No war in the modern world can possibly be just. Discuss Essay

No war in the modern world can possibly be just. Discuss - Essay Example But humanists differ with such suppositions, stating that it is our moral obligation to use our reasoning mental faculties and intelligence to deliberate on war and overpower such natural instincts. Thus in the event of emergence of war, we ought to explore non-violent interventions (Norman, 2007, pp.1-5). Peaceful solutions are not often simple to arrive at or put into force, as the past record of the United Nations suggests. However, human beings should be committed in supporting the UN’s peaceful efforts towards resolving conflicts among states. A significant number of humanists, such as Betrand Russell, have come out to vehemently oppose the use and manufacture of weapons of mass destruction. Today’s religion is absurd since it is supportive of violent means of resolving differences and injustices (Norman, 2007, pp.1-5). Religion should never be a justification for participating in war. Non-religious individuals are quick to highlight the many wars that have been waged for centuries owing to religious differences. These are ridiculous reasons for taking away other people’s lives. They also condemn the role that world’s major religions play regularly in promoting war. Liberal democracies have a good overall reputation when it comes to violence. In fact, most liberal democracies will be remembered in the annals of history as having an excellent record for not igniting or promoting wars (Norman, 2007, pp.1-5). Today’s religions have deviated from seeking faith and purity, and instead become entangled in activities geared towards promoting war. In the past, Christians expressed reservations towards participating in military activities. Quite a negligible fraction of Christians today root for the commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’. Equally, they cite Jesus’s advice to turn the other cheek and not and not resist evil, as a guideline for pacification. But when Christianity

Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Criminal Justice - Essay Example The term 'punishment' within the realm of psychology has been defined and described by B.F. Skinner, a popular psychologist, as a type of reinforcement - the consequences of which makes a behavior less likely. It includes both positive as well as negative reinforcement. It is also defined as "affecting behavior by using unpleasant consequences" (Weseley and McEntarffer, 2010: 137). Psychologists over the years have identified three fundamental types of learning among individuals. These include classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning. Among these, the operant conditioning method of learning or reinforcing desirable behavior has been widely applied by the criminal justice systems across the world. Operant conditioning is different as compared to negative reinforcements since unlike the latter, operant conditioning targets the undesirable behavior (such as lying, stealing etc) and eliminates it by punishment (Levinson, 2002). Figure 1: The Operant condit ioning process Source: Vito and Maahs, 2011: 116 Within the field of criminal psychology, the consistency of punishment is given much more significance as compared to the severity of punishment, as it is regarded as highly effective in deterring criminal behavior among individuals (Vito and Maahs, 2011). Relationship to corrections: Punishments are known to be highly effective in drawing favorable responses from the criminals. Historically various forms of punishments such as fines, spankings, imprisonment, and other corporal punishments have been commonly implemented by criminal justice systems as a means to control behavior. According to psychologists punishments have the ability of significantly lowering the possibility of a response to occur again and hence are one of the widely accepted measures of corrections (Coon and Mitterer, 2008). Psychologists have observed through a series of experiments that criminals / individuals in general, tend to teach themselves to obey their con sciences through operant conditioning. It has been observed that criminals displayed weaker responses and higher likelihood to return to normal / acceptable behavior after receiving adverse punishments such as injections or shocks (Levinson, 2002). The psychology of criminal behavior is rooted in the fundamental principles of human behavior such as behavioral, social learning and cognitive psychology. Hence any form of punishment which targets individual behavior or aims to alter their behavioral patterns are known to generate favorable results. According to Spiegler and Gueveremont (1998) "behavior therapy arguably has the broadest and strongest empirical base of any form of psychotherapy". (qtd. in Tonry, 2011: 168) However despite the growing evidence regarding the effectiveness of punishments in deterring crime there is no significant relationship between the severity of punishment and seriousness of the crime committed. It has been observed that criminals charged with relativel y lower offences have been confined to longer terms of imprisonment (Clear, Reisig and Cole, 2012). Critical evaluation: The corrections policy and criminal justice system in general have significantly changed over the years. The highly severe forms of punishme

