Censorship Can Suppress The Progress of Art - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 959 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/05/29 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Censorship Essay Did you like this example? Where are we to turn when it is time to gently absorb what is happening around us? Art. Illustrating what society fears speaking of, imagery captures emotions felt within society whether it safely depicts a weathered man feeding pigeons or silently screams the horrors of war, political strife, or historical events. Whilehighly regarded, it is not always well received. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Censorship Can Suppress The Progress of Art" essay for you Create order Since art often represents life, when specific pieces of art are selected to appear in open spaces, they should remain visible and unaltered despite any discomfort; therefore, the art created by Aaron Bellshould not have been censoreddue to freedom of expression, the nature of artists work, and fulfilling the expectations of this particularartistrs audience. Selected for display inNew York Citys Riverside Park,Stand Tall, Stand Loud†¹is a sixteen-foot-tall steelsculpture by artist Aaron Bell which evokes an image of slavery. In its fullness, itencompasses a theme of tolerance.The piece is the body of a man with a noose, a loop with a knot used to hang people, which sits where his head would appear. A wind turbine serves as ametaphoricalheart and large hands stretch wide, representing tolerance. A quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. isinscribed on thesculpture, reading Our lives begin toend the day we become silent about the things that matter.Stand Tall, Stand Loudrepresents that hatred has lived here. Hatredwashere. The creation of this piece was an artistic reaction to the truth, a call for an end to hatred, not a cry for the subsequent bureaucraticinterference which it was bound to. While not all pieces of art focused in this arena are seen by the majority, the work ofAaron Bellcaused quite a stir. Arguably one ofthe most controversial piecesof art releasedduring recent times,Bellwas exercising hisright to freedom of expression. For this reason alone, the controversy should have remained as discussions among friends and art critics. This was not the case. To the surprise of many, and the satisfaction of others,this piecewas subjected to censorship to make it more digestible for park visitors during their yoga classes and other outdoor activities. Does the truth hurt that muchwhile standing in a warrior pose? The decision to censor this piece was enforced by the New York City Department of Parks, resulting in the noose being removed to soften the experience of those who would see it. When considering the world at large, artists are a significantly small portion of the population. Radical ideas and fearless positions in the world allow artists to take on the responsibility of speaking on behalf of society. When Aaron Bell did just this, it was met with resistance. However, this is the nature of artists work. How are we to invite creativity and then punish an artist for his bravery? If such a sensitive reaction is going to continue to be embraced, this specific piece should not havebeenisolatedand placed under review for censorship, but instead,entire sections of galleries which house controversial art should be placed under thesame microscope. The weathered man feeding pigeons wins. Many artists have a strong following, consisting of inspired supporters who choose to stay connected to the pulse of bold art. Admirers begin to develop a taste and expect to be satisfied from the work of a chosen artist. How is it acceptable that an audience can be interrupted while enjoying art? Some artists are known to produce rebellious pieces. This, then, prompts satisfaction because in this shared space the artist has a power to write a story from a perspective that does not use words. The silence is whimsical when taking in a piece. Everyone could use that chilling feeling it can produce to go a little deeper in the understanding of the world. Art cuts through the noise. It makes an uncomfortable worldbearable. Because of this, Aaron Bells work should not have been considered for censorship. Art imitates life. If a piece carrying arevolutionary message is censored to make it more palatable, it does not mean that the depicted eventdid not happen. It does not mean that we need to be coddled to diminish guilt.Many people today are disconnected from experiencing a range of emotions. The answer to this is art, it prompts a reaction. Art allows individuals to feel,properly. Some, otherwise, would not feel certain emotions, at least not beyond the surface. The last thing which needs censorship is art. Because of freedom of expression, the nature of artists work, and what audiences expect from certain artists, and those following Aaron Bell specifically; there should not bean experience of art being censored. The experience should be freely available to all who turn to art for answers. Those who want to enjoy their yoga and expensive lattes in a parkshould choose one that does not embrace art in public spaces. Wondering what happened? The New York City Department of Parks overturned the decision to censor Bellrs sculpture and issued a public apology to the artist. The noose was placed back onto the piece, restoring Bellrs original vision. Based on the program which managed the curating and installation, the sculpture was planned to be on temporary display, making it even more distinct and exclusive. Unfortunately, and ironically, it was previously stated that this work posed a potential distraction; yet society was distracted by unfounded and unnecessary remarks which removed the attention from the work itself. It was a win for Bell and for those who admire bold art when Stand Tall, Stand Loud was restored to its intended glory in Riverside Park. Although materials are fleeting and not everlasting, this piece brought tangibility to a message. There are limitations on how far the truth can be censored: what is in the dark will eventually come to light. Stand Tall, Stand Loud immortalizes Be llrs message.

