Has Airport Security Gone Too Far Essay - 547 Words

Has Airport Security Gone Too Far? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the wake of 9/11, the once â€Å"simple things in life† required not much thought at all now they have been transformed into complicated procedures only brought about in a time of war. Traveling by air has been a very rewarding experience for most but courtesy of terrorism, it has mutated into a list of banned items, random luggage searches, and armed soldiers ominously toting M-16 rifles. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One must wonder if airport security, with the addition of machines that scan shoes for bombs and random luggage searches, has gone too far. It is not necessary to check the orthopedic shoes of an eighty-year old woman whereas it†¦show more content†¦Frequent fliers who voluntarily give information about themselves and undergo a police background check are granted these cards and are able to waive the intense security and head to their gates. A trusted traveler’s card would be a definite godsend to parents who fly with small children and don’t want to be bothered with the hassle of being told by a disgruntled airport employee to empty their child’s diaper bag, for fear that it may house a handgun or grenade. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;With â€Å"The War On Terrorism† in full swing, Airport officials should take a look at the intense footage shown on C-SPAN and CNN and decide that now more than ever it’s time to work smarter, not harder. What several call racial profiling, Airport Officials in other countries call being careful. â€Å"Treating an elderly woman the same as a young Muslim male is the same as the Police looking for a tall teenaged criminal, but randomly searching a short, middle-aged woman.† says Bill Thompson of an international Airport in London. For fear of being sued, Airports across the country refuse to buckle down and simply use an alternative method of weeding out potential terrorists. Performing background checks on non-American citizens who purchase tickets in cash and are from middle-eastern countries could put many at ease. There is nothing wrong with asking someone who, what, when, where, and why they are in America, but aren’t a citize n. Racial profiling is wrong when people of a specificShow MoreRelatedThe Security Of Airport Security Screening997 Words   |  4 Pagesmajor changes made in airport security. What brought the changes and shook America to its core, is a day in history that no one will soon forget. â€Å"Since 9/11, five attempted terrorist attacks on U.S. airliners and airports have made airport security a continued priority. Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Congress passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and put federal employees in charge of airport security screening† (Bajoria)Read MoreAirport Security Research Paper1462 Words   |  6 PagesMany years ago airport security was not even an issue. People felt secure and safe and rarely worried about being searched. As time went on, the prevealance of terrorism became an increasing issue. There began more acts of terrorism by threatening and holding hostages on board commercial planes. As these acts continued, the government as well as citizens became vulnerable and an airport safety procedure was implemented as a way to ensure the safety of the United States. The implemented proceduresRead MoreThe Changes Our Country Has Gone through After 9-111591 Words   |  6 PagesI would say that, as far as a college student, I am in a somewhat unique position to analyze many of the changes that our country has gone through since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. While the majority of college students today were not even teenagers yet, in 2001 I was already a ripe old age of 25. I remember that day clearly and all of the feelings and emotions that came along with learning the awful truth of what had happened. That day is one of the most defining moments in our historyRead MoreVideo Game : Role Playing And Video Games1256 Words   |  6 Pagesthese games and get to into it. These role-playing games with simulated violence and video games a re perilous for teens because teens break some minor rules/laws, teens take it too seriously, and the role-playing games simulate real-life violence. The game contains lots of strategy and planning but these things can go too far sometimes which can break some rules and laws. In the article â€Å"High-Jinks: Shoot-Out† by Guy Martin it says â€Å"The idea was to use a cell phone to call the Cohen’s landline, posingRead MoreThe Hijacked American Airlines Flight 111459 Words   |  6 PagesAngeles, Ca. They crashed Flight 11 into the north side of World Trade Center Tower 1. A few minutes later from the same airport, Logan International airport, five hijackers boarded United Airlines Flight 175 heading toward Los Angeles, Ca also. The hijackers crashed Flight 175 into World Trade Center Tower 2. At about the same time from Washington Dulles International airport, five hijackers boarded American Airlines Flight 77 heading to Los Angeles, Ca. and it was crashed into the Pentagon. ThirtyRead MorePersonal Changes Since 9/111135 Words   |  5 PagesThe state of our country, the safety we have come to know as an ingraine d American feeling is now gone. The terrifying events