Satyam Computer Service Accounting Scam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Satyam Computer Service Accounting Scam - Essay Example After resignation of Srinivas Vadlamani as chief financial officer Ram Mynampati was appointed as the interim CEO of the Satyam computer services and this turned to be the worst scam in the company history. After an audit that was done the report stated that the company cash was not encouraging since the company was in a state of collapsing. After the scam, the aim of Satyam computer services is to ensure that the business continues. After the fraud was noticed, the government of India disbanded Satyam board and the government was not providing funds to the company. A team of auditors from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) was appointed to investigate the fraud which is well known to regulate all Indian public companies (Winkler 2010). Satyam computer services is one of the companies that are under Bombay Stock Exchange and still under the New York Stock Exchange, meaning that the company is under the United States international regulators of capital market. The company will face legal process since United States believes that the company has broken the rules of stock exchange. Two of United States law firms are filling lawsuits against the company since the fraud has been in the history as the worst ever scam in India under the New York Stock Exchange and the aim is to recover some of the funds. The scam will have negative effects on the company and the Indian people in coming years since the company was the largest IT service provider and outsourcing giant in India Information Technology. This means Satyam computer service will either be sold but the auditors must recover the funds first if the company will go to that position of being sold. The competitors again will benefit from the company being sold. Its riv als like HCL, Wipro and TCS will pick the best employees and clients thus completely outdoing Satyam

Business Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business Strategic Management - Essay Example Strategic fit characterizes the degree of matching the capabilities and resources of an organization to the opportunities prevailing in the external environment. The matching takes place through strategy so the company is required to have its actual capabilities and resources for supporting and executing the strategy Strategic fit can be actively used for evaluating the current strategic situation of a company along with the opportunities of divestitures and mergers and acquisitions of divisions of organization. Strategic fit is also viewed on the basis of resources of the firm suggesting that industry selection and positioning is not only the key to profitability rather an internal focus utilising the unique characteristics of the resource portfolio of the company and its capabilities is the key to profitability. ... Operational fit arises when different businesses work along for exploring opportunities of skill transfer and cost sharing. Management fit revolves among both the businesses in terms of some comparable units like operating problems, administration and various administrative activities. It also allows accumulated managerial know how in one business to be used in managing other business. It is necessary that the management of business should take actions to capture benefit (Armstrong, 2003, pp.116-117). Benefits with sharing potential must be recognized so that the activities to be shared are coordinated and merged. When skill transfer takes place, a means must be found to make it effective. It is required for the medium sized business to achieve strategic fit as it provides consistency between customer priorities of competitive strategy and capabilities of supply chain as specified by the strategy of supply chain (Dessler, 2010, p.51). The strategies of supply chain and competitive st rategy have the same goal. Due to lack of strategic fit, a company may fail. Achievement of strategic fit involves three steps. These involves the understanding the uncertainty in supply chain and customer, understanding the capabilities of supply chain and achieving strategic fit (Armstrong, 2008, p.38). Strategic fit has a central role for playing in strategic management. While the external strategic fit is relevant to formulate strategy, the internal strategic fit is critical to the implementation of strategy (Gabriel, 2008, p.133). A high strategic fit is important as it enables the scope of learning new skill sets, timely and appropriate response, resource commitment from top management, better

Definition Of Food Advertising Marketing Essay

