These Greco-Roman Curses Were the Best Form of Ancient Revenge

Imagine youve just discovered the one you love has been cheating on you with the laundry girl from down the block. Furious, you want to get your vengeance. But youre not going to sink so low as to kill that young tart, are you? No, youre going to ask the gods to do your work for you! Instead, head to the marketplace and have a scribe write down a curse on a tiny scrap of lead. He asks the powers above - or, as well see, below  - to jinx her bowels. Bury that scrap of lead - pierced with a nail to fix its power- on which the scribe wrote somewhere sacred, and youve achieved your revenge! These mysteriously magical leaden texts were called  defixiones, or curse tablets. On a  defixio,  one would  invoke a god or psychopomp (spirits who carried the message to the underworld) in order to influence an individual, group, or animal against their wills; thus, they’re called binding spells. As noted in The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Greek Religion, the focus is not on torment or destruction ... but on laming and putting out of action. In fact, the way the text in defixiones  is set up is legal in nature, a contractual agreement between the gods invoked and the supplicant. Such formulae and phrasings were used in most of the defixiones, regardless of place of origin. These tablets appeared across the Greco-Roman world—and the places it conquered and influenced, from Syria to Britain--from the Iron Age to the first few centuries A.D. More than 1500 of them have been discovered to date. Many of them have been at  religious locations where temples stood during Greek and Roman times. For example, at Bath in Roman Britain,  defixiones  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ were deposited in  the watery domains of Sulis Minerva, the protectress of that sanctuary; they were put there because the tablets requested for that goddess to  answer that request. The ones in Britain, especially Bath, mostly dealt with theft and were Romano-British cultural  hybridization at its finest; read more about that here. Other tablets would be placed in graves or pits, presumably because the supplicants were requesting help from infernal spirits or  powers residing in the underworld, like Persephone or Hecate; one would  imagine that, if a curse tablet requested physical harm or death on a person, a grave would be an ideal spot to put that  defixio. Perhaps most significantly, the  defixiones  proved to be some of the few examples we have of writing produced by non-elites in the Greco-Roman world.  They presented a contrast to the writings of many Roman historians that, rather than day-to-day concerns of love and life, concentrated on affairs of conquest and monumental inscriptions that only the rich could afford to set up. Just check out this insane tomb that Romes richest banker built for himself. Cursing Everyone and Everything When wishing for the gods to affect someone negatively in a  defixio, the supplicant might want any number of things, positive or negative, to happen. They could request that a rival be killed or fall sick, or that someone not fall in love with another person. As curse tablet expert Chris Faraone noted in Ancient Greek Love Magic,  these arent technically love spells, since they dont request that somebody fall head over heels for them; instead, it is designed to reduce the competition, by inhibiting the words, the actions, and even the sexual performance of a rival. Or, if a woman isnt into a guy, the supplicant requests that the beloveds movements be restricted so that shed love only him. Heres one example: Seize Euphemia and lead her to me, Theon, loving me with mad desire, and bind her with unloosable shackles, strong ones of adamantine, for the love of me, Theon, and do not allow her to eat, drink, obtain sleep, jest or laugh...Burn her limbs, live, female body, until she comes to me, and not disobeying me. If she holds another man in her embrace, let her cast him off, forget him, and  hate him; but let her feel affection for me... Another prime instance of creepy binding/erotic magic: Spirits of the underworld, I consecrate and hand over to you, if you have any power, Ticene of Carisius. Whatever she does, may it all turn out wrong. Spirits of the netherworld, I consecrate to you her limbs, her complexion, her figure, her head, her hair, her shadow, her brain, her forehead, her eyebrows, her mouth, her nose, her chin, her cheeks, her lips, her speech, her breath, her neck, her liver, her shoulders, her heart, her lungs, her intestines, her stomach, her arms, her fingers, her hands, her navel, her entrails, her thighs, her knees, her calves, her heels, her soles, her toes. Spirits of the netherworld, if I see her wasting away, I swear that I will be delighted to offer a sacrifice to you every year. People also utilized curse tablets to influence pretty much anything they wanted. In order to secure a win, a charioteer paid for inscribed tablets hat requested the gods ensure victory for their team and to destroy their enemies. Check out one that read: Bind the horses whose names and images/likeness on this implement I entrust to you: of the Red (team)... of the Blues. .. Bind their running, their power, their soul, their onrush, their speed. Take away their victory, entangle their feet, hinder them, hobble them, so that tomorrow morning in the hippodrome they are not able to run or walk about, or win or go out of the starting gates, or advance on the racecourse or track, but may they fall down with their drivers... The evidence for curse tablets isnt just archaeological. Literary sources suggest that Emperor Augustuss stepson, Germanicus, one of the most famous generals of his time, died because of poison and a curse; rumor had it that defixiones bearing his name, along evidence of other negative magics, were buried underneath his floorboards. Resources and Further Reading Watson, Lindsay. Magic in Ancient Greece and Rome. Bloomsbury, 2019.