Psychological Effects Of Alcohol On Behavior

Psychological Effects Of Alcohol On Behavior When people think of the negative effects alcohol has on the body, many times people may think of the damage it does to the internal organs. Some of the areas that are affected by alcohol are the liver, the stomach and pancreas, and the kidneys. These are all vital organs that need to remain healthy in order for our bodies to function properly. The effects of alcohol on these organs differ for each person due to the fact that we all have different bodies. Some can consume greater amounts of alcohol with little effects due to the size variation in our bodies. However, the one organ that I believe is affected the same amongst all people would be the brain. Once alcohol starts to effect regions of your brain, you will begin to experience numerous psychological and neurological issues. There are many different psychological and neurological effects that alcohol has on the brain, thus affecting the rest of your body. Anytime you voluntarily or involuntarily alter your psychological or neu rological state, you begin to change your feelings and emotions. Negative Feelings that manifest from alcohol use include nightmares, overwhelming fears, discontent, and restlessness, not to mention the internal damage that is being done during consumption. Personality changes are another component of alcohol abuse. Alcohol can make substantial personality changes that may not be recognized to the naked eye. Once a person is intoxicated, personality traits that can usually be noticed on a regular day-to-day basis have now changed and often take a turn for the worst when alcohol consumption is excessive. There have been many proven cases and studies conducted that yield the effects of alcohol and the results can be very detrimental to ones life. Amongst all of the side-effects associated with alcohol, depression is one of the most common and well known effects your mind and body may experience. Alcohol is considered to be a central nervous system depressant. As we have discussed before, the central nervous system, which consists of the brain, spinal cord and the retina, coordinates the activity of all parts of the body. When alcohol is consumed in large quantities and then circulates throughout the body, it diminishes or slows down the activity within the brain thus affecting the activity of the rest of the body. Regarding depression, alcohol has been shown to lower the level of norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain. These two chemicals give you your feeling of well being and they help you to feel normal. Without the appropriate amount of these chemicals, you will experience spells of depression. Tests have been conducted to show that after a long period of alcohol free drinking, many have shown improved depression score s. However, those that continue to drink may trigger even more feelings of depression, which in turn causes a person to drink even more, to suppress the feelings of the depression. This is a vicious cycle that could continue on until professional help is sought. Many people that drink alcohol feel that the alcohol will make all of their problems go away, but this is not true at all, if anything alcohol abuse eventually will make things worse in the long run. Not only are your problems still there, but now you also have an addiction to the alcohol and the depression you suffer from becomes more prominent and lasts longer than before. Anxiety is another disease that can sometimes be directly connected with alcohol abuse. When people consume large amounts of alcohol they have a tendency to become stressed from the impact of the alcohol, causing many situations that arise to become blown out of proportion. The long term effects that alcohol has on the nervous system and the problems that the body faces during the alcohol use can sometimes be life threatening. Many people feel that if they drink and just get a buzz off of the alcohol then its alright and no harm is done, but in actuality, the short term satisfaction that one receives from alcohol will give way to a series of stresses on your system that will manifest psychologically. People who abuse alcohol may become selfish or angry about their surroundings and just life in general. Aggression and mood swings are some of the more common traits that are also associated with alcohol abuse. These changes in behavior are brought on by the alcohols effect on serotonin levels in your body which can trigger a persons emotions to spiral out of control causing them to become irate or even combative at times. People who abuse alcohol have a disregard for others feelings and well being. As alcohol affects the body, the brains circuitry decreases as well as the thinking and reasoning process of the brain, which is a common side effect of alcohol abuse. Often times when people are intoxicated, they are willing to do or say anything without any recollection later on what was said or done. Their deductive and inductive reasoning becomes clouded by the alcohol. Those who drink large amounts of alcohol go through a number of denial issues just as you would expect in any other drug addict to go through. People who abuse alcohol