Derek Bentleys Last Thoughts Essay Example

Derek Bentleys Last Thoughts Essay I dont believe this is happening to me! I have only one hour of my life left before my death sentence is carried out! None of this would have happened if I had not got involved with Chris Craig, and formed a friendship with him and his mates. They were a very bad influence on me. If Id never met Chris, what would I be doing now?Im outraged that I have received a much more serious, fatal sentence than Chris, who is serving only ten years in prison! Ten years only for murdering someone! It wasnt me who killed the cop, it was Chris! I never pulled the trigger! Im completely innocent of murder! As a result of my friendship with Chris, Im going to die in less than an hours time. Its all because of him!I mean, I didnt even try to run off when I had the chance. For goodness sake, it was I in fact that helped the cops catch Chris. I never meant shoot the cop Chris! when I said let him have it Chris! I meant let the cop have the gun Chris! Those stupid cops took the wrong meaning, and so now Im stuck here in here ready to die! I didnt like that judge either; I reckon he was biased. Hell find out sooner or later that he sentenced me for no reason, and so will others. I was treated very unfairly in that courtroom. Some people will pay for this! Oh yes, they will get hurt, just like theyve hurt me!Where did it all start? When did I make the mistakes that led me here? I remember, it was on the 2nd of November, when I went out and met Chris outside the sweetshop, along with Frank and Norman. I regret going out that night now. I should have stayed home with my family. I should have listened to my parents.I can recall Chris, his gang and me all talking; then Frank and Norman left. Chris and I then caught a bus to Croydon. On the bus, he handed me a knife and a knuckle-duster, which I never even used! I wasnt planning on using them either! I should not have accepted them from Chris. I should have said no right then. I guess I was under peer pressure then. I remember Chris carry ing a revolver and a sheath knife. We got off the bus at West Croydon station. Chris intention that night was to rob a butchers shop, and if need be, use the lethal weapons. That was the purpose of him carrying them. We went down Tamworth Road. As we saw a light and heard sounds inside the shop, we had a change of plan, and so went away. This time we were headed for a sweet shop. I can remember that I was still looking inside the shop to see if anyone was there, while Chris had already climbed over the 6ft iron-gate. I should have not gone up with him. It was my last possible chance to escape from this fatal plan, and I unfortunately blew it! I should have realised there would be consequences like this maybe, and also that there could have been witnesses such as the Wares, watching. I was caught red-handed!I dont want to die; I still have lots to live for. Im only 19 years old for Christs sake! People these days should show some mercy! Not even a quarter of my life has passed yet! M y life has definitely gone to waste. Im dying for no reason! I wonder how it feels whilst being hung and dying?! Will it hurt? What happens afterwards? Will I be sent to Heaven or Hell, or is there no such place? How long will it take for me to die? Im not frightened of death at all. Just nervous and curious. Id told dad that too. The time seems to pass so fast! Only forty-five minutes to go now!I wonder what the hell Chris is doing now? What does he think of all this? Whether he is regretting everything? Whether hes thinking about me, and what Im doing? And what about his family? His parents? Do they care as much about Chris as mine do for me? What do they think about me? Do they realise or even care that my sentence is unfair? Do they know and care that Im dying because of him?! I do hope they realise that it should be Chris who is sentenced to death instead of me! It should be him being hung in less than forty minutes from now!I wouldnt want to be Chris. Id prefer to be myself an d die rather than be him. I would hate to live with a guilty conscience, knowing someones dead because of a crime that Id committed. I would simply hate to live a life like that! The clocks ticking fast. Im living my last half hour.Ill certainly miss my family. I want to be with them now, and see them again. Im more anxious about leaving them more than anything else. Id do anything and give away every possession I have just so that I could live to see and be with my family. I hope they clear my name. I really do. How do they feel about his situation that Im in now? Are they petrified? Worried? Nervous? Angry? Are they thinking anything at all?I would like to wish them good luck for everything in the future. I want to thank mum and dad for raising me, and Iris for supporting me and being a great sister throughout my life. I hope my younger brother listens to mum and dad and does what hes told. I wouldnt like to think that he grows up to be someone like me! A betrayer to my parents, b ut most of all a traitor to the family name. I know I have made a bad impression and have been a bad influence on my younger brother, but I hope he learns from it; Ive, without doubt, learnt from my mistakes in the past, and I know I cans redeem myself now as its too late; but my younger brother can still fulfil mum and dads wishes by becoming good and by doing as hes told.At least all is not lost for my parents. As a result of me not listening to mum and dad, look how Ive ended up! I am so repentant and most of all ashamed of myself! I would have liked to be someone everyone younger could look up to, not like this! Not