Mass Shootings in Schools - 703 Words

In December 2013, 28 people including 20 children were shot to death at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, which caused school officials and parents to reflect on methods for better protection of students’ safety. Recently, United University issued a regulation of checking backpacks or book bags randomly for weapons such as guns and knives, and those who are found to carry weapons will receive certain punishments. It was said that the random search was able to forbid weapons on campus and improve the sense of safety among students. In my point of view, the random search may not as effective as considered and, to some extent, might cause some problems. On one hand, random checking cannot prevent students from being hurt by unconventional weapons. The definition of weapon need to be taken into consideration. The random search pay more attention to objects generally regarded as weapons such as guns and knives. However, numerous materials exist on campus are dangerous even a threat to students’ lives. For example, approximately every university has labs for students to conduct scientific research, particularly in Department of Chemistry or Biochemistry. Dangerous solvents and poisoners are easily accessible for students working in such labs and are even possible to be taken out on purpose by students, which is definitely a considerable threat to other students. A university student in China was killed by her roommate because of consumption of a cup of waterShow MoreRelatedMass Shootings And 62 Schools Shootings1752 Words   |  8 PagesIn 2015, there were 353 mass shootings and 62 schools shootings in the United States of Amer ica. On top of this, nearly sixty percent of homicides since 2015 were committed through the use of firearms and although there are no official figures, it is estimated that there are about 300 million guns, or approximately 88 for everyone 100 persons (Gunter). Although correlation cannot prove causation, the United States almost doubles most other developed countries assault deaths rates per one hundredRead MoreThe Negatives Of Mass School Shootings1153 Words   |  5 Pagesarguments about mass school shootings, and mass school shooters. The first key argument would be that school shooters have a â€Å"type†. According to the article, school shooters are most likely to be young white men who feel as though they have been oppressed by their peers or society. Kalish and Kimmel’s second argument in their article was to say that humiliation is emasculation; â€Å"If you humiliate someone, you take away his manhood† (Page 454). Young white men decide to conduct a school shooting due to theirRead MoreMass School Shootings in America Essay1334 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican schools became dangerous places at the end of the twentieth century. Children as young as twelve and thirteen came to school not to study but to shoot as many people as possible. Even as these students transformed schools into war zones, teachers and other students did what they could to restore order and to save lives. In doing so, they became unlikely heroes on America’s latest battlefield. Although violence in schools is nothing new, multiple shootings are. According to the 1999 AnnualRead More Mass School Shootings in the U.S. Essay2440 Words   |  10 Pagesweapons is the murders committed by juveniles. School shooting is the problem which origins are deeply rooted in the family background and the upbringing of children as well as in the free approach to carrying weapons. To understand the concept of gun culture one have to be born in the U.S. but living outside American society is significant to provide subjective criticism of the acts of violence such as school shootings. The horrible massacres at schools are definitely not a new phenomenon; they areRead MorePreventing Mass School Shootings Essay1424 Words   |  6 PagesIn order to solve the problem of violence in schools, we must first find out who the problem is. Being that not every teenager is prone to participate in such violent acts as what happened at Columbine, there must be specific environment imposed on a particular biology to turn a teenager into an Eric Harris or a Dylan Klebold. These are not normal, healthy teenagers, and they don’t just become killers overnight. They become killers because they are already deeply disturbed individuals who canRead MoreMass School Shootings in America Essay896 Words   |  4 Pagesmany school shootings occurring nationwide. It is not unusual to hear about these shootings on television or on the radio. This issue has greatly impacted the lives of young people. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;If you turn on you television and look at the destruction caused from a flood or an earthquake, you may think, quot;oh, another one.quot; Although it may shock you to see the pain and suffering of the victims, it is going to happen. Is that the way we have to look at school shootings? ItRead MoreMass School Shootings in America Essay499 Words   |  2 Pagesnever happen in my school.