will not even notice the fact that they are becoming more and more intoxicated on an everyday basis. Many people may not be able to see what their alcohol dependency is actually doing to them the way someone else can, but the reality of the matter is, it is a progressive illness that worsens over time. The longer a person drinks and the more alcohol that is consumed, the more pronounced the effects will be on their system (Wechsler et al., 1994). These psychological effects of alcohol and the effects it has on ones behavior can be felt over and over again, not just by the person consuming the alcohol but by their family and loved ones as well. There are hangovers felt the morning after and not to mention just the feeling of not knowing what you did after you became intoxicated. For this paper, I researched many experiments conducted which attempted to illustrate or prove the effects alcohol has on ones behavior. Each experiment differs in the research, but all serve the same purpose in the identification of the psychological and neurological effects alcohol has on a person thus effecting their behavior. In the research articles that were conducted, a comparison was completed between people who had been affected by alcoholism and people who had not. The reason for each experiment was to see if alcohol had any effect on an individuals behavior or not. In the first study which was conducted by Wright et. al, a test was conducted to see if adolescents of alcoholics who were college students differ from nonclinical college students on substance abuse, perceived social support, problem solving, and suicidal ideation. They concluded that there was no difference between the two groups.(Wright et. al, 1992). Another study that was conducted by Cooper et. al was give n to see if individual therapy in short-term groups would help to improve test scores (Cooper et. al, 1992). Members of the adolescents of alcoholics also known as ACAs support group and ACA college students were compared by Lashubeck et. al, to see if there was a difference in social support, psychological distress, and hardness among ACAs. From the comparison the study brought forth, it was predicted that there would be some differentiation (Lashubeck et. al, 1992). Also there was a research study conducted by Hall et. al, ACAs and traumatic experience also known as TE groups. They compared the ACA and TE groups to each other. They compared the ACA and the TE groups with a control group; the control group involved people who have sought professional help for their addiction. The study also concentrated on the differences in grade point averages (GPAs) and adults who had been exposed to traumatic events during their childhood (Wechsler et al., 1994). It was concluded that adults wi th childhood traumatic experiences were more likely to encounter difficulties during childhood as well as later in life. The study concluded that there was no difference between the GPAs and the hypothesis that was tested turned out to be true (Hall et.al, 1994). A study was done by Cornelius et.al, to show which of the two control groups had the higher drinking rate. This study was conducted in order to compare the parental drinking among adolescents and adults. The rates of binge drinking and heavy drinking were highest among the teenage group. When tested, adults had a significantly higher average on a daily basis of alcohol prior to pregnancy than adolescents, but the teenagers held the highest rate once they became pregnant (Cornelius et.al, 1994). Winokur et.al conducted a survey, of college students during their first and second year of college in order to observe the development of alcohol usage and their behavior in college. When the study was finished it suggested that eve ry college student who used alcohol during the first year continued to do so during their second year as well. The results suggested that heavy alcohol use is not a main behavior characteristic, but that it is learned in college (Winokur et.al, 1993). In each one of these articles, the researchers used a different variety of tests and surveys either to confirm or negate their hypothesis. The hypothesis that were given in the articles were all supportive to the research except the ones given by Cornelius et al., and Winokur et al. Based on the information given in these articles, alcohol will affect everyone who abuses it in some way shape or form. Another study was taken that, in my opinion, displayed two results. This study would illustrate the effects alcohol has on ones behavior regarding math and grammar, but also see if alcohol effects one type of group more then another. Rationale: Does having a bias opinion to alcohol have a greater or lesser effect on a students math and grammar skills. Hypothesis: One glass of alcohol will have a lesser effect on those students from families of alcoholic parents. (Cornelius et.al, 1994). Subjects: A total of 12 students participated in the experiment, including six students from families with parents who are alcoholics which were the dependent variable and six students not from families with parents who are considered to be alcoholics, and they are the independent variable. Method: Consent to participate was given to all students to sign. Materials that were used in the survey