that brought down the towers of the World Trade Center, killing thousands of innocent people on September 11, 2001, is a day that will forever be remembered in our history. The hijacking of planes by the acts of terrorist forever changed airport security, the view of turban-wearing Sikhs forever changed how most Americans view them, the fighting of a war in the Middle EastRead MoreTerrorism Has Plagued The World2529 Words   |  11 Pagesterrorism has plagued the world through many forms since the age of time, it wasn’t until the hijacking of 1972 that caused airports both domestically and internationally to establish airport security. From one of the first major terrorist attacks on an aircraft in 1955 to the multiple attacks throughout the 1960s and 70s, for the first time airports were introduced to armed security guards, metal detectors, and explosive detection canines. Over the next two and half decades, airports a lso saw theRead MoreProfiling is a Necessary Means for Discovering and Apprehending Criminals1197 Words   |  5 Pagesthe closely related stop and frisk policy, different cities that have proven statistics that profiling does work, how airports are now profiling, and different serial killers that have been apprehended due to work from profilers. 9/11 led to a re-evaluation of racial profiling as a means of combating crime, and terrorism. Indeed, many people who have passed through American airports since the intensified post-9/11 screening procedures were put into place have complained about the seemingly absurdRead MoreSpeech On Political Correctness1620 Words   |  7 PagesGood morning ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for being present with us today. Me and my fellow group members are on the opposition team and strongly believe that Political Correctness has NOT gone too far and that in fact it is much needed in today s society.   Political Correctness is defined in the dictionary as â€Å"the avoidance, often considered as taken to extremes, of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantagedRead MoreEssay on War of Terroism1809 Words   |  8 Pagesterrorism. While suspending these rights make the fight on terrorism easier, it comes with a high democratic toll. In recent years, new body-scanners have been implemented at many airports which are in violation of ones rights and freedoms. Anti-terrorism tactics have been exlimplying how the government has gone too far in the fight against terrorism. In the past 20 years, over one-half of the impoverished countries in this world have endured armed conflict, associated with appalling breaches

The Effect of Violence in the Media on Children Essay

Television, movies, and video games are a big part of childrens lives in todays technologically advanced society. However, there is a big controversy questioning the effects of these media outlets on children. Much of society claims to have proof for the belief that media violence affects children negatively. However, I am skeptical of the evidence that is stated to prove that claim. I feel that society has placed the blame on these mediums for the violent acts, however serious or trivial, that children commit way too easily, before they even begin to examine the parenting of todays society. Television, movies, and video games are not the primary causes for acts of violence and other crimes committed by kids. They are only singled†¦show more content†¦Most people wont admit that they like violence in television, movies, and video games, but I think that they offer a way to see the violence without actually hurting anyone. If we censor or ban it, we will be forced to fi nd our violence elsewhere. Ever since I can remember, people have been arguing over the content of what we see. These three forms of entertainment have become huge over my generation and the will become even bigger with the ones to come. Many children are spending most of their time in front of a television screen or in front of a video game and who knows how many acts of murders or violent crimes an average kid witnessed even before the age of 12. My question is what does seeing these images actually do to a kid. Many people seem to think that seeing these images will make the child more aggressive and make them more violent. But, that doesnt mean that the kid will go out and murder someone. Some people think so because they believe that what kids see on television will want to make a kid hurt someone else. Often when a kid commits a violent crime, the blame goes to television or movies or video games. I think this happens because they are a source of violence and many people belie ve that media violence will cause real life violence. They also blame these sources of media because it seems to be the easiest thing to blame it on. When people are shocked by a crime committed by a kid, such as the one recently committed in Chicago, where the two boysShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children873 Words   |  4 Pages According to the Media Education Foundation, once a child reaches eighteen years of age, they have witnessed around 200,000 acts of violence and 16,000 murders (jacksonkatz.com). Our society loves entertainment and a grand portion of this entertainment contains violence. Children constantly consume violent visuals, due to their prevalence. Majority of our society is uninterested in the effects