The American Empire Exceptionalist Political, Economic,...

America is like the 800-pound gorilla in every room in the world. When it gets a cold, the world wheezes, when it has a tingle, the world scratches. When it neglects to act, it regularly sends a swell around the globe. For some, it is a model for different societies to imitate. This thought of American exceptionalism really has numerous roots and numerous varieties. One is the old Puritan idea, in light of a John Winthrop sermon, that America is a city upon a hill. This notion of America as Gods country or the new Promised Land later got secularized and blended with thoughts of emancipation inferred from the American Revolution. It is this secularized thought that is most predominant today. The point when Presidents Ronald Reagan†¦show more content†¦Separation of powers: The separation of powers alludes, regardless, to the work in the definitive record of legislative, executive, and judicial capacities to different institutions, independently constituted. These organizations are needed by the rules set down in the document to share policymaking, and in this way are ceaselessly commonly responsible, each to the others. In The Federalist by the three founders, James Madison says: The great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department consists in giving to those who administer each department, the necessary constitutional means, and personal motives, to resist encroachments of the others. (CITATION) Most countries have governments that employ chief executives, and essentially all have lawmaking bodies, however the American Congress has no nearby partner anyplace on the planet in the self-sufficient power that it practices as an aggregate entity. For unlike the parliaments with which such a variety of onlookers of modern democracies are well known, the Congress has a quite important interior structure. Also this is accurate, yet correct in ways, for both the House and the Senate. Political culture: A political culture is a designed method for thinking about political life that is imparted by various individuals, compasses the generations, and rejects different qualities and traditions. It distinguishes theShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesHamilton and Linda Shopes, eds., Oral History and Public Memories Tiffany Ruby Patterson, Zora Neale Hurston and a History of Southern Life Lisa M. Fine, The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown, U.S.A. Van Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America Joanne Meyerowitz, ed., History and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New YorkRead MoreEvil Disney, Research Response to Henry Giroux5383 Words   |  22 PagesEvil Mickey There are plenty of hotbed issues on how the Disney corporation’s sociological and socio political ideologies are embedded into their products and how they affect children, but very few ask why Disney would place hidden ideologies in their movies/shows. What reasons would Disney have to program children with outdated morals while trying desperately to uphold a model image of innocence? What practices has the disney corporation practiced that some would consider immoral or even illegal

Public Relations and Social Media Free Essays

Figure 1: BDI Logo An essay on the Black Dog Institute’s use of social media for public relations purposes. Major Assessment: How is social media being used by not-for-profit organisations for PR purposes? Choose one not-for-profit organisation operating in Australia and discuss – with reference to public relations and new media theory – how the organisation is using social media to manage their key stakeholders and community groups online. The practice of public relations has seen a change in recent years, and now includes many and varied tools; including new media. We will write a custom essay sample on Public Relations and Social Media or any similar topic only for you Order Now The term ‘new media’ encompasses a variety of non-traditional methods including social media. This essay discusses the use of social media in a public relations capacity, to assist in managing an organisation’s key stakeholders and community groups online. The focus organisation is the Black Dog Institute (BDI), a notfor-profit organisation and an â€Å"educational, research, clinical and community-oriented facility offering specialist expertise in mood disorders† (Black Dog Institute, 2012). When considering how an organisation uses social media, it is important to understand who the key stakeholders are and also what constitutes social media tools. Some of the institute’s key stakeholders (otherwise known as the specific target audience) include health