† This is one of the first thoughts that goes through a students mind when they hear about a school shooting. The fact is though, it can. School shootings can happen at any school at any time. Lack of security is only a small part of the problem. The major issue lies in the low morality of students and warning signs overlooked by administration. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Not all, but a majority of the students are cold-blooded killers. And shooting fellow students isRead More Bullying and Mass School Shootings Essay3841 Words   |  16 Pages School shootings and suicides result from continuous bullying. As a result, after time some side effects of being bullied are depression, anger, hopelessness, the desire for revenge, and longing to permanently end the suffering. Furthermore, even mental illness, such as PTSD and many others is caused by bullying. (Schusterbauer) Police, teachers, principals, state senators, and many others claim it’s not bullying that causes these mind numbing numbers of suicides and school shootingsRead More We Must Work to Prevent Mass School Shootings Essay1394 Words   |  6 Pages There have been many horror stories in the news about mass shootings at schools. The public, and even the president of the United States, is asking if anything can be done to prevent these tragedies. There are many theories on why students kill their peers at schools; these range from increased violence in video games and movies to bullying troubles at school. Almost always, the perpetrator suffers from some form of mental illness (Khadaroo). Because of this, motives for these crimes areRead MoreVideo Games: The Real Cause of Mass School Shootings? Essay2120 Words   |  9 Pagesdebatable. And in recent years, school shootings have made video games a new focus of public concern and scientific research. In public opinion, video games cause more aggression in comparison to traditional violent media contents because video games have more features of interactivity, due to the active engagement and participation of players (Hummer and Wang et al. 137). But more and more reports tell us that video games are not the main cause of school shooting issues; rather it is the negligence

World Bank Free Essays

Reform internal Goverance A. Introduction: â€Å"The World Bank has undergone significant change in its purpose and membership since its inception in 1944† (world bank, 2003). As a result, there are many people criticize regarding its current governance and accountability. We will write a custom essay sample on World Bank or any similar topic only for you Order Now They are discussed that bank’s governance system is undemocratic, largely because borrowing countries that are impacted the most by bank projects have minimal voice in bank’s decisions about loan and projects and the selection of the bank president is unilateral. The World Bank also lack of transparency in its decision making. And then, critics argue the bank’s members are unaccountable. â€Å"In April 2010, Management presented a set of operational and institutional reforms aimed to enhance the overall effectiveness, efficiency, legitimacy, and accountability of the WBG† (WB, 2010). Some of these reform areas have direct implications on the governance of the institution, from the perspective of Board / Management relations, institutional accountability, and relations with external stakeholders. AS a result the Bank uses the methods to solve the current problems, such as reforming the voting system and presidential selection and makes the bank’s accountability. B. Governance: â€Å"Since the World Bank was established over 60 years ago, its role in supporting economic and social development has expanded and deepened with changes in the global context and the evolution in the financial architecture†(Jeff, 2007). The focus on strengthening internal governance systems and structures is driven by external and internal forces. There is little of bank basic structure has been altered, even though the World Bank’s members have been changed considerably. The main problem of the World Bank’s governance is that developing country has weak link with bank’s decision making process, because they do not have their own executive director. â€Å"The World Bank’s internal governance mechanisms reflect the political and power relation which dominated World Bank’s politics in the decades following World War II. The five large shareholders in the Bank is the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France which maintain more than two-thirds of the voting power, effectively ensuring that decision reflect the policy views of America and western Europe†(Leech, D. 2003)). Developing countries influence on the Board of Executive Directors is limited. â€Å"The remaining 16 Board seats are split among 177† (Leech, D. (2003), this has the consist with large number of individual countries. People suggest two ways: one is reforming current voting system, and another is selecting the bank’s pr esident. 1. Reforming voting system: Many people argue the bank’s current voting system. When the executive board makes decision about loan or other policies, voting is not based on one vote per country rule. Voting power is weighted and is based on a country’s quota†(Leech, D. (2003). Under the current quota, â€Å"each country has base of 150 votes, the country which has good economic can add votes, it means one additional vote for each share of stock held by that country, which depend on that country’s relative economic and financial strength†(Daniel Kalinaki, 2002). For example, United State is a large shareholder, and it holds 16. 