...”The Giving Pledge” 1. The idea behind The Giving Pledge is to have many rich American people donate half of their fortunes to charity by joining the organization founded by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and billionaire investor Warren Buffet in June. In a conference call Wednesday Warren Buffet explained more of the purpose behind founding the organization, saying that he, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates and others, have been calling other rich American people to join the organization and to give a helping hand by calling some of their friends while they are at it. To make it more nationwide there will be held small dinners, to spread the word but they are also planning to meet with groups of wealthy people outside of America, such as China and India. Some of the generous donating people have decided to stay anonymous, while others were simply not interested in joining. Even though they agreed, those who did agree, to pay half of their fortunes none of them will be told when or how to give their money. Text 1 is written by Jon Swartz in form of an article where he explains the idea behind The Giving Pledge. It is written in a way where the project is set in a positive perspective, and he has a couple of statements from the founders themselves, but also some of those who give half of their fortune to charity. In text 2 we get a more personal view of this project because it is written by Warren Buffet, who is one of the founders of The Giving Pledge. He gives us...
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...A 1. The giving pledge is a charity organization created by bill and Melinda gates and warrant buffett. The giving pledge was created, for the wealthiest people in the world to make a commitment to give about half of their fortunes to philanthropic causes. Warren buffett’s attitude towards this organization is positive, he states that most of the money that he have is unneeded and it would not make a big difference for his way of living, but instead make a difference for better purposes, like diseases. Peter wilby in the other hand thinks it could be a problem to donate that much money away, he states that the US treasury will lose about 40 billion dollars, because it is exempt from taxes. Peter wilby also believes that some of the members are doing it for the marketing. 2. The first text seemed to be biased, there was not mentioned any negative words about the organization. Much of what, that gets pointed out in this article is, all of the positive outcomes that the organization would have, for example is it mentioned that, ¨last year American philanthropies received a total of about $300 billion in donations. The author of the article, jon Swartz seemed to be very pleased about what the billionaires was doing. As if, he was just promoting the organization for other celebrities to join and do the same. 3. That one text that caught my attention was Peter Wilby’s article. Peter wilby believes that some of billionaires are not donating because of the cause, but in...
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...The Given Pledge 1. ”The Giving Pledge” is a commitment by the world’s wealthiest families and individuals to dedicate the major proportion of their wealth to philanthropies. It is a project Warren Buffet, Bill and Melinda Gates have created. The intended meaning is to give over half of their fortune to charity. Buffet, Bill and Melinda Gates and others called some of the wealthiest individuals, with intentions that they would give half of their fortunes themselves. “My Philanthropic Pledge” has a very positive attitude, which is obvious since the author of text 2 is Warren Buffet, one of the co-founders of the project. Buffet is very satisfied with his decision, he has promised 99% of his wealth to charity, primary because he doesn’t value money as much as his health and long-standing friends. That is why he can donate all his unneeded money to philanthropy. Buffet encourages other wealthy people to join the pledge. He mentions that giving away 99% of his fortune won’t mean anything to his way of living. Buffet, his children and his wife will continue to live their life unaffected. His children have received considerable sums for their personal use and further life - he is using this argue to tell the wealthy, that even though they give away half of their fortune doesn’t necessarily means they have to change their lifestyle. It can mean life or dead for the suffering, while it can mean a little or big yacht for the rich. In “The rich want a better world? Try...
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...poor. Those with incomes exceeding $100,000 would donate three percent less of their earnings to charity than those with lower incomes. Since 1993, Americans with incomes between $10,000 and $20,000 had increased their percentage of giving by one percent with 3.3 percent donation of income. Americans with incomes over $100,000 had decreased their percentage of giving by eight tenths of a percentage. Lewis, Nicole, and Maria Di Mento. “Giving Pledge Signers Gave Big in 2013 but Not Much for Today’s Needs.” Chronicle of Philanthropy 26.6 (2014): 6-28. 13 Feb. 2014: MasterFILE Premier. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. A little over 120 of America’s billionaires have decided to forfeit half of their income to various charities. However, the billionaires are not necessarily giving to desperate charities. For example, nine pledgers of the Giving Pledge have given most of their donations to their own operated charities. Similarly, nonprofit experts are worried about the effectiveness of giving to the needy, rather than the amount of money that the rich are reportedly giving. For this reason, researchers started tracking the pledgers in an operation called “Eye on the Giving Pledge” two years ago. Through pictures and background information about the members of the pledge, philanthropy has...