Definition Of Food Advertising Marketing Essay Advertising which is one type of marketing activity (McCall KL, 2003). Besides that, based on (Chris Fill, 2006) mention that no matter on international, national, local or direct basis, is important, because it can affect audiences by informing or reminding them of the existence and awareness of a brand, or alternatively by persuading or helping them differentiate a product or organization and comparison from others competitors in the market. The media usually used by food advertisers and marketer, Television which the largest single source of channel that promo food messages to children (Gallo AE, 1999). Television viewing starts from young, US children around the ages of 2 to 4 years normally view 2 hours of television daily; this increases to more than 3.5 hours near the end of primary school, then decrease to around 2.75 hours in late adolescence (Roberts DF, Foehr UG, Rideont VJ, Brodie M, 1999). US children who in low-income families and fewer youth tend more like to watch television (Roberts DF, Foehr UG, Rideont VJ, Brodie M, 1999; Gentile DA, Walsh DA, 2002). Therefore, Food is very often advertised product category on US childrens television and food advertise account for more than 50% of all advertise are targeting children (Gamble M, Cotunga N, 1999; Kotz K, Story M, 1994; Coon KA, Tucker KL, 2002; Taras HL, Gage M, 1995 ). Internet US Census data shows that the year between 1998 and 2001 was increase from 51% to 75% of US adolescents (ages 14-17 years) are using the Internet and increase from 39% to 65% of US children (ages 10-13 years) are online (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2002). The 2001 US Census data shows that half (51%) of US children around 10 to 13 years old and 61% of those who around 14 to 17 years old have Internet access at home (Montgomery D, Pasnik S, 1996). Therefore, Advertisers and marketers have start use different kinds of new interactive advertising and marketing techniques to target the rapidly growing number of US children online (Montgomery D, Pasnik S, 1996).The way to advertising and marketing on the Web is not similar significantly from television commercials. Advertisers and marketer able pass thought the special feature of the Internet to seamlessly integrate advertising and Web site content (Montgomery KC, 2001). Great majority of the big companies will created their own websites, and designed as branded environments for children, the purpose is to advertise and market to children (Montgomery KC, 2000, 2001). For example, Burger king food company website (http://www.burgerking.com) their provide Games, toys, tunes, and other downloads to promoted alongside for their food items. These is under Big Kids Club which is link on the home page, where encouraged 4 to 12 year old to join club members (Story and French International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2004). 2.4 Food Advertising Influence to Children Eating Preferences Nowadays, more and more people attract important that Advertising which aimed at children (Keane and Willetts, 1994; Moore and Moschis, 1983; Moschis et al., 1980). Because no other agent of consumer socialisation has received more attention than the mass media (Moschis, 1987, p. 121). There is a large amount of scholarly research in the area that focuses mainly on two dimensions of media that confers affect upon children, namely, advertising and editorial/programming content, especially intend to promote young people about products and encourage them to purchase (Ward and Wackman, 1973; Clancy-Hepburn et al., 1974; Galst and White, 1976; Gorn and Goldberg, 1982; Woodward et al., 1997; OGuinn and Shrum, 1997). Approximately, 11 of 19 commercials per hour were for food. Those advertises occupy 246 (44%) to promoted the kind of fats and sweets food, such as candy, soft drinks, chips, cakes, cookies and pastries. Fast-food restaurant advertising was very frequently, which stand of 11% of total food advertisements. The most often advertised food product was high sugar breakfast cereal. And there were no fruits or vegetables on advertisements. Also by indicate evidence of other studies that advertises on US childrens television are majority on high in sugar and fat food, it was very field to fruits or vegetable (Gamble M, Cotunga N, 1999; Coon KA, Tucker KL, 2002; Taras HL, Gage M, 1995; Morton H, 1984; Dibb S, Harris L, 1996; Lewis MK, Hill AJ, 1998; Chestnutt IG, Ashraf FJ, 2002; Byrd-Bredbenner C, Grasso D, 2000) More and more TV viewing in children and/or adolescents is associated with decrease fruit and vegetable consumption (Ortega, RM, Andrà ©s, P, Requejo, AM, Là ³pez-Sobaler, AM, Redondo, MR Gonzà ¡lez-Fernà ¡ndez, M, 1996; Lowry, R, Wechsler, H, Galuska, DA, Fulton, JE Kann, K, 2002; Boynton-Jarrett, R, Thomas, TN, Peterson, KE, Wiecha, J, Sobol, AM Gortmarker, SL, 2003; Matheson, DM, Killen, JD, Wany, Y, Varadt, A Robinson, T, 2004), more snacking (Francis, LA, Lee, Y Birch, LL, 