of media violence since its effects do not show immediately. Misinformation is our greatest enemy in theRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children974 Words   |  4 Pagesmany kinds of media, like Internet, video game, television and fi lm. It is generally believed that some of the bad information such as violent content in the media can have a negative effect on people, and it can end up causing some social problem. It is clear that children are more likely to be influenced by media violence than other age groups because of their world outlook and personality are not formed. Furthermore is if media violence does have some profound influence on children, this will leadRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children884 Words   |  4 Pagesis all this necessary to fabricate in the media? What are characters in movies teaching kids? What about the language in music talking about killing people and talking about violence like it’s the cool thing? What about new channels always talking about guns, bombs and threats to the public, is this what is influencing are children because they view it as a norm? Some may agree with this as others may disagree. Media violence is not the factor in violence today. Studies show that over 90% of homesRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children1357 Words   |  6 Pagesthe graphic cruelty and violence. According to American Psychological Association, the harmful influence of media violence on children dates back to the 1950s and 1960s, and remains strong today. A child that watches violence or hears about violence can be influenced to become violent. Indeed, in reviewing the totality of empirical evidence regarding the impact of media violence, the conclusion that exposure to violent portrayals poses a risk of harmful effects on children has been reached by theRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children1943 Words   |  8 PagesFor many years now, the media has been a big part of our lives. Almost everybody in the world is or has connected to it one way or another. It is a way for families and friends to have fun together, for interesting topics that people are interested in, or to just enjoy alone. However, there is a problem that can be seen across all types of media: violence. Violence can be seen as a distraught way to get over problems. There is judgement issues involved for violence. It is done by bullies in schoolRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children2411 Words   |  10 PagesMedia Violence is definitely harmful to children as the exposure of media violence can desensitize children (age 6-12) to violence and in the real world; violence becomes enjoyable and does not result in apprehensiveness in the child. There have been several studies and experiments regarding the adverse effects of violence used in video games, television, as well as movies. With both preschool and school-aged children, studies have found that they are more likely to imitate the violence they seeRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children2122 Words   |  9 Pagesexposed to various types of media, for example books or magazines, television, song lyrics, video games, and movies. Media often portrays, aggressive action, behaviour, and violence. This content can negatively affect not only adolescents and adults, but can have an even greater effect on children even from the moment they are exposed to it. Children who are exposed to violence in the media may display aggressive and violent behaviour. Young people especially children under the age of eight thisRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children1903 Words   |  8 Pagesdepict different forms of violence. Some people feel that there is too much violence exposed in the media. Many studies have made the claim that the media is responsible for much of the violence seen in the world we live in. However, people have choices and responsibilities we cannot allow ourselves to blame it on other things such as the media. The violence seen in our media has an impact on both adults and children. Since children are also exposed to various forms of media, there has been additionalRead MoreEffects of Media Violence on Children2430 Words   |  10 PagesThe Effect of Media Violence on Children and Levels of Aggression. It has been said that children are like sponges when it comes to attaining knowledge. This seems to be true whether they are learning to speak or how to show emotion. Feelings and emotions become more imminent once children begin to go through adolescents. Children acquire the ability to aggression, sadness, and happiness more readily. Males typically exhibit higher levels of aggression then females according to some researchRead MoreThe Effects Of Media Violence On Children1270 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent forms of violence. Some people feel that there is too much violence exposed in the media. Many studies have made the claim that the media is responsible for much of the violence seen in the world we live in (List and Wolfgang). However, people have choices and responsibilities we cannot allow ourselves to blame it on other things such as the media. The violence seen in our media has an impact on both adults and children. Since children are also exposed to various forms of media, there has been