were administered individually to all students who participated. All students were interviewed individually in their dorm rooms. They were unaware of the groups that they were being placed in for the study. Students in this survey were given a glass of alcohol. They drank enough alcohol in order to blow a 0.01 on a reath Alizer machine for the beginning of this experiment. Students were administered a pre-test in grammar and mathematics. The mathematics test will consist of the four basic components of arithmetic which include addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, to assure that nothing else will be measured. The grammar test will consist of a sentence completion test. The verb in each sentence will be left out and the student must use the correct verb and present or past tense of the verb. Students then returned a week later to perform the same steps. (Drink enough alcohol in order to blow a 0.01 then take another math and grammar test. Result: The results of this study were analyzed by using the T-test. The scores were analyzed to see if having a predisposition to alcohol has a greater effect on ones mathematics was 95 and the mean score for non-alcoholic parents was 91.67. The data for the independent T test were T= -.21 (SD= 8783.3), with a standard error of 18.74, DF+10, and P*.o5 results were not significant. The number of students in each group was eight. For the participants who did not come from parents of alcoholic parents the means score for grammar was 80. The data from the Independent T test were T=0, with standard error 16.1 (SD= 6466.66), DF=10 and P*.05, results were not significant. Discussion: The hypothesis was not supported One glass of alcohol does not have a lesser effect on those students from families of alcoholic parents. A total of 12 students participated in the experiment, including six students from families with parents who were alcoholics and six students not from families with parents who were alcoholics. In researching this topic and reviewing the various experiments conducted, I found that it is somewhat difficult to predict the extent to which alcohol will have on a particular individual. However, one fact remains, that you can be sure that neurological and psychological effects are evident amongst people who drink alcohol. The amount of alcohol consumed and the consistency of consumption will determine the extent of the neurological and psychological effects. Sometimes the effects are not noticeable by just looking at a person outer appearance but a deeper look into a persons psychological state following a few drinks may tell a different story.

Token ring :: essays research papers

Token ring is a local area network protocol which resides at the data link layer (DLL) of the OSI model. It uses a special three-byte frame called a token that travels unidirectionally around a star-wired logical ring. Token ring frames travel completely around the loop. The name 'Token Ring' is misleading since the physical topology is a loop. Each station passes or repeats the special token frame around the ring to its nearest downstream neighbor. This token-passing process is used to arbitrate access to the shared ring media. Stations that have data frames to transmit must first acquire the token before they can transmit them. Token ring LANs normally use differential Manchester encoding of bits on the LAN media. Token ring was invented by Olof SÃ ¶derblom in the late 1960s. It was later licensed to IBM, who popularized the use of token ring LANs in the mid 1980s when it released its IBM token ring architecture based on active multi-station access units (MSAUs or MAUs) and the IBM Structured Cabling System. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE (http://www.ieee.org) later standardized a token ring LAN system as IEEE 802.5 (http://www.ieee802.org/5/). Token ring LAN speeds of 4Mbps, 16Mbps, 100Mbps and 1Gbps have been standardized by the IEEE 802.5 working group. Token ring networks had significantly superior performance and reliability compared to early shared-media implementations of Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), and were widely adopted as a higher-performance alternative to shared-media Ethernet. However, with the development of switched Ethernet, token ring architectures lagged badly behind Ethernet in both performance and reliability. The higher sales of Ethernet allowed economies of scale which drove down prices further, and added a compelling price advantage to its other advantages over token ring. Token ring networks have since declined in usage and the standards activity has since come to a standstill as switched Ethernet has dominated the LAN/layer 2 networking market. The Token Frame When no station is transmitting a data frame, a special token frame circles the loop. This special token frame is repeated from station to station until arriving at a station that needs to transmit data. When a station needs to transmit a data frame, it converts the token frame into a data frame for transmission. The special token frame consists of three bytes as follows: Starting Delimiter - consists of a special bit pattern denoting the beginning of the frame. The bits from most significant to least significant are J,K,0,J,K,0,0,0. J and K are code violations.

