Discussing The Knife Crime In Britain Criminology Essay

Discussing The Knife Crime In Britain Criminology Essay Section 1: The Problem of Knife Crime in Britain. In June 2006, 15 years old Alex Mulumbu after celebrating the end of his GCSEs exams became one more victim of Britains knife culture. The victim after he got off a bus with friends in Lambeth, south London had an argument with a larger group of teenagers (Woolcock, 2006). During the dispute members of the gang disappeared and returned armed with knives, baseball bats and hockey sticks. Alex was stabbed in the heart and was left lying in a pool of blood on the pavement (Verkaik, 2006). His father visited the scene of his sons killing where he stated to the media that Alex was a good boy and had nothing to do with knives and gangs (Sturcke, 2006). The case vignette above is a clear example of how knife crime is portrayed by the media. A teenager who is getting off a bus and it happens to get stabbed by the perpetrator. However, the reality of knife crime is not simply a black-white issue of good versus bad. The nature of such a problem is complicated and the responses towards it must therefore be multi-faceted (House of Commons). After all, if knife problem was that easy, it would have been solved already. One complexity is that the victims are not always good honest citizens who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The victims are often victimized before and are also those who are carrying knives in the first place (and actually their own knife is used against them). (www.direct.gov.uk). Furthermore, the offenders and victims status in not always differentiated, since the victims carry knives because they are often linked to gangs or have some kind of affiliation with street culture. This, in turn, could mean that a significant proportion of stabbings relate to street violence (www.docstoc.com), and as Professor Brohi claims a very small proportion of knife crime victims are innocent people walking down the street who are stabbed (House of Commons). The media make knife crime even more complex as they often cloud peoples perception by generating moral panic and by giving the impression that knife crime is out of control (Albertazzi, 2010:473). This moral panic, in turn, leads to fear of crime and social disorganization. Knife crime is also complex in itself as it is a symbolic of lack of social control within societies. Knife crime looks unsolvable and as there is no connection between adults-teenagers (Hume, 2008), although it involves young people and shatters lives. In particular, knife crime in itself gives the impression that somehow it is a matter of young peoples world since teenagers are on their own, surviving on the streets (Asthana, 2008). Thus, those who do not live in that kind of environments (outsiders) can never understand. Finally, knife crime is complex because there is no answer to the question why teenagers carry knives. We do not know whether teenagers carry knives for self protection and because of the growing lack of trust in the ability of adults to protect them (Kelbie, 2003), or whether carry knives for things like respect knife carrying is thought to be largely driven by a concern for self protection or to enhance status (Muncie, 2009:36). Continuing the study I am going to produce a report divided into three key sections. The first will be the extent of knife crime in Britain. The second will look at the causes of knife crime and finally the third will produce some initiatives dealing with knife crime. Section 2: The Extent of Knife Crime in Britain Furthermore, knife crime is very complicated in terms of defining whether it is a predominantly black problem. The media often give the impression that all crimes are committed by black people and therefore, make people adopt misconceptions (Wright, 2008). Hence, it is important to note that even though the issue looks like it is black in London and the South-East (www.london.gov.uk), at the same time there are evidence that suggesting that in the North-East (i.e. Glasgow, Scotland, Manchester) the problem is white (House of Commons). As a result, it might be predominantly a black issue in London but certainly not in other places. Given that, I have concluded that the issue of carrying knives has little to do with being black or white, but on the contrary, it has to do with being young and male (Muncie, 2009). Also, knife crime is complicated in terms of definition, since there is no clear Home Office clear definition of knife crime. According to that, the phrase knife crime was adopted by the media and is now popularly used to refer primarily to stabbings but also to the illegal carrying of knives by young people (House of Commons). Hence, since there is no clear definition, then, it is likely for the numerous to use different definitions in order to create statistics and therefore generate more complexity. Furthermore, knife crime is also complicated because there are too many different types of statistics (too much statistical data). In particular, there are statistics for knife crime from the hospital, the police, the British Crime Survey and