2003; Snoek, HM, Van Strien, T, Janssens, JMAM Engels, RCME, 2006) and add more intake non healthy foods and taking less healthy foods (Woodward, DR, Cummings, FJ, Ball, PJ, Williams, HM, Hornsby, H Boon, JA, 1997) 2.5 Food Advertising Influence of children healthy It is very importance whether food products of marketing and advertising for youth-targeted has any impact on childrens food behaviours or body weight (Coon KA, Tucker KL, 2002). From the research evidence indicate that preschoolers and grade school childrens food habit and food purchase more on high sugar and high fat food are affected by television exposure to food advertising. (Isler L, Popper HT, Ward S, 1987; Coon KA, Tucker KL, 2002; Horgan KB, Choate M, Brownell KD, 2001; Taras HL, Sallis JF, Patterson TL, Nader PR, Nelson JA, 1989; Borzekowski DL, Robinson TN, 2001). On the other hand, a new WHO/FAO consultation shows the report on diet and prevention of chronic diseases investigated the evidence showing the hazard of developing obesity by dietary and lifestyle factors (Geneva, World Health Organization, 2003). Under scientific strong evidence Diet and lifestyle factors can be categorized on four levels of evidence: convincing, probable, possible and insufficient. The report indicate that even the evidence shows heavy marketing of fast food outlets and energy-dense, micronutrient-poor food and beverages to children causes obesity is equivocal, enough indirect evidence to place this fulfil in the probable category for increasing hazard of obesity (Geneva, World Health Organization, 2003). 2.6 Children Preferences Influence to Family Consumption Children strong affect how the family functions-in terms of relationships, employment, and purchases-and their affect is changing family consumption throughout much of the world (Blackwell, miniard, engel, 2006) studies based on Canadian data shows that young children depreciate parents participation in the; labor force, it will influence how families spend their money, and lower the amount of time and money available for leisure (RoBert E.Wilkes, 1975) Has a huge influence on children to make purchase decision involving products for their own use (Chankon Kim and Hanjoon Lee, 1997), In addition their also influence over parental spending when they request particular products and brands (Blackwell, miniard, engel, 2006). Not only do Children affect choices, but they also are used family money and their own to purchases. Just like a cycle, children influences family spending, family influences young consumers cognitive and evaluation of product and brand choices (Margaret Hogg, Margaret Bruce, and Alexander Hill, 1998).

Mr. Mefisto - Foreign Language Essay :: Foreign Language Essays

Abstract Mr. Mefisto. Before asking who he is, the first question must be, he exists or not? I did not meet him directly, face to face, but I heard a lot about. If you ask people who knows they will give you all kind of answers. They will tell you that, he us good, bad, obedient or is THE GOD. My opinion is that it do not exists by it self, it exists as a relation between you and the World. If you are not in Harmony with the World, you are under his power. D-ul Dracu , Inainte de a te intreba cine e Dracul, cred ca trebue sa te intrebi daca intradevar exista. Eu nu m-am intalnit cu el, fata in fata, dar din timpuri stravechi si pana astazi, multi spun ca intradevar exista. Fortale Binelui si Fortele Raului. Cu Achriman fiind "intunericul absolut" si Christos "Iubirea Vie". Sunt persoane care ar trebi sa stie. Chistos a scos un demon dintr'un om si l-a bagat intr'o ciurda de porcii. In zilele noastre Papa Paul Ioan II zice " Demonul exista, are regatul sau, are un program bine stabilit †¦." iar Papa Benedict XVI, zice "Dracul e o prezenta misterioasa, dar reala, personala, nu simbolica" . Asta e convingator ? O idee interesanta apare la Gnostici ("comoara" Templarilor e probabil o copie a Evangeliei apocrife a lui Toma) cu Simeon Magnus si bineinteles cu Valentinian in "Imnul Perlei" Dar mai ales in critica Legei Mozaice prin "Scrisoarea catre Flora" a lui Ptolomeu, "Lumea nu a fost creata nici de Dumnezeu Tatal si nici de Satana, ci de Demiur g". Ceace ar putea explica dece Dl Dracu exista. Sau dece Seful Ingerilor s-a razvratit inpotriva lui Dumnezeu. Daca exista inceputul exista si sfarsitul. Daca exista Ying exista si Yang. Tot nu sunt absolut convins, dar sunt inclinat sa accept, pentru ca stiu ca ceva e Bine si ceva e Rau. Nu stiu de unde stiu, dar cred ca e in legatura cu idea de "Just" si "Injust" Cred ca e just ca Socrate sa se si e injust sa furi bomboane dela copii. Acum cand de bine de rau, cred ca Dl Dracul exista, as vrea sa stiu cine si ce e. Nu cred ca e sarpele care a ispitit-o pe Eva. Am vazut in o catedrale din Gubbio, o fresca cu tentatia Evei. Sarpele avea maini si merge pe 2 picioare.