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...Case Study 2: I Pledge the Allegiance to the Flag Latarsha S. Dowdell Society, Law, and Government – SOC 205 Dr. Clinton D. Gortney March 9, 2014 America. The land of the free home of the brave. These are the words that are cited when we sing the Star Spangled Banner. This is our song dedicated to our country. The Pledge of Allegiance was cited every morning before school started when I attended. It was our way of giving thanks to those that have fought and died for our freedom. Unfortunately, somewhere down the line, citing the Pledge of Allegiance became a political and religious issue. In this paper, I will summarize the points of the Supreme Court case Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow. I will also discuss the levels of the court through which the case evolved before it reached the Supreme Court. Next, I will briefly explain the decision of the Supreme Court and explain the fundamental impact that the court decision in question has had on American society in general and on ethics in American society in particular. Then, I will discuss whether I believe that the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance is a religious issue or a sign of respect for the United States. Finally, I will discuss whether or not I think public schools should be allowed to recite the pledge. In schools, children need to understand the importance of freedom and what it means to be patriotic in America. In doing so, every morning teachers lead their...
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...change and possibility 5. The drastically different tone in the excerpts from Malcolm X’s autobiography illustrates his point that all experiences make up who he is. 6. Malcolm X’s experiences affect the progression of his writing and feelings towards society 7. Malcolm X’s change is in his life is reflected in the change of his writing Claim: (The pledge of Allegiance creates a sense of unity and strength through its use of strong words.) Claim: (The pledge of Allegiance creates a sense of unity and strength through its use of strong words.) Point 1 (the use of specific loaded words is used to make us feel together) Point 1 (the use of specific loaded words is used to make us feel together) Evidence: (the word “allegiance” connotes we are all in this together) Together) Evidence: (the word “allegiance” connotes we are all in this together) Together) HOW does Malcolm X do this? Point 1 (the use of our rights makes us feel strong) Point 1 (the use of our rights makes us feel strong) My finished paragraph would look like this: The pledge of Allegiance creates a sense of unity and strength through its use of strong words. The use of specific loaded words is used to make us feel together such as the word “allegiance” which connotes we are all in this together while the words “for all” is inclusive to...
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...Dear Brothers of Alpha Phi Omega, These past 9 weeks have been some of the craziest, most stressful, sleep-deprived moments of my life, and I wouldn’t change a thing about them. Being able to pledge APO this semester has truly been one of the most rewarding experiences of my college career. I went into Rush not knowing what to expect—a little nervous and scared—and within the first few minutes behind Leavey, I was overwhelmed with smiles, excitement, and new friends. Looking back at who I was coming into this semester and who I am now, I can wholeheartedly say that APO has changed me for the better. A lot of people say they wish they had joined APO earlier, but for me, it wouldn’t have been the same if I had been in another pledge class. My pledge brothers and the Pledge Team mean the world to me, and I couldn’t have made it this far without them. They are some of the most considerate and caring people I’ve ever met. Everyone came to the first pledge meeting, determined to support and help each other as much as possible—a dynamic that I had not really expected. Who knew that I’d grow so close to people in such a short amount of time. Being an Alpha Eta means more than just being a pledge brother. It means being a part of a family that will never let you down. One of the biggest reasons why I want to become an active is that I want to be able to make an impact on other people’s lives, whether it be as a mentor, a Big, or a leader in the fraternity. The three cardinal...
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...Football players and now people that are kneeling for the national anthem to protest against racism,freedom, and other Issues, have now caused a huge Conservancy. Texas high school students have refused to stand for the pledge of allegiance.According to U.S.News India Landry said "She asked me to [stand], and I said I wouldn't," Landry said, "And she said 'Well, you're kicked out of here.'" Opening Quotation Another student identified as M.O. is also doing this protest with India Landry at the same school. The teen identified as M.O. said "The first reason I sit is because obviously it is my constitutional right, but I also believe that we live in a country where there isn't justice and freedom for all and so I'm not going to stand for...
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...the free home of the brave. These are the words that are cited when we sing the Star Spangled Banner. This is our song dedicated to our country. The Pledge of Allegiance was cited every morning before school started when I attended. It was our way of giving thanks to those that have fought and died for our freedom. Unfortunately, somewhere down the line, citing the Pledge of Allegiance became a political and religious issue. In this paper, I will summarize the points of the Supreme Court case Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow. I will also discuss the levels of the court through which the case evolved before it reached the Supreme Court. Next, I will briefly explain the decision of the Supreme Court and explain the fundamental impact that the court decision in question has had on American society in general and on ethics in American society in particular. Then, I will discuss whether I believe that the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance is a religious issue or a sign of respect for the United States. Finally, I will discuss whether or not I think public schools should be allowed to recite the pledge. In schools, children need to understand the importance of freedom and what it means to be patriotic in America. In doing so, every morning teachers lead their students in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The words “under God” somewhere down the line became a debate that had to be looked at. In the case of Elk Grove Unified School District...