finally the MORI (House of Commons, 2009). Each of these sources, measure different samples and different places (regions) in the country and therefore, it is too complicated to understand what is happening (Summers, 2008). For example, hospitals define knife crime when somebody has severe internal injuries as a result of knife penetration, whereas police define it when someone is carrying a knife (House of Commons) Furthermore, trying to measure knife crime is, again, difficult because there is also the dark figure of crime. Therefore, this hidden crime makes statistics themselves problematic (Messerschmidt, 1993). However, above all else, the complexity of knife crime is related to the media. The media manipulate the statistics and distort peoples perceptions about knife crime, since they are powerful and so pervasive in terms of their ability to create views (Jewkes, 2004). One distortion is that knife crime is predominantly a black issue. Given that, even though evidence suggest that knife crime is also a white problem (in other areas), yet, the media continue the misrepresentation constantly accusing blacks (scapegoats). According to that, I believe that this misrepresentation leads to moral panic which, in turn, somehow makes the statistics go up. In other words, since teenagers interfere with the media (moral panic), then, they may feel fear of the streets and therefore through self fulfilling prophecy, start carrying knives for self protection. Hence, there is an interaction-interrelationship between the statistics and knife crime (Newburn, 2007). Regarding to the problems associated with knife crime measurement, I believe that data should be collected through a regional setting and this is for two reasons. Firstly, because as indicated, knife crime is not a specific cultural issue of Blacks, and secondly, because the measurement of such a complex issue through national settings, inevitable will generate too many complicated statistical data. Furthermore, and as Young (1988) argues, national settings tend to miss some important elements in the distribution of victimization (Newburn, 2007). Hence, I suggest a regional setting both in areas with the highest knife-crime rates, but also to areas where crime rate is low. This, in turn, we will help us understand why it is black issue in some places whereas white in other. Equally important is to collect data using qualitative approaches, since it would be more beneficial to understand the lived experiences of those who carry knives (rationale behind knife crime) instead of how many carry a knife (What would be the point of knowing that 4000 are carrying knives after all?). For example, it would be very interesting to understand how knife crime is perceived and interpreted by the juvenile delinquents (ethnography research) and thus, find out why they carry knives. This way, more evidence will come up such as whether knife crime relates to Londons (for example) rates of poverty, neglect, unemployment and deprivation (House of Commons). Section 3: The Causes of Knife Crime in Britain. The social learning theory is one of the most enduring approaches among the criminological theories that underscore the nature of peoples involvement in social relationships. Sutherland, considered previous criminological theories and argued that anyone in society can be trained to adopt and follow patterns of crime and deviation (Colombo, 2009). In accordance to Sutherlands differential association conception, the prestige of criminals, the duration of contact between offenders-potential offenders and the frequency of interactions with criminal offenders, are all contributing factors in an individuals likeliness to occupy criminal activities. Sutherland also suggested that attendance with the development of criminal behaviours in social groups, for instance rough and tough attitudes, boosts the individuals propensity to interiorize criminal attitudes. Social learning therefore, links to the causes of knife crime as well as links to masculinity and rational choice perspectives. According to differential association concept, boys are growing up to be men. This process of affirming masculinity promotes boys to develop a public persona (an exterior) of being tough, macho and fearless. In the context of knife crime this means that men have to be risk takers, aggressive and support their competitive nature (i.e. territoriality). Boys, if lose their reputation in front of peers and someone undermines their masculinity, in turn, have to regain this reputation by carrying knives and using them in front of their mates. Thus, since they learn masculinity (via social learning), they learn to behave accordingly to this social role (masculinity) and therefore, act out like men (tough, aggressive). Finally, in terms of applying that to a knife crime, they make the ultimate decision (rational choice) on whether to carry knives by weighing the benefits (status, respect) against the risks (get stabbed, get caught). To conclude, I believe that there is a link between masculinities and social learning as what seems to be happening today, is that street culture (knife crime) is