judahs Triumph Essay Example For Students

judahs Triumph Essay Judahs TriumphWilliam Wyler is the director of the 1959 award-winning version of Ben-Hur. The film is an adaptation of General Lew Wallaces novel. Karl Tunberg is credited with the actual screenplay. Sam Zimbalist was the original producer of Ben-Hur, but he died before the completion of filming. The two main characters are Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) and Messala (Stephen Boyd). Another important person involved in this film is Miklos Rozsa. He composed the award-winning musical score in a total of eight weeks. Ben-Hur was released in New York City on November 18, 1959, and in Los Angeles on November 24, 1959. It was re-released in the USA in 1969. This film has grossed $70 million in the United States alone. As for location, this film was shot in entirely in Italy. Ben-Hur is one of two films to win eleven Academy Awards, the other movie being Titanic. The awards include best leading and supporting actors, best cinematography, best director, best music, best sound, and more. This film has some interesting behind the scenes trivia, most of which is in connection to the stadium or the chariot racing. According to The Internet Movie Database the design of the stadium was a controversy. MGM asked an archaeologist what the stadium in Jerusalem had looked like. Roman, came the reply. A second archaeologist was asked. It was in a Phoenician style, he said. A third archaeologist was consulted, who said: Stadium? I was not aware that Jerusalem had one! MGM engineers eventually sat down and carefull y studied Ben-Hur (1926), and based their design on that. Another intriguing fact is during the chariot race Charlton Hestons stunt double was flipped out of the chariot. The stunt man hung on to the reigns and climbed back into the chariot. That blooper was left in the film to add more action. Marketing for this film was almost as big as the movie itself. Hundreds of toys were created, as well as Ben-his and Ben-hers bathroom towels. The Internet Movie Database also points out another big goof in editing. Nine chariots start the chariot race. After the first crash, there appear still to be nine chariots in the race. After the third crash, six are shown, but as Ben Hur passes to catch up, clearly there are a total of seven in the race. After five have crashed, five are left. Messala is the sixth chariot to crash, but Ben Hur and three others finish the race. Thus, nine chariots start the race, six crash, and four finish. This film takes place during 26 A.D., which is not in concordance with the events portrayed. Judah Ben-Hur and his family are fictitious characters. Some of the real life characters are Messala, Pontius Pilate, Tiberius Caesar, Jesus and Balthasar. Tiberius fit into the time period correctly. He was emperor from 14 to 37 A.D. Pontius Pilate was governor from 26-36 A.D., which puts him in the same time period as Tiberius. Balthasar and Messala were influential men; just not in the time period we are given in the movie. It is believed that Jesus crucifixion took place sometime between 12 B.C. and 14 A.D, which shows that Jesus does not fit into this time period either. The chariot races were true to the period, except that Jerusalem did not have a stadium. The scene I have chosen to analyze goes from Judah Ben-Hur winning the chariot race, defeating Messala, to Judah being crowned by Pontius Pilate (Frank Thring). This paper will cover the filmic elements of mise en scene and sound as they are represented in Ben-Hur. The dominant figures in this shot are the Roman soldiers, and the Roman spectators. The Romans are set apart from the native people by the color of their clothing. Roman soldiers stand out because they wear red capes, with bright white tunics underneath. The upper class Romans shown are costumed in bright colors while the Jews are wearing drab earth-tone colors. The Jews seem to blend in with their desert-like surroundings, and the Romans call attention to themselves with their flashy clothes. As for lighting, it seems to be natural sunlight. This scene takes place in hours the sun is out full; it was not necessary for extra lighting to be brought in. The use of natural lighting gives the shot a realistic feel. There are n ot any dark shadowy places, which means the sunlight created high key lighting. Shot and camera proxemics heighten the drama in this scene. We see Judah and the crowd in medium shots; no close ups are used. Medium shots show us what the crowd and Judah are feeling; it is not necessary to get in any closer. At the finish of the race we can see Judahs feelings perfectly, we know that he is content with the outcome of the race, other than Messala being in the condition he is in. We need to see Judah from the waist up to see his body language, his face shows a lot, but the extra effect is in his movements. We also see Pilate, the governor of Judea, and his associates in medium shots. They are upset that Messala lost, but are indifferent other than that. There is no need to see more or less of them in the shot. The crowd is in a long shot from the box where Pilate is sitting. He does not need to see their faces; hey are nothing but stupid little people he must watch over. Crane shots are used during the race so we can see how close the charioteers are to each other. This allows us to watch everything, and