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...teaching those in poverty a skill set in which they may create a steady income. I qualify with Peter Singer's argument in that money should be donated from around the world to help cure poverty, but with 70% of money being in the top 1% of the world it is completely illogical that the bottom 99% pay for the poverty. That would lead to more poverty and stagnant results as there would be no improvement with Peter Singer’s original solution The economy around the world have rapidly increased for the one percenters while leaving the other 99% in the dust with issues like poverty. Ideas like the giving pledge, a proposal for the wealthiest billionaires in the world to donate half of their money upon death, have received tremendous success in receiving money to solve world issues. The giving pledge asks billionaires to donate half of their wealth upon or before their death, however, The Giving Pledge campaign may also help dampen the harsh rhetoric of class warfare in the coming fight over the Bush tax cuts. The super wealthy have little to no problems with spending more money on issues like poverty or taxes. This qualifies with Peter Singer as instead of asking everyone to donate ⅓ of their income we could limit it to the top 1% percenters making more money out of it without putting others near the poverty line for causes that require help. (Shea 2013)This would solve the issue of poverty as well as equalizing the economy which is desperately needed. Luxuries today are seen as many things...
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...Definition Essay What do you think American means? Do you think that it’s just a person that lives in America? American isn’t just someone who stands up for the Pledge of Allegiance, an American is someone who does what they are suppose to do for this country. For example, the people in the military. These people are giving up their lives to serve their country, these people are the ones that let you live in America free and out of slavery. The real Americans are the ones out on the battlefield risking their lives and not knowing if they are going to come back to their family, friends, and loved ones. I don’t think that you are an American until you have been out on the battlefield. I think that if you are not going to be out on the battlefield,...
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...significantly lower numbers of deaths. According to Singer, giving more will decrease poverty and make countries better economically. But giving in this instance won’t decrease the deaths or help the country's health status. Furthermore, as I said before, not only America has less kids and also less deaths, there are countries with high poverty like Africa, but they don’t have near as many deaths. On the other hand, there are two extremely rich people that are giving away there money in hopes to raise people out of poverty. Warren Buffett and Bill Gates have created a pledge for the rich to agree to, that will make them give away half of their assets to a good cause (“Warren”). This pledge is kind of what Singer believes in, and according to Singer will help end poverty. Most of the people agreeing to the pledge are filthy rich, and like I said earlier, could provide for many poor families. In fact, “The top 1% of the world’s richest people earn as much as the poorest 57%”(“Facts”). That is only the top 1%, if we take into account even the top 5% they would be making so much more than the world’s poorest people. If we were to use Singer’s solution we could drastically lower the amount of people in poverty. Which begs the question again, if the rich know that giving away the money they don’t need could help so much, is it their responsibility to do so? Or, is it their right to do whatever they wish with their money? Also, with the rich giving away their money it helps our country today. Most...
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...PLEDGE A pledge is a special type of bailment in which a person temporarily transfers the possession or ownership of his/her property in order to secure a loan from the other person. It is defined as in the Indian Contract Act, 1872, as “The bailment of goods as a security for the payment of a debt or performance of a promise is called pledge. The bailor in this case is called a Pawner and the bailee is called a Pawnee.” Essentially, when the purpose of the bailment is to secure a loan, it is called a pledge. This article is concerned specifically with Section 176 of the Indian Contract Act, which deals with the pawnee’s right to sue or right of sale in case of the pawner’s default. The essential ingredients that are required to constitute a pledge are as follows: 1. Delivery of possession – As in bailment, the delivery of possession is essential in a pledge. Thus, in the case of Revenue Authority vs Sudarsanam Pictures, a film producer borrowed a sum of money from a financier and agreed to deliver the final prints of the film when they were ready. This was held not to be a pledge because there was no delivery of possession at the time of the agreement. It is also possible to let the pawner keep the physical goods even though the legal possession is transferred to the pawner. Thus, in Bank of Chittor vs Narsimbulu, a cinema hall equipment was pledged to the bank but the bank allowed the hall owner to keep the equipment to show the movies. The hall owner then sold the...
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...Foundation. Another $6 billion in donations was given to charities such as the Susan Thompson Foundation, named after Buffets late wife, the Howard G. Buffet foundation, named after and run by Buffet’s son, the Susan A. Buffet foundation which is run by Buffet’s daughter and finally the NoVo Foundation which is run by Buffet’s other son Peter. These charities cover a variety of causes dealing with abortion rights, environmental issues, educational opportunities for low income children, anti-nuclear proliferation issues and human rights. (New York Times, 2006). In addition to Buffet’s donations to privately owned charities, his leadership capabilities are also demonstrated in his charity work. He has done this through the formation of the “Giving Pledge Initiative” which was made public by himself and Bill Gates in 2010 in effort to encourage other wealthy American business men to share there wealth with those in need. It is through Buffet’s desire to see positive change in the world that other billionaires have followed his example. Since the start of the initiative, many other...
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...As Kickstarter states: When people back your project, they are not only giving you money, but they’re giving you permission to talk to them about your ideas and future projects [...], you now have a way to talk directly to people who want to hear from you. It is a unique advantage for the creator launching their project on a crowdfunding platform – entrepreneurs get direct feedback from their backers and are able to benefit from the ‘wisdom of crowds’, which is sometimes more valuable than the funds obtained. Moreover, Kickstarter, as a social platform, is an important marketing tool, helping to connect with the audience and spread the word about the project. The platform itself is also actively involved in the project – firstly, by a thorough examination of the project pitched (25% of the projects are declined for non-compliance...
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