie into a sliding glass door. Scott was not letting go of the sleeve, not as long as Tommy was standing. â€Å"Help me,† Tommy said. â€Å"Pry him off.† Jody looked for a place on the turtle to grab – reached out and pulled back several times. â€Å"I don't want to touch him.† The phone rang. â€Å"I'll get it,† Jody said, running out of the bathroom. Tommy dragged Scott to the doorway, keeping his feet safely away from Zelda's jaws. â€Å"I forgot to tell you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hello,† Jody said into the phone. â€Å"Oh, hi, Mom.†

Torvald Helmers Monologue From A Dolls House

Torvald Helmer, the male lead in A Doll’s House, can be interpreted in several ways. Many readers view him as a domineering, self-righteous control freak. Yet, Torvald can also be seen as a cowardly, misguided but sympathetic husband who fails to live up to his own ideal. In either case, one thing is for certain: He does not understand his wife. In this scene, Torvald reveals his ignorance. Moments before this monolog he declared he no longer loved his wife because she had brought shame and legal calamity to his good name. When that conflict suddenly evaporates, Torvald recants all of his hurtful words and expects the marriage to go back to â€Å"normal.† Unbeknownst to Torvald, his wife Nora is packing up her things during his speech. As he speaks these lines, he believes he is repairing her wounded feelings. In truth, she has outgrown him and plans to leave their home forever. The Monologue Torvald:(Standing at Nora’s doorway.) Try and calm yourself, and make your mind easy again, my frightened little singing-bird. Be at rest, and feel secure; I have broad wings to shelter you under. (Walks up and down by the door.) How warm and cozy our home is, Nora. Here is a shelter for you; here I will protect you like a hunted dove that I have saved from a hawks claws; I will bring peace to your poor beating heart. It will come, little by little, Nora, believe me. Tomorrow morning you will look upon it all quite differently; soon everything will be just as it was before. Very soon you wont need me to assure you that I have forgiven you; you will yourself feel the certainty that I have done so. Can you suppose I should ever think of such a thing as repudiating you or even reproaching you? You have no idea what a true mans heart is like, Nora. There is something so indescribably sweet and satisfying, to a man, in the knowledge that he has forgiven his wife—forgiven her freely, and with all his heart. It seems as if that had made her, as it were, doubly his own; he has given her a new life, so to speak, and she is in a way become both wife and child to him. So you shall be for me after this, my little scared, helpless darling. Have no anxiety about anything, Nora; only be frank and open with me, and I will serve as will and conscience both to you—. What is this? Not gone to bed? Have you changed your things?