it makes the racers look like they are in a box, like they are stuck, with nowhere to go except around and around. Parts of Library EssayDepth changes depending on whose point of view we are looking through. The number of plains ranges from three to six. When we are looking at the crowd through Pilates perspective there are six plains: people in the box with Pilate, the railing of the box, the track, the building in the middle of the track, the other side of the arena, and what is out beyond the stadium. When Pilate is crowning Judah there are four plains: Pilate and Judah, furniture, people in the box, and the arena outside the box. Character placement tells the viewer a little more about each character. We see which character is inferior to the other(s), and their relationships with each other. Pilate takes up at least two-thirds of the shots that he is in. This tells us that he is in charge; he has authority over everyone else. When the crowd is seen from afar they are in the top left corner of the screen, which shows that they really are not important. Pilate is higher in this scene than ev eryone else; this again signifies his superiority. Judah towers over everyone, except when he is meeting with Pontius Pilate, to get Arrius message from Rome, and when Pilate crowns him the victor of the chariot race. Judah is superior to the common people he is surrounded by all the time. He can be picked out of the crowd because hes placed above everyone else. The staging positions of the actors also tell us more about the characters. Judah and Pilate are really the only characters we have any contact with in this clip. Judah is never more than a quarter turn from the camera. We are able to see his face straight on most of the time so that we can see what he is feeling, and we can relate to him better. When we cannot see his face we can still tell what he is feeling through his body language. But, more often than not we see everything that Judah is going through on his face. Pilate, on the other hand, is not really shown straight on. We only see him face to face while he is watchi ng the race. After the race we see people from his perspective, or he is only a quarter turn towards the camera. Not seeing Pilates face disconnects the audience from him. We are not supposed to feel anything for him that is why we do not see his face more. Pilate is not a character we are supposed to focus on. Relationships between characters are shown through character proxemics. The distance between the actors tells us the strength of their characters relationships. For example, the crowd and Judah are smashed together after he wins the race. This closeness shows that they are equals. Judah does not push people away from him; they are his family, his people. On the contrary, Judah and Pilate are merely acquaintances. This relationship is revealed because they are feet apart. The only reason the distance between them is crossed is because Pilates duty is to crown the victorious charioteer. Pilates relationship with the audience in the arena is even less than that of he and Judah. The distance between the governor and the common people is miles. He does not know the people, nor does he care to know them. He just has to watch over them, and govern them. Overall this scene has a good balance between historical accuracy and drama. The chariot racing and Pontius Pilate are accurate accounts of history, but the main character, Judah Ben-Hur is not. The stadium in this clip was also inaccurate. In 26 A.D. arenas such as this one did not exist, even if they had there probably would not have been one in Jerusalem. Judahs life was the drama added to the film, without him, obviously, there would be no movie.

Watergate Essay Example For Students

Watergate Essay Watergate, designation of a major U.S. political scandal that began withthe burglary and wiretapping of the Democratic partys campaign headquarters,later engulfed President Richard M. Nixon and many of his supporters in avariety of illegal acts, and culminated in the first resignation of a U.S. president. The burglary was committed on June 17, 1972, by five men who werecaught in the offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergateapartment and office complex in Washington, D.C. Their arrest eventuallyuncovered a White House-sponsored plan of espionage against political opponentsand a trail of complicity that led to many of the highest officials in the land,including former U.S. Attorney General John Mitchell, White House Counsel JohnDean, White House Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman, White House Special Assistanton Domestic Affairs John Ehrlichman, and President Nixon himself. On April 30,1973, nearly a year after the burglary and arrest and following a grand juryinvestigation of the burglary, Nixon accepted the resignation of Haldeman andEhrlichman and announced the dismissal of Dean. U.S. Attorney General RichardKleindienst resigned as well. The new attorney general, Elliot Richardson,appointed a special prosecutor, Harvard Law School professor Archibald Cox, to conduct a full-scale investigation of the Watergate break-in. In May 1973 theSenate Select Committee on Presidential Activities opened hearings, with SenatorSam Ervin of North Carolina as chairman. A series of startling revelationsfollowed. Dean testified that Mitchell had ordered the break-in