Ethics of Marketing to Schools in America Essay

Public schools across America are struggling with their budgets and looking to outside corporations for help. Conveniently, private corporations realize the potential buying power of students and have decided that elementary schools are the best channel to reach them. It has become routine for corporations to market there products in schools, and in exchange these schools receive various financial benefits. This new partnership has become the focus of much controversy as 80% of Americans feel that corporations should have no place in schools (). The two most cited concerns are the health of children and the growing commercialization of schools. This paper looks at this issue in detail by answering the following two questions. Is it ethical for corporations to market products in schools? What is the most socially responsible course of action for corporations to take? This paper will use a utilitarian and distributive justice framework to prove that marketing in schools is unethical and propose that the most ethical arrangement is to make schools commercial-free zones. This paper will also discuss the issue of corporate social responsibility through shareholder and stakeholder lenses to prove that there is a strong business case for corporations to? Children in schools are marketed to in a variety of ways. Schools can participate in incentive programs where a school receives funds to take part in a specific activity such as collecting box tops (). Some corporations offer free educational materials to schools that promote their corporate message. Pepsi encourages a â€Å"thirst for knowledge† on a popular textbook cover(). Each year over half of the students in schools in the United States receive free textbook covers(). McDonalds, Burger King and Dominos sponsor reading projects in schools with free meals(). Other schools receive free electronic equipment like computers and satellites for participating in programs like channel one. This is an arrangement where school receive free electronic equipment for having their students watch a 10 minute broadcast of which 2 minutes are corporate sponsored commercials (). All of these marketing techniques pose there own unique ethical dilemmas, however the most controversial type of marketing in schools today is the use of exclusive agreements. This is when corporations give schools a percentage of their profits in exchange for the right to be the sole provider of a product or a service(). The most prominent example of this is the soft drink company, Coca-Cola and their exclusive distribution rights with schools. As a result, Coca-Cola advertisements have become the most visible types of advertisements in schools today (). A US National School Health Policies study found that students could purchase soft drinks in 60% of elementary schools and 83% of middle schools (). Of these schools over 85% were under an exclusive contract with the Coca-Cola company (). For the aforementioned reasons the remainder of this paper will use the soft drink giant Coca Cola as a symbol to make it easier to understand the larger debate of marketing in elementary schools. A deontological framework can not determine whether this issue is ethical or unethical. In 1990 under $100 million was spent on advertising targeted at kids, just a decade later that number was up more than twenty times to over $2 billion (). This large increase in spending indicates that there is a strong motivation for corporations to market to youth. One way to determine if marketing in schools is ethical is to deconstruct these motivations through a deontological framework. The motivation for companies to market in schools could be a philanthropic opportunity to contribute to education. However, I do not believe this because companies like Coca-Cola make schools sign exclusive agreements, which means that they block competition and are profitable. I believe the main motive for companies to market to youth is to make money. Marketing to students in schools is an effective strategy as it reaps both short and long term rewards. Children in elementary schools have a lot of spending power. Kids ages 4-12 spend $40 billion each year (). Furthermore, these same kids influence $600 billion of household spending (). It is wise for companies to try to earn a share of this large market. Surprisingly, the sales of sodas in schools account for a miniscule slice of soda sales worldwide, less than 1 percent of soda’s 66billion dollar industry (). Clearly profit in the short run is not the main motivating factor for companies like Coca-Cola. Marketing in public elementary school promises long run benefits. Soft drink companies can create brand loyalty with their consumers at an early age. In other words, they foster and retain a captive audience for its products. If you consider the cutthroat competition among soft drink makers for customers, this brand loyalty becomes a vital business pursuit. A deontological framework can better help us deconstruct the ehics of marketing to youth purely for financial reasons. Specifically, this paper will employ some of W. D. Ross’ duties. It can be argued that marketing in schools violates the duty of non-malefiicence (to do no harm). Some