becoming masculine culture (i.e. through rap music) (Newburn, 2007). However, even though differential association theory is one of the most enduring theories about crime, yet, there are some difficulties in explaining knife crime. First of all, according to the first principle of differential association theory, criminal behaviour is learnt (Colombo, 2009). If that is the case, I believe that we have to critically question, how did the first teacher learnt the knife techniques (i.e. hide a knife, disposal once used), so that to pass this knowledge to others? Hence, differential association theory fails to explain the origins of knife crime, since there are no origins. Furthermore, there are no real empirical evidence of links between learning and knife crime. For example, differential association theory does not explain why in similar circumstances, (balance of favorable-unfavourable definitions) some individuals choose to carry a knife whereas others do not. Moreover, social learning theory fails to explain why teenagers develop to associate with those who carry knives. Instead, it focuses more on the peer influence and not on peer selection. Additionally, differential association, supports that all criminal acts are rational (maximase profit-minimise loss) and systematic. However, it fails to explain the spontaneous, wanton acts of violence, which have little purpose or utility (Siegel, 2004). Finally, it is very difficult for social scientists to measure such vague variables like excess of definitions favourable to law violation (Colombo, 2009). Section 4: Towards the Reduction of Knife Crime in Britain. The Tackling Knives Action Programme (TKAP) is a multi-million-pound venture, against knife crime. Its main purpose is to limit the carrying of knives and serious stabbings among teenagers aged between13-19. It involves five government departments and 16 police forces (www.homeoffice.gov.uk). However, Tackling Knives Action Programme (TKAP) has some important limitations in relation to the data, since the recorded crime, especially the less violent, can be affected by changes in police activity and public reporting to the data. Furthermore, there is a lack of comparison statistics in many areas. Finally, TKAP faced the heterogeneity of the forces (www.homeoffice.gov.uk). Another anti-knife policy that has been introduced is via legislation to forbid the sale of knives to anyone under the age of 18. Additionally, Police Operations like Blunt and Shield involve the rapid and random deployment of metal detectors in public places such as stations, schools and so forth. The aim of the policy is to identify and arrest anyone carrying a knife (www.insight-security.com). However, both the restriction of knives sales under- 18s, as well as the deployment of metal detectors fails to tackle the problem, since kitchen knives for instance, would still be widely available. Hence, it is more a problem of education, rather than access to knives. Furthermore, metal detectors may be not detecting all knives, as knives can be easily hidden and disposed once used. My opinion about tackling of knife crime is that one organization alone cannot end this issue. Given that, I suggest that the main aim of all anti-knife crime initiatives should be to increase the definitions against knife-crime (rational choice theory) so that young people understand that carrying knives is immoral but most of all, it is risky (maximize cost, minimize benefit). Furthermore, I support that the best anti knife-crime policy would be to educate the teenagers about this problem (social learning theory). Hence, young people could learn about the consequences of carrying knives at an early age through a mandatory module (i.e. weapon awareness) at schools. Furthermore, I believe that the best initiative to stop knife culture would be if parents (especially the fathers) could show their boys that carrying knives has nothing to do with being a man (masculinity theory). As a conclusion, I argue that Alexs case highlights the need for the authorities to recognize that educating both teenagers and families from an early age is crucial in order to tackle knife crime. Concisely, I have concluded that knife crime is very complex issue because of many reasons. The main one surely is because there are lots of statistical data. Additionally knife crime is complex because the media create moral panic and thus does not help. Moreover I have concluded that knife crime is not a black issue but a knife issue and thus, anti knife policies should redirect their focus on the rationale behind knife crime. Ultimately, I would like to try to give an explanation of what could have might happen in the case vignette. Alex could have been probably to the enemys territory and showed disrespect on the other boys. He threatened the teenagers with his knife and made them run away. Then, the other boys went to another estate, took knives and returned back in order to regain their reputation and status. They have learnt (social learning) that men never back out (masculinity) and finally, they have made the ultimate decision to take the risk and stab Alex (rational choice).