professionals, donors/sponsors and government agencies. So, with some of the key stakeholders defined, what then is social media? Social media, as a whole, is online media with which you – the user can participate. Mayfield (2008) states that social media of all kind shares most (or all) of the following characteristics – participation, openness, conversation, community and connectedness. The Black Dog institute has used several social media tools to get their message out to the wider community. The use of these new media tools, specifically social media tools, assists not-for-profit organisations such as The Black Dog Institute in managing their key stakeholders and community groups online. Social media is fast becoming an effective tool for public relations purposes and The Black Dog Institute has mplemented a variety of tools such as wikis, social networking, blogging, video, an interactive website and applications suitable for iPhone, iPad and iPod. Figure 2: Social Media The Black Dog Institute engages in wikis such as The Mental Health Wiki. The Mental Health Wiki (2012) which claims to be â€Å"a collaborative, open platform for capturing high quality information in the mental he alth field† is open to anyone however the site only allows suitably qualified people to contribute. So how does this wiki help The Black Dog Institute manage their key stakeholders? Through participation, the institute is able to demonstrate their expertise in the area of mental health therefore enhancing their reputation among other health organisations. Wikis are a potential destination for online Page 2 of 7 PRN101 – Major Assignment research and thus by contributing to such, the organisation is able to continuously improve relationships between themselves and their stakeholders (medical professionals) As a fundamental function of public relations is to build mutually beneficial relationships, the contributions supplied by the institute on the Mental Health Wiki would be accessible by other health care professionals. This accessibility is a key in building such relationships, and in turn, the institute has access to other organisation’s research material. On the flip side however, it is important for the institute to consider the legal ramifications of contributing to such a forum. Flynn (2012) states that social media content can be subpoenaed and used to support (or sink) an organisation in the event of litigation, therefore it is important that the institute adheres to laws affecting PR such as copyright, privacy and the Trade Practices Act. Facebook is a social networking site offering community, conversation and connectedness and is another largely accessible social media tool with which The Black Dog Institute has engaged. Their active Facebook site allows community groups to interact and remain connected with the institute. The site offers news feeds, events, videos and the option for like minded people to contribute to the site through ‘posts’ – discussions. Figure 3: BDI FaceBook Page According to Solis (2009) social networking is not just about socialising, it’s about leveraging the network to increase visibility for expertise, reputation and activity. As you can see with the image, the Black Dog Institute’s Facebook page includes a picture of their facility, but is this the kind of visibility we refer to in PR? To increase their visibility (or exposure) the institute utilises social network i. e. Facebook to promote upcoming events, VIP associations, and other online presences such as websites/twitter and to provide another avenue to access their products for sale. By using social networking to increase their visibility, the institute develops another avenue to increase donations and much needed funds. Page 3 of 7 PRN101 – Major Assignment Blogging is another social media tool that has been adopted by The Black Dog Institute, through the use of Twitter – a micro-blogging site. Their Twitter blogs allow readers to ‘pull’ information that is relevant to them and with the dynamic nature of blogging; the institute gains a genuine insight into the opinions of their public. In terms of public relations, blogging assists the organisation to maintain a constant and up-to-date connection with its publics. The Black Dog Institute embraces that connection and continues to build a network (or community) of like minded people and remain connected with their audiences. With one of the most important functions of public relations being to create understanding, blogging sites such as Twitter allows The Black Dog Institute to create this understanding. Some media tools do not allow participation from an organisation’s public, however through blogging a two-way process is encouraged