and that a majorattempt was under way to hide White House involvement. He claimed that thepresident had authorized payments to the burglars to keep them quiet. The Nixonadministration vehemently denied this assertion. The White House Tapes Thetestimony of White House aide Alexander Butterfield unlocked the entireinvestigation. On July 16, 1973, Butterfield told the committee, on nationwidetelevision, that Nixon had ordered a taping system installed in the White Houseto automatically record all conversations; what the president said and when hesaid it could be verified. Cox immediately subpoenaed eight relevant tapes toconfirm Deans testimony. Nixon refused to release the tapes, claiming they w erevital to the national security. U.S. District Court Judge John Sirica ruled thatNixon must give the tapes to Cox, and an appeals court upheld the decision. We will write a custom essay on Watergate specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Nixon held firm. He refused to turn over the tapes and, on Saturday, October 20,1973, ordered Richardson to dismiss Cox. Richardson refused and resignedinstead, as did Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus. Finally, thesolicitor general discharged Cox. A storm of public protest resulted from thisSaturday night massacre. In response, Nixon appointed another specialprosecutor, Leon Jaworski, a Texas lawyer, and gave the tapes to Sirica. Somesubpoenaed conversations were missing, and one tape had a mysterious gap of 181minutes. Experts determined that the gap was the result of five separateerasures. In March 1974 a grand jury indicted Mitchell, Haldeman, Ehrlichman,and four other White House officials for their part in the Watergate cover-upand named Nixon as an unindicted co-conspirator. The following monthJaworski requested and Nixon released written transcripts of 42 more tapes. Theconversations revealed an overwhelming concern with punishing politicalopponents and thwarting th e Watergate investigation. In May 1974 Jaworskirequested 64 more tapes as evidence in the criminal cases against the indictedofficials. Nixon refused; on July 24, the Supreme Court voted 8-0 that Nixonmust turn over the tapes. On July 29-30, 1974, the House Judiciary Committeeapproved three articles of impeachment, charging Nixon with misusing his powerin order to violate the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens, obstructingjustice in the Watergate affair, and defying Judiciary Committee subpoenas. .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d , .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d .postImageUrl , .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d , .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d:hover , .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d:visited , .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d:active { border:0!important; } .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d:active , .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u244918dd7d07f43083be707f43090d5d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Poverty: EssayFurther Revelations Soon after the Watergate scandal came to light,investigators uncovered a related group of illegal activities: Since 1971 aWhite House group called the plumbers had been doing whatever wasnecessary to stop leaks to the press. A grand jury indicted Ehrlichman, WhiteHouse Special Counsel Charles Colson, and others for organizing a break-in andburglary in 1971 of a psychiatrists office to obtain damaging material againstDaniel Ellsberg, who had publicized classified documents called the PentagonPapers. Investigators also discovered that the Nixon administration hadsolicited large sums of money in illegal campaign contributionsused tofinance po litical espionage and to pay more than $500,000 to the Watergateburglarsand that certain administration officials had systematically liedabout their involvement in the break-in and cover-up. In addition, White Houseaides testified that in 1972 they had falsified documents to make it appear thatPresident John F. Kennedy had been involved in the 1963 assassination ofPresident Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam, and had written false and slanderousdocuments accusing Senator Hubert H. Humphrey of moral improprieties. NixonsResignation Throughout this period of revelations, Nixons support in Congressand popularity nationwide steadily eroded. On August 5, 1974, three tapesrevealed that Nixon had, on June 23, 1972, ordered the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation to stop investigating the Watergate break-in. The tapes alsoshowed that Nixon himself had helped to direct the cover-up of theadministrations involvement in the affair. Rather than face almost certainimpeachment, Nixon resigned on August 9, the first U.S. president to do so. Amonth later his successor, Gerald Ford, pardoned him for all crimes he mighthave committed while in office; Nixon was then immune from federal prosecution. The Watergate scandal severely shook the faith of the American people in thepresidency and turned out to be a supreme test for the U.S. Constitution. Throughout the ordeal, however, the constitutional system of checks and balancesworked to prevent abuses, as the Founding Fathers had intended. Watergate showedthat in a nation of laws no one is above the law, not even the president