Code of Sexual Ethics

Human Sexuality Due: April 24, 2009 The value of a sexual code of ethics is very high in this day and age. It is extremely important to have a code of sexual ethics right now as the youth of this country and even the world more so, need to make sure that they know where they stand in this subject matter. My sexual ethics are influenced by my faith and family mostly but my ethics are also influenced by my friends and the different media around me. It is important that all people have some sort of code of ethics because sometimes we need to know what it is we stand for. When you do not sit down and evaluate what your standards are when it comes to sex and your sexual ethics, it is very easy to be swayed into doing things that you do not believe in doing or that are unsafe for you as an individual. So know who you are and what you are comfortable with, otherwise you can find yourself in some tight situations. I hope that by writing my own sexual ethics it gives insight to help you and the next generations decide where they stand on these important matters. Firstly, I want to tell you what I think sex is. I would define sex as the penetration of a male’s penis into a woman’s vagina by heterosexual definition. Sex is a big deal. It is the most appealing, common and acceptable sexual behavior among heterosexuals. My belief is that sex should be used in the context of marriage exclusively by a man and a woman. I also believe that in order to have sex with someone it requires full trust, communication, and the ultimate commitment, marriage because when you choose to have sex with someone you also choose to give them a part of yourself as well. If you have these factors in your sexual interactions with your significant other than you do not have to worry about the stress and unhappiness that comes along with relationship that do not have commitment. Sex is enjoyable and a pleasurable experience and when you find that one person that you want to share yourself with it is one of the most emotionally, physically, and mentally connecting moments to your partner. I myself have never had sex but from my experience, I have seen too many friends think they are ready and find out that they are not. After the fact of sharing themselves with someone, a lot of them want to take that one moment back. But it can never be taken back. Disadvantages of being abstinent are that it requires a lot of restraint and self- discipline, clear communication with your significant ther and the risk of having unprotected sex if by chance the commitment you made with your significant other falls through. From my experience being abstintent is hard because you want to show your significant other some type of affection and let them know that you care but those things lead to others and you can find yourself struggling to remain abstinent as you promised. Advan tages are that there is no cost, no risk of pregnancy, and protection from STIs. I hope that you as my child choose to take abstinence. It would give you a chance to live life without the complications of what sex has to offer. My last sexual ethic is that oral sex (cunnilingus, fellatio) and anal sex (anilingus) are also forms of sex. A lot of people do not consider it to be so. Some couples use anal sex as a substitute for intercourse. Some couples who have made a decision to avoid intercourse either due to personal moral beliefs, not wanting to worry about getting pregnant, or the desire to wait until a later point in time for intercourse will decide to use oral/anal sex as a way of exploring sexual intimacy without actually having intercourse. But one thing that many people forget is that STIs are more easily spread through having sex in these methods. When it comes to oral sex especially, people run into the problem of the transmission of almost all STIs, including HIV, hepatitis B, and human papilloma virus. One can also damage the rectal walls allowing contact of the inserting partner’s semen with the receiving partners bloodstream. So I hope if you are trying to find an alternative for sex if you are not going to have you think twice because all these things are sex and they can still give you STIs. I am very lucky to have parents that are open and talk about all types of issues. Things that they were not afraid to talk about were about the issues of sex and much needed information I needed to know. I learned a lot of what I know about sexuality from them. I learned about dating and the importance of sex after marriage from them. They instilled the fact that I should wait for my soul mate and husband before I decided that I was going to engage in sexual intercourse. They also were open with the option of telling me that if I was to have sex before marriage I could use protection to keep me safe and they also discussed what kinds of protection there are. What has been helpful in helping me decide what I wanted as my sexual ethics is that I was always able to openly ask my parents questions and if they did not know the answer to my question they would research for me or buy me a book on the subject so that we could talk and discuss the subject. It was kind of difficult to write this paper because if I could just have one sexual ethic to write about it would be abstinence because you do not have to worry about pregnancy or STIs if you are not engaging in things of the sexual nature. Even though staying abstinent is hard and very difficult I definitely stand by it one hundred percent. I already knew where I stood when it came to my sexual ethics and what I believed you can and cannot do with an individual or significant other. But this paper gave me even more reason to believe what I believe because I got to see the pros and cons of everything and it further confirmed my decision to be the way I am. I do live by the principles I wrote for my children and I hope that they are not afraid to live by them in the future. I do not think my code will ever need revisions in the future because I am firm in what I believe in and I hope that my kids will believe in it too.