thereby creating a mutual understanding. It is important to acknowledge that a forum involving two-way conversation can again place the organisation in a vulnerable position – both its’ legally and socially responsible position. Therefore maintaining an ethical approach to the blogging process, with a deliberate course of action, can help to reduce this vulnerability. Figure 4: YouTube Videos are another social media tool that an organisation can use to remain connected with their public. Sites like YouTube are becoming increasingly popular with individuals and organisations alike. The Black Dog Institute has a YouTube channel, where subscribers can upload videos and also comment on videos uploaded by others. The institute joined the YouTube ‘phenomenon’ in September, 2011. At present there are only two videos available on their own channel, however when you search the term ‘black dog institute’ several others have been uploaded (as indicated in the above image). This indicates an increasing awareness of the institute through an often entertaining and light hearted forum. Videos offer the institute the opportunity to present their organisation in an honest and accurate way. Further development of their YouTube channel can be achieved Page 4 of 7 PRN101 – Major Assignment through commenting on other contributor uploads regarding the institute and its activities from other users. Other tools utilised by the institute, which are a little out of the scope of this essay, include an iPod/iPad application – â€Å"The Black Dog Pedometer†. This tool gives the institute’s stakeholders/community access to not only a pedometer but also a link to learn more about the institute and also a donation option. In terms of public relations, the pedometer application increases the organisations image as an authority on the subject of mental health and mood disorders. The institute also has a website developed specifically for teenagers – www. biteback. org. au which as a whole is not a social media tool; however the blog component of the site offers interaction and participation by subscribers. The Bite Back website allows the BDI public relations team to take a proactive approach to their subject of expertise, offering an engaging and interactive forum for their younger community groups. As you can see throughout this essay, social media assists the Black Dog Institute in its’ public relations plans. Tools previously outlined such as wikis, social networking, blogging and videos assist the institute in building and improving relationships with their key stakeholders and to increase awareness and visibility of their organisation. As the momentum of social media continues, further opportunities may develop for the institute. Trimester 1, 2012 Page 5 of 7 PRN101 – Major Assignment Reference List: Figures Figure 1: Black Dog Institute Logo – www. lackdoginstitute. org. au (accessed 30 April, 2012) Figure 2: Social Media – http://masoncadeagency. com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/07/SMO_Social_Media_Optimization. jpg (accessed 3 May, 2012) Figure 3: Black Dog Institute Facebook page – http://www. facebook. com/blackdoginst (accessed 5 May, 2012) Figure 4: YouTube screenshot – Available: http://www. youtube. com/results? search_query=blac k+dog+institute+oq=black+dog +institute+aq=faqi=aql=gs_l=youtube. 3†¦ 16614. 20473. 0. 21177. 22. 19. 1. 2. 2. 1. 30 3. 2779. 5j7j6j1. 19. 0†¦ 0. 0. (accessed 6 May, 2012) Bibliography Texts: Ali, M 2006, Public Relations – Creating an IMAGE, Heinemann, Oxford, GB Chaffey, D Smith, PR. 2010, eMarketing eXcellence – Planning and optimizing your digital marketing, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK. Flynn, N, 2012, Social media handbook – policies and best practices to effectively manage your organization’s social media presence, posts, and potential risks. Wiley, Australia Harrison, Kim 2011, Strategic Public Relations – A Practical Guide to Success, Palgrave Macmillan, South Yarra, Australia Lee, R Kotler, P. 011, Social Marketing – Influencing Behaviors for Good, 4th edition. Sage, California Rix, P, 2011, Marketing – A Practical Approach, McGraw Hill, North Ryde, Australia. Solis, B Breakenridge, D. 2009, Putting the Public Back in Public Relations – How Social Media Is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR, Pearson Education, New Jersey Page 6 of 7 PRN101 – Major Assignment eBooks and P DFs: Junee,T 2012, PRN101_Social_Media_2012-2 [Slide]. THINK: APM College of Business, Sydney Mayfield, A. 2008 What is Social Media? v1. 4 updated 1 August 2008 http://www. crossing. co. uk/fileadmin/uploads/eBooks/What_is_Social_Media_iCrossing_eb ook. pdf (accessed 3 May, 2012) Weblinks: Black Dog Insitute. 