4% votes (see table below). Member of the country that holds large shares has more power than the poor country during decision making process. Unfortunately, the developing countries need more loans, but they have the least amount of voting power to make loan decision. The quota system dictates that a handful of developed countries hold a majority of shares, these members are able to dominate the bank’s decision making process. Table: Voting Weights and Voting Powers in the Governors Member countries have suggested proposal for reforming the voting system to Increase representation of the borrowing countries. Double majority voting is one reform that may enhance developing countries’ participation. Under this system, decision would require to pass by two majorities that are majority of shareholder votes and majority of developing countries votes†(World Bank Group, 2003). This would give developing countries more opportunities to say what they want to say, because decision would not pass without support with a majority. And this system also allows the industrialized donor countries and the developing reci pient countries to assert their claims. 2. Selection of the World Bank President The selection of president is another argument relating to bank governance. The board of governors selects the president for a five year, renewable term†( Jeff powell, 2007). According the bank’s Article of Agreement state: â€Å"Executive Directors shall select a president who shall be chief of operating staff of the bank and shall conduct, under the direction of the Executive Directors, the ordinary business of the bank†(World Bank Group, 2003), â€Å"the Board of Executive Directors selects the President, in practice the head of the Bank is selected by the United States while the head of the IMF is selected by Europe†( David Theis, 2010). This gentleman’s agreement between the US and Europe reduces the legitimacy and credibility of the World Bank. No clear procedures exists for ensuring the qualifications of a candidate, nor does a process exist for other member states to review and question appointments. The World Bank President should be selected through an open and transparent process. Now, many people and the global expert and world bank employees disagree the way the president choice and argue that the selection process should be a democratic, not only focuses on one country. They think that United States is no longer valid to be president because the united state account for 16% of the world bank’s share now, it does not play a dominate role in world bank. It is also unfair that united state hold a monopoly over the World Bank’s leadership. Many people give the advice to the World Bank for changing in the selection process. The one way they support is selecting process should be open and based on merit. They believe that opening up the selection process will ensue among qualified candidates’ and it also like a competition, which help the World Bank to get qualify president. The way is simulate new voting system. The new president should pass double majority. This means the president should be approved by a majority of the member countries and group of countries representing majority. This gives everyone opportunity to select who is the best president. The World Bank responses the working group and makes suggestion for selection process. The working group advice (1) the selection should oversee cannot focus on single country. (2) They should have a specific standard for choose candidates. (3) Every country has opportunity to provide candidates†(Daniel Kalinaki. 2002). The most important is candidate that was selected should have more experience and qualifications, and the selection process should be open and transparent. C. Accountability Critics argue that the Bank is u naccountable to its members, because they have charter which is immunity from lawsuits. The bank’s charter grants the bank immunity to the extent that member countries or persons who can not sue the bank about it do not follow its police. And it is fail to make it more accountable. Therefore, many people advice that the bank need to improve their accountable. If the bank cannot show their accountable, the member countries cannot trust what the bank does. As a result, the bank develop many horizontal accountability mechanisms which including the operation evaluation department, the department of institutional integrity. 