Athenian democracy and The roman empire

The city-state of Athens was prosperous until, in 508 B.C., it became a democracy.   With the change to democratic rule, the majority of the people had all the decision-making power, with the minority being left with no influence whatsoever.As a result, the majority became a ruling oligarchy whose disastrous decisions brought about Athens’ end.   Athens was forced into a series of wars, including that with Persia, and the Peloponnesian Wars.The oligarchy having made too many poor decisions, class warfare made its way onto the scene.   The poor fought to steal the wealth from the rich.   Division due to class warfare, and the overall lack of support and confidence in the ruling government, made it easy for Alexander the Great to defeat Athens in 338 B.C., thereby ending their democracy. 1â€Å"Rome established a republic in 509 B.C.† 1   Under this new system, the Senators were elected by popular vote.   However, limits were placed on their power, as a sort o f check-and-balance system.   This was a safeguard that left the people free, and under this freedom they prospered.Factors which contributed to the expansion of the Roman Empire included superior methods of warfare, superior building and architectural capabilities that linked the empire, and money enough to support and maintain a large army to conquer, and then defend, the newly gained territories. 2 The land was the means by which the money was earned for the empire.Though the Romans did not have the advantage of superior weaponry, or anything different from their enemies for that matter, they were capable of beating armies much larger than themselves.   As the empire expanded, roads and aqueducts were constructed that allowed the empire to be united despite the large territory.   In fact, some of these original roadways are still in use today. 2As the Roman Empire continued to expand through additional conquered lands, they were able to maintain the stronghold by having ade quate military on the boundaries of the empire, thus holding back the Barbarians who sought to encroach upon   the empire.   The Germans were always looking for a â€Å"way in.†Ã‚  Another factor that contributed to the success of the Roman Empire were the â€Å"ideas of justice† they initiated.   These ideas of justice had already been formed into basic laws, which governed the entire empire, by 451 B.C.   These laws lay â€Å"down what one could and could not do.† 2   These self-same laws were written on 12 plates of bronze.   Today they are known as the Twelve Tables, and are the â€Å"first examples of written law.†The demise of the Roman Empire was greatly impacted by the greed, excessive spending, and over-taxation of the people by some of the latter emperors.   By the time that Commodus was assassinated, the imperial coffers were empty.   Other emperors, such as Caligula, wasted vast amounts of money on parties for the wealthy where food and drink was consumed to the point of vomiting.

Cebu City Essay

The City of Cebu (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Sugbo, Tagalog: Lungsod ng Cebu, Spanish: Ciudad de Cebà º) is the capital city of the province of Cebu and is the â€Å"second city† of the Philippines, being the center of Metro Cebu, the second most populous Metropolitan area in the Philippines after Metro Manila. With a population of 866,171 as per the 2010 census, it is the fifth most populated city in the country.[2] Cebu City is a significant center of commerce, trade and education in the Visayas area. The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu island. It is the first Spanish settlement and the oldest city in the Philippines.[3] Cebu is the Philippines’ main domestic shipping port and is home to about 80% of the country’s domestic shipping companies.[citation needed] It is the center of a metropolitan area called Metro Cebu, which includes the cities of Carcar, Danao, Lapu-lapu, Mandaue, Naga, Talisay and the municipalities of Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Liloan, Minglanilla and San Fernando . Metro Cebu has a total population of about 2.55 million people (2010 Census). Cebu City is bordered to the northeast by Mandaue City and the town of Consolacion, to the west are Toledo City, and the towns of Balamban and Asturias, to the south are Talisay City and the town of Minglanilla. Across Mactan Strait to the east is Mactan Island. Geography Cebu City has a land area of 315 square kilometres (122 sq mi). To the northeast of the city is Mandaue City and the town of Consolacion; to the west is Toledo City and the towns of Balamban and Asturias; to the south is Talisay City and the town of Minglanilla. Across Mactan Strait to the east is Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City is located. Further east across the Cebu Strait is the Island of Bohol. Demographics Around the 1960s, the population of the city was about 91,000. The population reached 799,762 people in 2007, and as of the 2010 Census, the city’s population has grown to 866,171 in over 161,151 households.[2] Education Cebu City currently has ten large universities each with a number of college branches throughout the city and more than a dozen other schools specializing in various courses. Among these schools is the University of San Carlos. It has four campuses around the metropolitan area. It is currently headed by the Society of the Divine Word. University of the Philippines Cebu, University of San Jose–Recoletos Cebu Normal University Cebu Doctors’ University University of Cebu University of the Visayas.. Cebu Institute of Technology – University, Southwestern University, St. Theresa’s College, University of Southern Philippines Foundation Cebu Technological University Cebu Institute of Medicine Cebu International School,Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion. The upcoming Centro Escolar University – Cebu will be the fourth campus of the university after its Manila (Main), Malolos, and Makati campuses.[17] Cebu City has 68 public elementary schools, 23 national high schools and 28 night high schools. These night high schools are operated by the city government. The Cebu City Public Library and Information Center is the only public library in Cebu.