Caesar Augustus Essay

AP World HistoryMilo Romney Caesar Augustus10/27/12 What happens when a man tries to take over a republic? Well most of the time that man gets stabbed several times by his friends and colleagues. This is at least what happened to the famous Julius Caesar. Later on his adopted son Octavian would try the same thing; however, he used very different tactics that led to a much happier ending, transforming Rome into a very strong and influential empire. It was the mid-1st century B. C. E. , Rome was ever-growing and the republic that once ran very smoothly was encountering many problems within itself.Wealthy land owners or patricians were gaining too much power and land and since Roman law read that only land owners could serve in the military much of the military power was reduced. Some people tried to change this, for example Tiberius, but his ideas were seen as controversial and he was assassinated in 133 B. C. E. One man named General Marius instituted a law stating that men didnâ€⠄¢t have to own land to serve in the military. Soldiers still wanted land in return for their service though, and the general gave them land but this made soldiers more loyal to army officials rather than to the senate.After Marius retired Rome experienced a brief time of peace only to be broken by the Social War. The Social War was caused by the revolting of lower class Italians that were not entitled to full-citizenship and voting rights. This caused General Marius to come back. He ended the war and seized power of Rome. Marius died of old age and Rome started to become restless. In all of the turmoil there arose a powerful politician, Julius Caesar. Caesar created the First Triumvirate (three men) consisting of Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey (also known as Magnus).The Triumvirate really only made these men more powerful though and really didn’t help Rome overall. The Triumvirate disappeared when Crassus died and Caesar and Pompey started to fight. Caesar invaded Rome in 49 B. C. E. and became a dictator there. Then later Pompey was murdered in Egypt in 48 B. C. E. Julius increased the senate from 600 to 900 members to give himself more supporters. In five years Caesar held many powerful offices and almost succeeded in transforming Rome into an empire but was assassinated on the Ides of March in 44 B. C. E. Many wars took place after the assassination of Julius Caesar.His adopted son, Octavian, and his friend both formed the Second Triumvirate and defeated Caesars assassins in the Battle of Philippi. Many senators were killed during this time and it was not a good time for the republic. Eventually the Second Triumvirate dissipated and Octavian and Mark Antony turned on one another. Mark Antony married Cleopatra of Egypt and they committed suicide when Octavian invaded Egypt. Octavian became Augustus (exalted one) and now unofficially ruled Rome. Augustus knew that in order to successfully transform Rome into an empire he had to succeed where his father h adn’t.He supported the arts and technology. He rebuilt temples and created road systems. He pleased his people with holidays and special events. Augustus would even give free bread and wine to all of Rome’s citizens. The senate just had to sit and watch as Caesar Augustus became the total dictator of Rome. Literature grew exceedingly during this time. Under Augustus’ rule Rome entered the Pax Romana, the peaceful and golden age of Rome. So in the end Augustus obviously succeeded in the areas where Julius didn’t. Julius didn’t utilize his resources as well and didn’t realize that he needed to take away the senate’s power not enhance it.Augustus extended Rome to a great power and eventually fully ended the once-renowned republic. In a completely unnecessary comparison this story totally reminded me of the movie Star Wars, the fall of the republic and the birth of an empire. Anyways in conclusion, Augustus transformed Rome into an empire by gaining the loyalty of the citizens and soldiers while the senate lost its power. This man was so dominant that he even named the month of August after himself! Not many could have accomplished what Caesar Augustus did and many still marvel at his feats to this day.

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall Essay - 842 Words

Kaung Myat Thu @ Keith Professor Traverso English – 119 14th October 2012 Media Influence the Identity and culture Over the last few decades, ever since the televisions and computers were invented, self ethnic identities have been influenced because of the progress in technology, which we commonly known as media, and whether the globe benefits from this approach or not has become a controversial issue amongst most of the people in the world. As what survey shows that a dominant group of peoples who tend to believe that identities were being ruined by spreading through mass-media which is the most inappropriate approach ever made because of it’s extremely destructive effects. For instance, one of my friends ignited the other’s hair†¦show more content†¦This pressure to conform to such an image has a psychological effect on young girls, and will change the way they dress, eat, act and think, thus changing and influencing their identity. Moreover, the media also influences our identities by creating stereotypes. Taking back to the television show The Simpsons, for example. Homer, the father, is stupid, lazy and fat. Marge, the wife, is always nagging him to do work. Lisa, the smart one, is unpopular at school, unlike her mischievous brother Bart, who gets to hang with the cool kids, who are all bullies. Because people see these stereotypes, they begin to make generalizations about other people. People also fall into these stereotypes because it is what society expects of them. These stereotypes created by the media take away our