2012. About Us: Black Dog Institute. Available: http://www. blackdoginstitute. org. au/aboutus/overview. cfm (accessed 6 April, 2012) Harris, A. 2012. Be Social Media Savvy. Available: http://www. pria. com. au/priablog/be-social-media-savvy (accessed 7 April, 2012) Mental Health Wiki. 2012. Register: Available: http://www. mentalhealthwiki. org/deki/plugins/register/register. php (accessed 2 May,2012) Facebook. 012. Key Facts. Available: http://newsroom. fb. com/content/default. aspx? NewsAreaId=22 (accessed 1 May, 2012) YouTube. 2012. Search results for Black Dog Institute. Available: http://www. youtube. com/results? search_query=black+dog+institute+=black+dog+instit ute+=f ===youtube. 3†¦ 16614. 20473. 0. 21177. 22. 19. 1. 2. 2. 1. 303. 2779. 5j7j6 j1. 19. 0†¦ 0. 0. (accessed 18 April, 2012) Black Dog Bite Back. 2012. Blogs: Available: http://www. biteback. org. au/ (accessed 2 May, 2012) Page 7 of 7 PRN101 – Major Assignment How to cite Public Relations and Social Media, Essay examples

Australasian Benefits Tax and Travel

Question: Discuss about the Australasian Benefits Tax and Travel. Answer: Introduction: According to the rules and guidelines of ATO, assessable income are those that can be earned from income from direct and indirect sources. ITA Act, 1997 reflects that all the residents of Australia are subjected to pay taxes. Sec-6-15 further reflects that only ordinary and statutory income needs to fall under assessable income. If any income do not fall under these categories, then, that income will not be considered as an assessable income. On the other hand, Section 10-5, provides certain provisions of assessable incomes. These provisions are about inclusion of assessable income amounts that are not ordinary incomes. These incomes can be of various types such as insurance bonus, sale of fixed, capital assets, or properties, employer giving a lump sum amount to its employer, provision for bad debts, recovery of bad debts, gains from foreign exchange, swapping of debt and equity, etc. These incomes not fall under the category of ordinary incomes (Austlii.edu.au. 2016). On the other hand, there are various types of income categories falling under ordinary income. These are in the form of income received from sale of property, profit of an organization, reserves and surplus, salaries and wages, interest on bank deposit, rental income, etc. It can be also inferred that in case of every ordinary income, all the gains are either convertible on cash or received in cash. If there is no existence of real gain, then that particular income should not fall under the category of ordinary income. It can be also highlighted that, in case of ordinary income like sale of property, then, an individual is required to pay taxes on the net sale proceeds received on that property (Austlii.edu.au. 2016). In the given case, it can been seen that a tennis court has been purchased by Peta and this was present in her house. The main objective of Peta is to earn profits by selling the three units of the tennis court. This can be considered as an assessable income under Section 10-5. If Peta, could sell the house in units after incurring all the expenses, this could have been included as her business income and termed as an ordinary income under Sec-6-15. However, it has been seen that he has sold the tennis court to the club as a whole and not in units. Due to this reason, such kind of income can be included as ordinary income (Reddy 2014). The main reason is that this income has been generated in the intention to make profits. The main intention of Peta was not to sell the tennis court as a whole, but in units. However, since her intention was to make profit and the income received is readily convertible in case, therefore, the total income of $600,000 can be termed as an ordinary income and not a statutory income of Peta in accordance to the provision of section-5. It can be also seen that Peta did not involve herself in real-estate business and if she had to include this as under ordinary income, then, she has to pay taxes on her net income received. On the other hand, she can also get a 50 percent tax rebate, if the total amount of income received is shown as a capital gain in her books of account (Hodgson 2015). FBT consequences of the organization Pomerleau (2014.) opines that fringe benefit tax can be defined as the taxable amount on benefits given to the employees. FBT is applicable to all the benefits in case of benefits of family members of the employee. Generally, FBT can be calculated with the help of two methods, which are, lower gross-up rate and higher gross-up rate. There are different types of fringe benefits that an organization can give to