1. Transparency While the Bank’s internal governance structures minimize the ability for developing countries to engage, the lack of transparency in decision making reduces the effectiveness of external stakeholders to engage in Bank affairs. The lack of Board transcripts leaves stakeholders with no way of knowing where individual Executive Directors stood on issues. This reduces their ability to effectively advocate their position. â€Å"In 1933, the Bank restricted public access to almost every type of document that related to bank’s project. Consequently, people do not know bank’s lending operation, nd they do not know where their money is going†(Jeff powell, (2007) Public scrutiny harm the bank’s decision making and effect its deliberation, the reason why they do is they think that the bank does not have the rights to disclose the documents. It is borrowing country’s property. When the number of public scrutiny and criticism increase, the bank attempts t o increase its transparency. The bank has expanded the information that allows public to access. As we can see, the bank uses its website to show public what it is doing and publish more research to people. The website that bank published shows the thing it will do, and annual report and presentation. The bank starts to improve transparency policy and create operations manual, and this change make the bank is more accountable to their member countries. It also creates many mechanisms to enhance horizontal accountability, which means department can check the abuses by other department. 2. Dual Feedback Performance Dual feedback performance is an important part to improve governance structure and accountability framework of WBG (World Bank Group). The feedback system is agreed by the executive directors, and it will be a part of WBG’s governance and accountability with next presidential selection round. The main object of Dual feedback performance is creating a dynamic relationship between Board and Management to improve in governance and effectiveness of the Board and president. A Committee on Governance and Administrative Matters (COGAM) Working Group composed of Board and Management representatives was established to work on developing a framework for the dual feedback performance of the Board and President. COGAM discussed a report from the Board members of the Working Group and endorsed the report as a significant input to continued work on the framework, which would be taken up by a renewed, integrated Board-Management Working Group in the next term of the Board† (World Bank Group, 2003). Dual feedback Performance can help each other to measure their performance and it can cause the governance of the bank mo re reliable. Each of department monitor other’s action and the bank will be dependable, because everyone is under the control, and there is less collusion between the departments. The Board and president wish to begin with a structured conversation on their respective effectiveness, measure against the institutional achievement as captured by the corporate scorecard. Conclusion: To improve the World Bank internal governance and ensuring the consistent with Department for International Development’s own objective, reform must take place at The Bank to achieve transparence and responsibility. An improved policy on information discloses would foster transparency and enables stakeholders to hold the Bank and their representatives to account. Improved selection procedures for the President alongside more equitable control among member states on the Board of Executive Directors would expand ownership of the organization to developing countries thereby increasing legitimacy and enhancing credibility and effectiveness and developing countries more opportunities to show their opinions. An improvement of Dual feedback performance helps the World Bank has more accountability to all departments; each of department can monitor each other and everything they is under the control. How to cite World Bank, Papers

The Rising Issue of Generation Y and Police Training free essay sample

The Rising Issue of Generation Y and Police Training By Problem Solving Practicum OL430 Anthony Nixon February 27, 2008 CONTENTS Referencesiii Research Focus The Real Issues1 What is Generation X? 2 Generation Y4 The Problem6 Recruitment, Selection, and Retention8 Conclusions12 References Lomi Kriel. (2006, June 26). Cities face troubles in hiring cops. San Antonio Express News, p. 1. Andy Headworth. (2007, December 07). Ten differences between Generation X and Generation Y Employees [Msg 1]. Message posted to Sirona Says To infinite recruitment and beyond electronic mailing list, archived at http:/? /? blog. sironaconsulting. com/? sironasays/? 2007/? 12/? our-futurex-ver. html Wikipedia. (2007). Generation X. In Wikipedia (1st ed. , Vol. 1, p. 1). Unknown, World Wide Web: Wikipedia. Retrieved March 10, 2008, from Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia Web site: http:/? /? en. wikipedia. org/? wiki/? Generation_X Research Focus The Real Issues There is a rising problem in the police field regarding hiring and retaining quality officers. At the front of this problem is the Y generation and the opposing generational values between them and generation X. We will write a custom essay sample on The Rising Issue of Generation Y and Police Training or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This also lends itself to training issues and the difference in learning styles between the two generations. This paper will delve in to merging the two current styles of training and the problems that might come up during the process. This investigation will deal with agencies across the country as well as my own. The