individualism and instead provide us with a common identity which to most of us seems to be the same. Also, the media affect the way society views social classes. Previous to the Second World War, the society was predominately paternal. Women were seen as inferior, and were bound to a domestic role. However, when the war ended, a large feminist revolution took place. The song I am Woman by Helen Reddy perpetuated the idea that women were just as capable as men, and should no longer be treated as second class citizens. Feminist movements on the radio and television allowed people to see these new ideas, and change the way they viewed women. A newShow MoreRelated Plunkitt of Tammany Hall Essay1541 Words   |  7 PagesPlunkitt of Tammany Hall 1. Honest Graft and Dishonest Graft- When Plunkitt was tipped off about something in the city or someone wanting to built a park or something, he sees the opportunity and he takes it. He buys up the land before they do. When they see that they are going to need the land, he sells it to them at a much higher price than what he paid for it, giving him a nice profit. That is honest graft. Several politicians are accused of stealing dollars from the state’s treasury, thisRead MoreEssay about George Washington Plunkitt of Tammany Hall720 Words   |  3 PagesGeorge Washington Plunkitt of Tammany Hall Everybody is talkin these days about Tammany men growin rich on graft, but nobody thinks of drawin the distinction between honest graft and dishonest graft. With this sentence in the first chapter Plunkitt sets the tone for his short treatise on New York City politics while Tammany Hall ran the show. George Washington Plunkitt was a senator in New York during the turn of the 19th Century to the 20th Century. He was very successful in politicsRead MoreBook Report of Plunkitt of Tammany Hall Essay example949 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"An Analysis of Plunkitt of Tammany Hall† William Bryce History 1302 Austin Community College November 30, 2011 The purpose of this book report is to analyze the themes in Plunkitt of Tammany Hall by William L. Riordon. Riordon’s purpose is to educate people about politics and to stimulate reform in their corrupt political system. The first theme of this book is Plunkitt’s use of patronage. He openly discusses quid pro quo: he gives people jobs, opportunities, and welfare services inRead MoreThe Industrial Revolution1518 Words   |  7 Pagesmethods. The Progressive Reformers were a political organization that sought out to set permanent fixes to these conditions and make it possible for the immigrants to be self-sustaining. On the other hand, the political machines, more specifically Tammany Hall of Manhattan, sought to make changes by directly helping the immigrants but not without them having some benefit to their organization. Both political organizations had different responses to the plight that the lower class immigrant workers wereRead MoreThe Views of the Politician George Washington Plunkitt690 Words   |  3 PagesGeorge Washington Plunkitt was a complicated politician from New York in the 1900’s. He had his own questionable way of seeing what’s right and what’s wrong . Plunkitt’s Ideas of right a wrong sometimes seemed to be off. However, some of his ideas about things that needed to be reformed were as true then as they are now. Plunkitt seemed to be a man that knew how to get what he wanted out of people with very little effort. From the perspective of an outsider this could make him hard to trust,Read MoreThe Gilded And Progressive Eras1245 Words   |  5 Pagespolitical machines such as George Plunkitt and James Gillespie Blaine. Plunkitt was known as the leader of Tammany Hall, an Irish-based organization that was heavy in politics during the 19th century. Politicians affiliated with Tammany Hall would provide jobs, money or other favors and in return would receive government favors. Although Plunkitt believed he was doing no wrong, many Americans saw this as taking the patronage system for granted. During an interview, Plunkitt said, â€Å" I might sum the wholeRead MoreThe End Of The Civil War1805 Words   |  8 PagesGeorge W. Plunkitt in Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, and how he was living through a time where mass immigration was underway along with urbanization and industrialism. These were major changes happening during the peak of Plunkitt’s political power. These new opportunities in the economy meant new forms of corruption. For people already living in the U.S., new immigrants becoming citizens brought about controversy and questions about the effect it would have on the national identity. Plunkitt and his actionsRead MoreThe Period Between Reconstruction And World War I1811 Words   |  8 Pagesvote. Without this participation, there is no way that society can reflect their interests and the whole system of democracy falls apart. Not everyone agreed with Hewitt’s view of intelligence and education as the key factor in government success. Tammany Hall and other political machines obtained and maintained power through what is know as the â€Å"spoils system† whereby they give positions to their supporters in return for their votes and loyalty. The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, which requiredRead MoreBoyer Dbq Teacher Guide10764 Words   |  44 PagesAmerican life. Can be contrasted with Document C, in which Steiner points out the lack of such agencies in Chicago at an earlier time. Here, Addams criticizes teachers for forcing a type of assimilation disruptive to immigrant families. I—Plunkitt of Tammany Hall—Like Documents C and E, Riordan looks at city government’s relation to urban immigrants. While often cited for corruption by those with Victorian moral standards, urban political machines linked immigrants to the greater society and probably