children will substitute a nutritious meal for a sugar laden soda. That is harmful to their health. Marketing in schools also violates the duty of gratitude. It does not thank customers for their business by protecting their health. Instead, companies like Coca-Cola continue to aggressively market their unhealthy product to vulnerable youth. On the other hand, if one considers a corporation a person, then a corporation fulfils Ross’s duty of self-improvement by marketing in schools. It improves its own condition by increasing its profits in the short and the long run. Additionally, if a company honestly abides by the contract it signs with a school then it is upholding Ross’s duty of fidelity. The framework of deontology is inadequate to determine the ethics of marketing in schools because it presents us with conflicting duties and no hierarchy to put them into. There is an incompatible difference between the various duties. However, this situation did not become controversial simply because some believe that a corporation might have bad ethics, instead people are worried about the consequences of marketing in schools. A utilitarian framework shows us that marketing in schools is unethical. Marketing in elementary school is controversial because it offers many direct benefits to schools, but negatively impact students. Through a utilitarian framework this paper will deconstruct the pros and cons of the scenario to determine whether marketing in schools is ethical. This paper will conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine what results in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The main players that benefit in this scenario are schools, shareholders of the Coca-Cola company, and employees. All of these players benefit in financial terms. Vending machines are a valuable source of revenue for schools. They support programs that might otherwise go unfunded. Elementary schools have reason to be concerned about their finances, the state of California cut the elementary school budget by $10 billion dollars in 2003 (). If a school district signs an exclusive contract with a soft-drink company it can generate an additional $3 million per year (). School districts receive all of this money for virtually no additional work on there part. This is why the cliche that: â€Å"one day our schools will have all the money they need, and the Air Force will have to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber† could become true (). Company shareholders benefit in the long run if we assume that marketing in schools create brand loyalty among consumers. Company employees also benefit from the sales of sodas in schools, simply because their company is continuing to be competitive in the marketplace and provide work for them. However, the positive impact of selling sodas in schools impacts company employees considerably less than other players in this scenario, because these employees will not be receiving a pay raise as a result of this practice. While there are some positive effects of marketing in schools, I feel that the cons greatly outweigh the benefits. Students bear the burden of the negative effects of marketing in schools. Marketing to youth perpetrates problems of childhood obesity, materialism, eating disorders, violence, and family stress (). This is especially problematic because children are more cognitively immature and prone to believe that products marketed in school carry their school’s endorsement. For instance, if a school sells soda it signifies that it is acceptable to consume drinks that are high in sugar and have poor nutritional quality. A child’s health is not an acceptable trade-off for increased revenues. Childhood obesity is an epidemic in America. One-quarter of children in the United States are overweight which means they are at risk for lifelong health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cavities (). Competitors also suffer in this scenario because ? exclusive agreements’ create a monopoly on a school and therefore promote unfair competition and can charge whatever price they want. The difficulty of examining ethics from a utilitarian perspective is that is impossible to predict the future. It is not clear how much the financial revenue schools gain from executive agreements helps them to fulfill their purpose of teaching. It is also not clear how high the correlation is between marketing in schools and negative outcomes like obesity. What is known is that most of the negative consequences (and there are a lot of them) fall on the shoulders of the students. Having the burden of this issue fall on the shoulders of millions of students nationwide is bad for society as a whole. Children need to be educated in a healthy atmosphere so that they can become productive members of society one day. It is detrimental to the future if children are not provided with the best learning environment possible. The best learning environment possible is one that is free from commercial influences. The Distributive Justice framework shows that monopolies are unethical. According to John Rawls we should determine ethical dilemmas like whether marketing in schools is ethical by making the decision from behind a â€Å"veil of ignorance. † The distributive