Biography of Richard Aoki, Asian-American Black Panther

Biography of Richard Aoki, Asian-American Black Panther Richard Aoki was a field marshal in the Black Panther Party, the less well known colleague of Bobby Seale. Eldridge Cleaver. Huey Newton. These names often come to mind when the Black Panther Party is the topic at hand. But after his death at the age of 70 in 2009, there has been a renewed effort to familiarize the public with this Panther who’s not as well known. Fast Facts: Richard Aoki Known For: Civil rights activist, founder of the Asian American Political Alliance and field marshal of the Black PanthersBorn: November 20, 1938, in San Leandro, CaliforniaParents: Shozo Aoki and Toshiko KaniyeDied: March 15, 2009, BerkeleyEducation: Merritt Community College (1964–1966) Sociology BS, University of California at Berkeley (1966–1968) MS Social WelfareSpouse(s): noneChildren: none Early Life Richard Masato  Aoki was born Nov. 20, 1938, in San Leandro, California, the eldest of two sons born to Shozo Aoki and Toshiko Kaniye. His grandparents were Issei, first-generation Japanese Americans, and his parents were Nisei, second-generation Japanese Americans. Richard spent the first few years of his life in Berkeley, but his life underwent a major shift after World War II. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, xenophobia against Japanese Americans reached unparalleled heights in the U.S. The Issei and Nisei were not only held responsible for the attack but also generally regarded as enemies of the state still loyal to Japan. As a result, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 in 1942. The order mandated that individuals of Japanese origin be rounded up and placed in internment camps. The four-year old Aoki and his family were evacuated first to the Tanforan Assembly Center in San Bruno, and then to a concentration camp in Topaz, Utah, where they lived without indoor plumbing or heating. â€Å"Our civil liberties were grossly violated,† Aoki told the Apex Express radio show of being relocated. â€Å"We were not criminals. We were not prisoners of war.† During the politically tumultuous 1960s and ’70s, Aoki developed a militant ideology directly in response to being forced into an internment camp for no reason other than his racial ancestry. Life After Topaz After his discharge from the Topaz internment camp, Aoki settled with his father, brother and extended family in West Oakland, a diverse neighborhood that many African Americans called home. Growing up in that part of town, Aoki encountered blacks from the South who told him about lynchings and other acts of severe bigotry. He connected the treatment of blacks in the South to incidents of police brutality he’d witnessed in Oakland. â€Å"I began putting two and two together and saw that people of color in this country really get unequal treatment and aren’t presented with many opportunities for gainful employment,† he said. After high school, Aoki enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served for eight years. As the war in Vietnam began to escalate, however, Aoki decided against a military career because he didn’t fully support the conflict and wanted no part in the killing of Vietnamese civilians. When he returned to Oakland following his honorable discharge from the army, Aoki enrolled in Merritt Community College, where he discussed civil rights and radicalism with future Panthers, Bobby Seale and Huey Newton. Black Panther Party Aoki read the writings of Marx, Engels and Lenin, standard reading for radicals in the 1960s. But he wanted to be more than just well read. He also wanted to effect social change. That opportunity came along when Seale and Newton invited him to read over the Ten-Point Program that would form the foundation of the Black Panther Party. After the list was finalized, Newton and Seale asked Aoki to join the newly formed Black Panthers. Aoki accepted after Newton explained that being African-American wasn’t a prerequisite to joining the group. He recalled Newton saying: â€Å"The struggle for freedom, justice and equality transcends racial and ethnic barriers. As far as I’m concerned, you black.