a criminal! Im sure mum and dad would have wanted that as well; some sort of role model, as it were. I do hope indeed that they forgive me for everything bad Ive committed.Anyway, I want my family to keep their chin up, and to look after each other, and all the animals in the house. I wish I could tell them this myself in person, and also that I LOVE YOU ALL! Thank y ou all ever so much for what youve done for me. Youve all always been there for me, especially for when I needed you.In the end, I reckon the truth will eventually come out. Justice will prevail. People will know I am not the bad guy. JUST FIFTEEN MINUTES TO GO! Only just fifteen minutes left of my wasted life!Im more fearful of how my family will be treated after Ive been hanged. Thinking of what position my family will be in actually makes me terrified. Think about how people will treat them. Will they feel sorry for them because of my loss? Will they be spiteful and malicious towards them? How will people remember me? A fully-fledged criminal or an innocent 19 year old who was wrongly accused of murder and therefore hung?I believe the guards are coming in now. I can hear their footsteps. Shall I wait for them to enter? Shall I plan to retaliate as soon as they come in? Oh, what shall I do?! I think Ill wait. Im waiting for death. Mum, dad, please forgive me! God, please forgive m y sins. Im extremely remorseful for anything I have done that goes against your will. Oh God, theyre here! I dont know what to do! They are getting me up. Its all happening too fast! Its very hard for me to think this, but I am in fact breathing my last few breaths now! I dont believe this is happening! NO!They are treating me very roughly. I wonder what was in that drink they gave me. It didnt taste nice at all. Theyre taking me somewhere. I can see the very last thing that will ever touch my throat. The guard just said it wont hurt. Ill take his word; at least it will clam me down a little.Daylights gone. I shall never see light again. This is the last time Ill ever see the world. Im in complete darkness now. This is it. I feel my legs tightening ever so hard. OUCH! Now I can hear the loud noises of chains rattling. This is the first time Im actually feeling horrified since I was sentenced. I want to panic, but I cannot go anywhere. I want my mum. I want her to hug me one last tim e. I want to hold my family and kiss them all goodbye. I can hear my heart pounding violently. God save me! Goodbye Derek..

An Assessment of the American Psychological Association in the Development of Professional Knowledge and Abilities of Members

An Assessment of the American Psychological Association in the Development of Professional Knowledge and Abilities of Members Consecutive studies demonstrate that career success is primarily a function of ability, personality, knowledge, opportunity, and the interactions between these variables (Rode et al., 2008). Additionally, the scope of job tasks, responsibilities, and expectations have also been cited as critical determinants of career success. Abele Spurk (2009) defines career success as the positive psychological or job-related outcomes an individual accumulates as a direct result of work-related experiences.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on An Assessment of the American Psychological Association in the Development of Professional Knowledge and Abilities of Members specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Professional bodies and organizations have been credited for assisting employees to work towards achieving their career goals and objectives and, therefore, play an important role in complimenting the efforts of employees towards the attainment of career success. This paper purposes to explain how the American Psychological Association (APA) assists its members in the development of professional knowledge and abilities, and how this impacts the career success of psychologists in the various fields of practice. Headquartered in Washington, the APA is a scientific and professional organization with over 150,000 members, thus making it the largest association of psychologists globally. According to its homepage, â€Å"†¦the mission of the APA is to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives† (APA, 2010, para. 2). Among other things, this mission is based on continual pursuit of excellence, outstanding service to members and society, knowledge and its application based on methods of science, and ethical action in all the organization’s endeavors. The APA contributes towards the enhancement of professional knowledge and abilities of its members in a number of ways. First, the organization is not only the foremost catalyst for the stimulation, development, and dissemination of psychological knowledge and practice, but it is the primary resource for all psychologists, not mentioning that it is the premier trendsetter in the education, nurturing, and training of psychologists, practitioners, and educators (APA, 2010). Its comprehensive undertaking in research provides members with a framework to keep abreast of current issues in the broad field of psychology, and enhances their practical knowledge and abilities in dealing with new and challenging issues. In addition, the association provides members with the opportunity to network and exchange critical ideas that goes along way to sharpen their abilities to contribute more to the enhancement of human rights, health, well-being, and self-respect (APA, 2010).Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More What’s more, the publications and annual conventions arranged by the organization allows young psychologists the chance to interact with experienced members and exchange knowledge and ideas that are inarguably critical to the practice judging by the fact that psychology is an evolving discipline. The association gives its members an enabling environment to develop their professional knowledge and expertise through interaction and collaboration. Lastly, it is imperative to mention that any professional body gives its members a sense of belonging and a framework for furthering their interests, and the APA is no exception (Kuijpers et al., 2006). As already mentioned, career success is primarily a function of an individual’s knowledge and abilities. Individuals always strive to build a successful career, and a professional body that will provide them with the basic ingredients for career success is mos t welcome. Knowledge and abilities will enhances an individual’s chances to gain materially in terms of pay and hierarchical position, otherwise known as objective career success (Abele Spurk, 2008). In the same vein, having adequate knowledge and capabilities brings job satisfaction, motivation and enhanced social status, therefore enabling one to achieve what is known as subjective career success. As such, it can be concluded that engagement in professional organizations enhance one’s career success. Reference List Abele, A.E., Spurk, D. (2009). How do objective and subjective career success interrelate over times? Journal of Occupational Organizational Psychology, 82(4), 803-824. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier Database American Psychological Association. (2010). About APA. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/about/index Kuijpers, M.A.C.T., Schyns, B., Schreerens, J. (2006). Career competencies for career success. Career Development Quarterly, 55(2), 168-178. R etrieved from MasterFILE Premier DatabaseAdvertising We will write a custom research paper sample on An Assessment of the American Psychological Association in the Development of Professional Knowledge and Abilities of Members specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Rode, C.R., Arthaud-Day, M.L., Mooney, C.H., Near, J.P., Baldwin, T.T. (2008). Ability and personality predictors of salary, perceived job success and perceived career success in the initial career stage. International Journal of Selection Assessment, 16(3), 292-299. Retrieved from Academic Source Premier Database

Relection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Relection Paper - Essay Example In a very interesting study, Hannaford cites examples of the effects of exercise of body on stimulation of mind. The author maintains that exercising the body can enhance learning experience. I loved the book because it was very refreshing and had some original food for thought. Though I was aware of the benefits of exercising the body, I needed to know how it could stimulate learning and brain activity. Now I realize why it is extremely important for children in school setting to be exposed to physical exercise and sports. Because it is healthy thing to do and it also makes exercise a learning experience. The children must be involved in exercise and its benefits so they can discover them for themselves. It has been noted that children and teachers are both delighted by the manner in which exercise stimulates mind. I feel that in our schools we should make exercise mandatory for all students with the objective of making learning a better and more effective experience for them and for the teachers as well. Hannaford makes it clear that senses and emotions play a key role in enhancing the learning process and thus recommends exercise both before and after learning. She starts from a very young age which helped me in understanding how exercise could affect learning. She says that basic early exercise like crawling have a great impact on a child's learning abilities. Crawling "activate[s] both hemispheres in a balanced way" (Hannaford, 92).the author also insists that real learning process "starts with movement in response to a stimulus, then creates a context or experience to understand the sensory input" (99). What was really enlightening came in the form of findings on reading. I learned that children are not very receptive to silent reading till the age of seven. And thus this activity must be postponed till then. They should instead be taught in a way that would acknowledge their natural progression of skills and their bodies' natural development stage. I was happy to see that when applied in classroom, children actually responded very well to these new ways of learning. All the noise they create while laughing, sharing, building and moving around and learning was a healthy indication of their high involvement. Hannaford advocates the use of pictures and painting to enhance learning: "Most people need to discuss, write, or draw a picture of new ideas in order anchor them in the body with movement for memory and clarity of thought" (101). Hannaford also presents her findings on inhibitors that can affect learning. She identifies such factors as television, computers and video games as few inhibitors that may slow down the learning process. Children fully engrossed in sports are less likely to watch television or spend time on video consol. This is beneficial in terms of their health and also facilitates learning. Stress is shown as another major inhibition factor. In short, the book focuses on the finding that: "It is the full activation and balance of all parts of our body/mind system that allow us to become effective, productive thinkers" (106). And this I have found to be a finding worthy of affirming over and over again.