justice framework tries to ensure that the interests of the worst off in society are considered. According to this theory, students well-being should be put before business interests because students are the most vulnerable group in this scenario. However, there is an inherent conflict of interest within this framework. Corporations believe that marketing in schools is ethical because they are exercising their 1st amendment right to free speech. Everybody has this right, thus they are utilizing the equal liberty principle: equal rights to liberties as long as all may be provided such liberties. The problem is that not even all corporations are being provided the liberty of free speech. As previously mentioned Coca Cola has an exclusive agreement with 85% of elementary schools in America, this is just a nice way to say that Coca Cola has a monopoly on the elementary school market (). Companies that engage in exclusive distributive contracts are trying to block competitors. They can not justify this action on the ground that they need to do this to spur innovation, they want a monopoly so they can control the school market. Thus the difference principle comes into play because the inequality that these companies are creating in the market place needs to be addressed. The most ethical thing to do is to make schools commercial free zones. Marketing in schools is unethical. The most ethical thing to do is to make elementary schools commercial-free zones. Students should be able to pursue learning free of commercial influences and pressures. Eighty percent of adults in the United States agree that schools should be commercial-free zones as well (). While this may be the most ethical course of action, it seems highly unlikely as marketing in schools has become entrenched. Schools continually need more money and the government is unable to provide it. If marketing in schools must continue at the very least it should be regulated. It does not seem probable that the industry will regulate itself, so it should be subject to more government oversight. Right now there is very little the government has done to restrict marketing in schools. Laws forbidding it are perceived to be a breach of the 1st amendment. A study found that only nineteen states currently have statues or regulations that address school-related commercial activities (). This number includes states that have statues that encourage commercial activities. The government should establish an independent commission to regulate marketing in public schools. This agency should make regulations that encourage schools to provide a healthy learning environment for students. The agency could regulate the sale of foods high in fat, sodium, and sugars. For example, it could decide that vending machines can not be stocked with sodas; however juices (100%) and water could still be sold. There would be greater social acceptance of this issue if it were implemented more appropriately. The business case for CSR prevails. This paper has established that the most ethical thing for corporations to do is to stop marketing to students in schools, or at the very least to regulate what they market to children. If a company were to stop marketing to children for the aforementioned ethical considerations it would be following a normative line of reasoning. The company would be interested in doing the right thing for society with little regard for how the proposition would effect its own bottom line. While I would applaud its efforts on a moral basis, this would be a very poor reason to engage in Corporate Social Responsibility. There needs to be a business incentive for corporations to engage in Corporate Social Responsibility. A company has to be successful financially if it is going to survive in the long run. However, there is always a business case for corporate social responsibility with respect to companies that sell consumer products. In the long run the closer a company aligns with the values of society the more successful it will be. Good ethics and good business are mutually reinforcing. In this case 80% of society wants commercial-free schools or at least commercialism that is regulated. It is socially responsible for a company to accommodate the wishes of society because it is in their long run interest to build a good reputation. A company like Coca-cola may be more successful at recruiting, retaining, and engaging with its employees and customers if it demonstrates that it is socially responsible. Critics might argue that this is just mere â€Å"window dressing. † However, a good reputation leads to higher sales in the long run. Both shareholder and stakeholder frameworks would support the business case for corporate social responsibility in this scenario. Milton Freidman is an advocate of the shareholder theory which maintains that a companies corporate social responsibility is to maximize profits without breaking the law or violating basic rules of society. Coca-Cola is not breaking any laws by marketing in schools, it is merely exercising its first amendment right to free speech. It is also not violating any social norms, children get to choose whether they want to buy unhealthy products. On one hand it may seem that Freidman would say that corporations