problem affects the public as well as the officers not provided the life experience to handle situations they will come in to contact. With the average age of a generation Y leaving the home being, twenty-six they do not possess the live skills necessary to deal with situations common in the law enforcement field. The training styles have to adapt to accommodate this lack of skills and help overcome the problem. My research will come from networking with other agencies across the state and country. A major portion of my research will come from the web as well. COPS website with the help of some benchmark police agencies has developed a training program that can help this issue. With the combination of the San Jose model of training and the Police officer training program, we will address this issue. What is Generation X? According to Wikipedia, Generation X is a term used to describe a generation born between the 1960’s and the 1970’s (Wikipedia, 2007). According to other sources, Generation X is anyone born between the mid 60’s and 1980. Generation X’rs were brought up on television, Atari 2600s and personal computers. They are the generation raised in the 1970s and 1980s, and saw this country undergo a selfish phase that they do not want to repeat. Generation X’rs are independent, enjoys informality, is entrepreneurial, and seeks emotional maturity. They want to build a repertoire of skills and experiences they can take with them if they need to, and they want their career path laid out in front of them or they will walk. They also seek balance in their lives now not when they retire. They seek time to raise their children and do not want to miss a minute as their parents did. This generation also wants immediate and honest feedback. While combing the net for research material, I came across a blog listing ten differences between generation x and generation y. I am going to quote the differences here: â€Å"1. Preferred style of leadership †¢ X only competent leaders will do †¢ Y collaboration with management is expected 2. Value of Experience †¢ X dont tell me where you have been, show me what you know †¢ Y experience is irrelevant, as the world is changing so fast 3. Autonomy †¢ X give them direction, and then leave them to it †¢ Y questions, questions, questions 4. Feedback †¢ X expect regular feedback †¢ Y need constant and immediate feedback 5. Rewards †¢ X freedom is the ultimate reward †¢ Y money talks 6. Training †¢ X want to continually learn, if they dont they will leave †¢ Y still in an exam driven mentality 7. Work Hours †¢ X do their work and go home †¢ Y will work as long as needed or until they get bored 8. Work Life Balance †¢ X they want to enjoy life to the full, while they are young enough to do so †¢ Y their lives are busy they need a lot of me time 9. Loyalty X they are committed as everyone else working there †¢ Y already working out their exit strategy 10. Meaning of Money †¢ X it gives freedom and independence †¢ Y just something that allows them to maintain their lifestyle (Andy Headworth, 2007). † As the reader can see, some of the differences quoted here could cause a problem for the generation y employee successfully adapting to the P olice way of life and business. Generation X fits well with the lifestyle. Generation Y Generation Y is made up of those born between 1977 and 1990. This generation goes by innumerable names—The MyPod Generation, for their penchant for social networking sites such as MySpace and their surgically attached iPods, The Baby Boomlets, referring to their status as children of the Baby Boom generation, and The Boomerang Generation, in reference to the hordes who have moved back in with their parents after living on their own for a while—that should tell the reader a lot about what to expect in the job place. With this generation, there is a perception that they become board with their jobs very quickly. If the technology is slightly out dated, this generation is preparing an exit strategy for finding a â€Å"better† or â€Å"different† job. They do not seem to accept the current hierarchy of the workplace and become frustrated with the day-to-day slow-paced environment of the job. All of these issues are common in the workplace of today. The common reaction of those already in the workforce, the X generation, is; â€Å"why should we have to adjust to their behavior? They should adjust to ours. † While this is a very legitimate and expected response, I do not think it can be this simple. This generation is different is so many ways. They grew up during the most profitable times of the US economy in the last 100 years. They were brought up experiencing the lap of luxury, eating out, two plus cars per family, etc. They are also very opinionated about the jobs they wish to have and how much money they expect to make. The only problem is somewhere along the way, they missed the important issue of having to work their way up from the bottom and not starting at the top. We need to look at whom this generation looks up to. This generation was brought up idolizing those that were good looking, and â€Å"got rich quick. † During their childhood, here were a lot of men and women that made this look very easy. We also need to