† Aoki served as a field marshal in the group, putting his experience in the military to use to help members defend the community. Soon after Aoki became a Panther, he, Seale and Newton took to the streets of Oakland to pass out the Ten-Point Program. They asked residents to tell them their top community concern. Police brutality emerged as the No. 1 issue. Accordingly, the BPP launched what they called â€Å"shotgun patrols,† which entailed following the police as they patrolled the neighborhood and observing as they made arrests. â€Å"We had cameras and tape recorders to chronicle what was going on,† Aoki said. Asian American Political Alliance But the BPP wasn’t the only group Aoki joined. After transferring from Merritt College to UC Berkeley in 1966, Aoki played a key role in the Asian American Political Alliance. The organization supported the Black Panthers and opposed the war in Vietnam. Aoki â€Å"gave a very important dimension to the Asian-American movement in terms of linking the struggles of the African-American community with the Asian-American community,† friend Harvey Dong told the Contra Costa Times. In addition, the AAPA participated in local labor struggles on behalf of groups such as the Filipino Americans who worked in the agricultural fields. The group also reached out to other radical student groups on campus, including those that were Latino- and Native American-based such as MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztln), the Brown Berets and the Native American Student Association. Third World Liberation Front Strike The disparate resistance groups eventually united in the collective organization known as the Third World Council. The council wanted to create a Third World College, â€Å"an autonomous academic component of (UC Berkeley), whereby we could have classes that were relevant to our communities,† Aoki said, â€Å"whereby we could hire our own faculty, determine our own curriculum. In winter of 1969, the council started the Third World Liberation Front Strike, which lasted an entire academic quarter- three months. Aoki estimated that 147 strikers were arrested. He himself spent time at the Berkeley City Jail for protesting. The strike ended when UC Berkeley agreed to create an ethnic studies department. Aoki, who had recently completed enough graduate courses in social work to obtain a master’s degree, was among the first to teach ethnic studies courses at Berkeley. Teacher, Counselor, Adminstrator In 1971, Aoki returned to Merritt College, a part of the Peralta Community College district, to teach. For 25 years, he served as a counselor, instructor and administrator in the Peralta district. His activity in the Black Panther Party waned as members were imprisoned, assassinated, forced into exile or expelled from the group. By the end of the 1970s, the party met its demise due to successful attempts by the FBI and other government agencies to neutralize revolutionary groups in the United States. Although the Black Panther Party fell apart, Aoki remained politically active. When budget cuts at UC Berkeley placed the future of the ethnic studies department in jeopardy in 1999, Aoki returned to campus 30 years after he participated in the original strike to support student demonstrators who demanded that the program continue. Death Inspired by his lifelong activism, two students named Ben Wang and Mike Cheng decided to make a documentary about the onetime Panther titled â€Å"Aoki.† It debuted in 2009. Before his death on March 15 of that year, Aoki saw a rough cut of the film. Sadly, after suffering several health problems, including a stroke, a heart attack and failing kidneys, Aoki died on March 15, 2009. He was 70. Following his tragic death, fellow Panther Bobby Seale remembered Aoki fondly. Seale told the Contra Costa Times, Aoki â€Å"was one consistent, principled person, who stood up and understood the international necessity for human and community unity in opposition to oppressors and exploiters.† Legacy What distinguished Aoki from others in the black radical group? He was the only founding member of Asian descent. A third-generation Japanese-American from the San Francisco Bay area, Aoki not only played a fundamental role in the Panthers, he also helped to establish an ethnic studies program at the University of California, Berkeley. The late Aoki’s biography based on interviews with Diane C. Fujino reveals a man who counteracted the passive Asian stereotype and embraced radicalism to make long-lasting contributions to both the African- and Asian-American communities. Sources Chang, Momo. Former Black Panther leaves legacy of activism and Third World solidarity. East Bay Times, March 19, 2009.  Dong, Harvey. Richard Aoki (1938–2008): Toughest Oriental to Come out of West Oakland. Amerasia Journal 35.2 (2009): 223–32. Print.Fujino, Diane C. Samurai Among Panthers: Richard Aoki on Race, Resistance, and a Paradoxical Life. Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, 2012.