should continue to market in schools because they are making a profit and therefore helping society. However Freidman would agree that companies need to balance there short term gains against their long-term interest. In this case, Freidman would advocate for the restriction of marketing in schools because it is in the long run self-interest of the company because companies like Coca-Cola needs to reassure their customers that they care about them. . An alternative approach to corporate social responsibility is the stakeholder theory. This theory maintains that companies should balance the interests of all stakeholders involved. In this scenario the stakeholders would be the students (customers), parents, teachers, corporations, suppliers, employees, shareholders, and society. Students are harmed by marketing in schools because marketing is correlated with problems like obesity and materialism. On the other hand these same students benefit because their schools are receiving additional funding for programs. Parents suffer because they have less control over what their children are exposed to, and it could undermine their values. Shareholders may benefit in the short run from marketing in schools, but in the long run the values of the company must be aligned with society if it is going to succeed. Therefore, the stakeholder theory would advocate a business case for Corporate Social Responsibility as well: to limit marketing in schools. Marketing in schools is a complex issue with many players. In this case, students are the most important players because schools are public institutions and schools are supposed to make students a top priority. Marketing in schools can not stop on its own, it needs to be either strictly prohibited or at the very least limited by the government.

Pros and/or Cons of Stand Your Ground Law Essay

The infamous George Zimmerman case has stirred the controversy around Stand Your Ground laws and brought these laws to the public light, becoming the subject of vigorous nationwide debates whether these laws should be repealed or not. Like many controversial legislative, Stand Your Ground laws have their critics and proponents, and both sides tend to make valid points in defense of their position. The goal of this paper is to show cons and pros of Stand Your Ground laws. In Florida as well as 21 other American states, as stated by to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the above-mentioned laws are self-defense laws that relieve individuals of their â€Å"duty to retreat from an attacker before using force against them anywhere they are legally allowed to be† (Clark). While in general these laws do not use such a notion as â€Å"stand your ground† specifically, Florida together with nine other states has these words in its law. In Stand Your Ground law in Florida, particularly, it is stated that â€Å"a person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony† (qtd. in Clark). The major con of this law, as its critics think, is that it essentially gives individuals with malicious intent a legal loophole to avoid criminal prosecution for killing someone if these individual state that they had to defend themselves. Eric Holder, the US Attorney General, is among those opponents of Stand Your Ground laws who believe that these laws will allow individuals to provoke others to attack them first and then, as it can be deemed self-defense and these individuals will not have the duty to retreat, they will be able to kill them without fear of getting prosecuted (Cooke). In states with Stand Your Ground laws, people will not have to think twice whether they should use weapons to defend themselves against the attackers or retreat because they will have the right to kill their attackers. Such violence will breed further violence. Criminals may use this law to cover up the deliberate and premeditated killing of people. However, proponents of this law may respond to the above-mentioned claims of their counterparts as follows. This  critique of Stand Your Ground crumbles under the weight of the argument that â€Å"In almost every state, if and when an individual enters into an altercation with the deliberate intention of provoking the other party into threatening him with death or injury, they lose the right to claim that they were acting in self-defense† (Cooke). All individuals have the right to liberty and life and therefore, they have the right to defend themselves. Those who attack people violate their victims’ rights to live, so Stand Your Ground laws legally recognize these rights, attempting to â€Å"tilt the balance in favor of the attacked† (Cooke). Both, the opponents and proponents of Stand Your Ground laws have reasonable and sound arguments, but they need to find some middle ground regarding these laws that will satisfy both sides. Works Cited Clark, Korey. Nearly Half of States Have â€Å"Stand Your Ground† Laws like Florida’s. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. http://www.lexisnexis.com/legalnewsroom/criminal/b/criminal-law-blog/archive/2013/07/24/nearly-half-of-states-have-quot-stand-your-ground-quot-laws-like-florida-39-s.aspx. Cooke, Charles C.W. Stand Your Ground on Stand Your Ground. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2013 .