realize that this generation is not a generation of â€Å"slackers. † They just have a different personality than the generation X’rs. It is also very important to understand that this group of workers will not stay at one job during their carriers. Some estimate that they will ch ange jobs up to twenty times working their way to retirement. With the portability of retirement funds, there is less of a need for them to become vested in a company. As current employees of these companies and departments, we need to realize this and adjust accordingly. They view their work as a job and not a carrier. This becomes a major issue for small and mid-sized departments within the police field. A recent study shows that by the time, a person is hired, with the extensive background checks and man hours involved, a department has spent upwards of $150,000+ dollars. By the time this new hire hits the streets, on their own, the amount has grown by at least twice that. Therefore, the idea that this generation carries regarding the portability of retirement and jobs can be very detrimental to the financial stability of a department. The time and money invested in training this new generation has to become an issue and has to be addressed with them. In law enforcement today, we are facing a crisis. More and more jobs within this field are becoming available, but the workforce pool to recruit from is becoming ever smaller. The job today is not held in the same regard as it once was, and with this generation, the need to adapt and change our way of thinking is becoming a growing issue. We have to change, or our ways of live in society will falter. The Problem Police agencies are selling a product few young people are buying. The real underlying problem is that law enforcement agencies are selling a product few young people are buying, except for a few televised glamorized jobs like the FBI and DEA. The truth is that 99% of all police work is stressful, potentially dangerous, boring for long periods of time, under-appreciated, overly-regulated, micro-managed, seniority driven, bureaucratic, heavily disciplined, 24/7 shift work, little time off from work, premature death, and high rates of alcoholism, divorce and suicide. More importantly, operational police work is not always viewed by the media and public as the best professional job choice by young people with a ollege education. It is a buyer’s market for â€Å"generation Y† accustomed to instant communication and information. Their lives are not work-centered, and they want more from a job than the promise of a 30-year pension at the end of the rainbow. The higher starting salaries will get their attention, but to close the deal to join the police department, they will need to feel that they will be included in decision-making, be recognized for their achievements, have flexible work schedules, and work for an agency with high moral values. The recruitment of Generation Y into policing will call for not just a new strategy by agencies, but a shift in the police culture to place more value on quality of life and working conditions. In an article from the San Antonio Express News from 2006, it is estimated that 80 percent of the nation’s 17,000 law enforcement agencies have vacancies that cannot be filled. Police agencies around the country are struggling to fill vacancies due to the massive amount of retirements from the baby-boomers, growing populations, and fluctuating city budgets, not to mention the generation Y persons shying away from the police business. Lomi Kriel, 2006) Recruitment, Selection, and Retention The problem of selection of qualified police officers from Generations X and Y is not unique to the United States. Other countries also have problems with inadequate screening and psychological stress. In the latter, the stress to which a police officer is exposed is extraordinary, including serious th reats to themselves, their lives, and physical integrity and/or serious threats to their fellow officers. They witness riots and corruption, the serious injury or deaths of citizens, bombings, and critical incidents that involve their being shot at and shooting at someone. They deal daily with the hostility and resistance of citizens. Some natural or accidental disasters that police officers are exposed to produce occasional stress, and others produce frequent stress. These stresses contribute to a loss of the sense of immortality; all individuals come to realize they are mortal, but the realization occurs in police offices at a much younger age. Stress, when it is prolonged or overwhelming and the individual is not able to cope, becomes harmful physically and psychologically. The interplay between the stress of police work, the type of police department (suburban, large city, sheriff’s department), the social support system, the individual’s personality structure, experience, neurobiological substrate, psychological strength, and maturity determine the outcome. Individuals react differently to stress depending on their psychological resilience. An individual who is psychologically impaired before becoming a police officer tends to have his or her basic personality problems accentuated when under stress, with resultant