its employees. This can be in the form of entertainment fringe benefits, car benefit, special discount benefit, etc. However, it is also be noted that all the various types of fringe benefits needs to related to the employment of that particular employee (Kenny 2014). In the given case study, the organization ABC Pty Ltd gives several amounts of fringe benefits to its employee Alan. The employer receives a salary of $30000, a mobile bill of $220*12= $2640 per year and payment of Alans childrens school fees as well. According to the Fringe Benefit Tax assessment Act, 1986, if any item is used for work related purpose, and then those expenses are exempted from FBT liability (Austlii.edu.au. 2016). However, it has been also seen that, the organization ABC Pty Ltd pays mobile bills to a third party and not to Alan directly. Therefore, mobile expenses will be considered as taxable fringe benefit. On the other hand, it can be inferred that FBT not includes the total amount of salaries and wages paid to the employees. Therefore, the salary of $300,000 of Alan will not be included in Fringe tax benefit (Kudrna, Tran and Woodland 2015) Apart from this, it can be inferred that the employer pays the fees of employees child. According to FBTA Act 1986 (Section 20), such expenses needs to be treated as expense fringe benefit and due to this reason, the employer ABC Pty Ltd needs to pay the liability of such expenses. It has been also seen that the organization hosted a dinner of all the employees resulting in a cost of $6600, and per head of cost of $330. Therefore, this will come under the head of entertainment benefits as per ATO guidelines. Due to this reason, the organization ABC Pty Ltd needs to include this while calculating their FBT liability (Iknow.cch.com.au. 2016). Apart from this, since ABC Pty Ltd is not a small organization, therefore, 49 percent FBT rate will be charged on net taxable benefit of the organization (Austlii.edu.au. 2016). The following table reflects the FBT tax consequences that the organization ABC Pty Ltd can face. Table 1: FBT liability of the organization ABC Pty Ltd (Source: Created by Author) The above table reflects that the total amount of FBT liability of the organization ABC Pty Ltd will be around $22339. This has been calculated with the segmentation of two columns ie, GST inclusive amount and GST Fee amount. Two columns have been separated as it helps in the multiplication of Gross-up rates with the respective values. Only 5 employees included In the given scenario, there will be a change in total dining cost incurred in the restaurant, if total amount of employees decreases from 20 to 5. The per-head cost of dining will increase and it will have an effect on the total FBT liability of the organization ABC Pty Ltd. This can be reflected with the assist of the following table:- Table 1: FBT liability of the organization ABC Pty Ltd in case of 5 employees (Source: Created by Author) From the above table, it can be inferred that the organization ABC Pty Ltd will have a higher amount of FBT liability if the employees are reduced to five. Clients attending dinner The above scenario would have any impact on the total tax liability of the firm ABC Pty Ltd. This is mainly because FBT liability can be only imposed in case of employees and not for clients. Therefore, no deductions will be done in calculation of FBT for the business organization ABC Pty Ltd (Delany 2012). References Austlii.edu.au. (2016). Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII). [online] Available at: https://www.austlii.edu.au/ [Accessed 21 Sep. 2016]. Chan, C., 2014. Earnouts and CGT: Fine-tuning the. Tax Specialist, 18(1), p.27 Delany, T.P., 2012. Fringe benefits tax Dunne, J., Aldred, J., Gorton, T. and Taylor, H., 2015. 2014 cases show a continuing trend of high ATO success rate. Taxation in Australia, 50(1), p.20. Hodgson, H., 2015. Fringe benefits tax and travel to and from work: how can employers sponsor alternative forms of travel?. Australian Tax Law Bulletin, 2, p.1. Iknow.cch.com.au. (2016). Australian Tax Accounting | CCH iKnow. [online] Available at: https://www.iknow.cch.com.au/topic/tlp1041/overview/assessable-income [Accessed 21 Sep. 2016] Kenny, P., 2014. Small business CGT concessions: The SBE and $6 m net asset value basic conditions. Tax Specialist, 17(4), p.157. Kudrna, G., Tran, C. and Woodland, A., 2015. The dynamic fiscal effects of demographic shift: The case of Australia. Economic Modelling, 50, pp.105-122. Pomerleau, K., 2014. The high burden of state and federal capital gains tax rates. Tax Found, pp.1-8. Reddy, C., 2014. The Taxation of Mining Payments to Traditional Owners: An Unfair Blunt Tool?. Available at SSRN 2479162.