deterioration in functioning. Preferably, police candidates should be graduates of a four-year college, in view of the complexity of police work. The best predictor of an individual’s future behavior is his or her past behavior. The ideal standard is the absence of a history of deviant behavior and absence of alcohol and drug abuse. The history of substance abuse, the relationship to authority, respect for the law, job history, and financial records are extremely important in the evaluation of prospective police officers. In addition, the way individuals handle their anger must be carefully assessed. The family history is important to determine the possible identification and dynamics in an individual. Family history of psychological disturbance or criminal activity and interpersonal relationships should be explored. Relationships with friends and interactions should be evaluated. Reasons why a person desires to be a police officer should be appraised. The selection process from a pool of candidates with a clearly defined job description should be limited to the absolutely best candidate for further evaluation. Only the best-qualified, educated, dedicated, moral, and ethical person should be selected. Problem candidates should be weeded out before they are hired and become a problem, due to negligent hiring, negligent retention, or ineffective supervision. Civil service commissions must be aware of the problems involved in police officer recruitment and selection. Law enforcement agencies must become a learning organization in which individuals become active participants in expanding their knowledge in an atmosphere in which people discuss and explore concepts. Departments that foster the attitudes that â€Å"thinking stops doing† and â€Å"yours is not to reason why; yours is but to do and die† send a message to recruits and police officers that one must â€Å"go along to get along,† which is the antithesis of the community policing program. The job description and announcements are critical elements in the recruitment and selection process. The job description should include the need to work rotating shifts, nights, and weekends; 24-hour availability; mandatory overtime; uniform and grooming requirements; adherence to police department rules; and regulations and mandatory physical wellness. Job descriptions should include the possible need in critical situations to kill a fellow human being and the possibility of being involved in physical confrontations with citizens. A primary concern in the evaluation is how officers cope with their own anger and aggression in view of their experiences as part of Generations X and Y. Community policing is beginning to dominate the way police deal with crime. The concept of community policing stresses empowerment at the lowest levels of the organization. Police management can be threatened in community policing by the loss of power and status that took them years to attain. In community policing, organizational leaders, in dealing with subordinates, should reject the coercive leadership style and promote total quality management, which stresses listening to others and coaching and fostering the personal development of employees. Traditional police officers would say that â€Å"this won’t happen in my lifetime† and that it would occur only when the traditional police officers are gone. Leaders must involve all members of the organization in the development of the values statement of the program. Involvement on the part of the members of the organization creates commitment. One of the most important leadership tools—the organization’s mission and values (guiding principles)— can be used to develop credibility in the marketplace that will enhance recruiting efforts and develop professional pride that will encourage employee retention. Marketing strategies can be used to project a positive image of law enforcement. Empowerment allows officers an opportunity to develop personal skills as an active member of the organization. Officers can be given diverse assignments as a means of retaining their interest. However, even in community policing, police officers must have respect for rank, comprehension of the chain of command, the ability to follow orders, and a commitment to the department and their fellow officers. Anything less endangers the safety and wellbeing of themselves and their fellow police officers. The selection process of police officers becomes one of the most important factors influencing a police department. A proposed solution in some states is the lowering of standards. Instead, agencies should try to raise job satisfaction and professionalism. Conclusions Selection of police officers has become a difficult, complex, and many-faceted process that involves dealing with the changing personality characteristics of police officers from Generations X and Y. Knowledge of the characteristics of the generations by those involved in the hiring process (e. g. , police chiefs, civil service commissioners, psychiatrists) will diminish the possibility of negligent hiring, reduce problems with citizens that are anticipated in the coming years, and result in greater opportunities for better training and retention of police officers.