A Message Of Peace And Reconciliation Mercy Religion Essay

A Message Of Peace And Reconciliation Mercy Religion Essay 1. Approximately fourteen hundred years ago, Prophet Muhammad, the last in the line of the prophets of Islam, received revelation from God known as the Quran, which is the Final Testament. He came with a message of peace and reconciliation, mercy and compassion. Yet, ever since the beginning of the call of Islam, its image and that of Muslims has been subject to distortion, misconceptions, and misinterpretations. This chapter aims at establishing the link between Quran and the distortions in its interpretation which has manifested itself in the form of jihad or the holy-war. Quran and Sanction of Violence 2. The Quran permits violence as an act of defence waged to protect the Shariat in an Islamic community. The Shariat can be explained as a system of ordinances outlined in the Quran and Hadis  [1]  through which God lays down for mankind the rules of conduct  [2]  . The Shariat is the guidance for all walks of life individual and social, material and moral, economic and political, legal and cultural, national and international  [3]  . 3. Muslims are advised to closely follow the Shariat to acquire the well being that God has envisioned for the Islamic community. Preservation of the Shariat is an obligation of every able-bodied individual  [4]  . Oppression, despotism, injustice and criminal abuse of power  [5]   of the Shariat by Muslims or non-Muslims  [6]  , must be punished. Quran and Jihad 4. The Quran identifies three main kinds of Jihad that can be used for the punishment of oppression and injustice. These are: internal  [7]  , external  [8]  and inter-communal  [9]  . The Quran permits the use of violence as an optional method for all three forms of Jihad but it limits the use of violence in internal  [10]   and external Jihad. It expands on its doctrine of Jihad and violence, mainly in the context of inter-communal conflicts. In these cases, Muslims can individually determine the nature and extent of Jihad based on the freedom of interpretations, and the geopolitical conditions in which the conflict arises. However the most essential prerequisite in the Qurans discourse on violence is that, force should be used only when the Shariat has been violated and needs to be persevered as the very work of God Himself  [11]  . 5. In Inter communal Jihad, Martial Jihad  [12]  should be used to protect and to promote the integrity of Islam and to defend the umma [community] against hostile unbelievers whether they are invading armies or un-Islamic internal despots  [13]  . The use of forces in all other instances is forbidden by God  [14]  . Once cause for violent Jihad has been established on the basis of geopolitical circumstances and religious understandings of the same, the Quran advises Muslims to:- Fight for the sake of God those that fight against you but do not attack them first. God does not love aggressors. Slay them wherever you find them  [15]  . It encourages violent Jihadis to muster all the men and cavalry at your disposalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [and]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies  [16]  until Gods religion  [17]  reigns supreme  [18]  . Jihadis should use violence to ward of external aggression, maintain internal orde and establish absolute justice for all citizens  [19]  . Jihadis should employ all means and media for the establishment of all that is right and the elimination of all that is wrong  [20]  . If they do so then they will dwell amidst garden and fountains and shall receive what their Lord will give themà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for they have done good works  [21]  . 6. Thus as seen above, through its affirmative discourse on the use of violence and its association with the Divine and martyrdom, the Quran encourages the popularity of violent Jihad as a legitimate tool for Muslims to overpower their adversaries. Through this association the Quran also projects the use of violence as a religious duty that demonstrates the utmost submission to God and deserves the highest rewards. This becomes more compelling because the Quran permits violence, in any instance where the Shariat has been violated. 7. A Muslim who foresees this violation as important is allowed by the Quran to adopt violent Jihad. The manner in which this process applies to each Muslim depends on individual interpretations of the Quran which extend themselves to the social realm as well. If adopted on the basis of individual will and sense of religious duty, then violent Jihad can be considered as an act of great patriotism in Islam. Conversely an act of violence that is not directed towards preserving the Shariat and the will of God is categorized as terrorism in Islam. Such acts are a deviation from the path of God and the Quran states that those that deny Gods revelations shall be sternly punished; God is mighty and capable of revenge. Nothing on earth or in heaven is hidden from God  [22]  . The Quran is extremely categorical in outlining the premise and course for Islamic violence so that it can deter nonreligious violence from occurring. 8. Quran implies that Muslims can apply their Quranic understandings to geopolitical conditions and present religious premise for violent Jihad. Once this is done, the intent and act of violence meets Quranic requirements consequently making violent Jihad a legitimate religious reaction. Most often, acts categorized as terrorism in the non-Muslim world represent religious rather than non-religious violence executed within the Qurans discourse on violence. This is because the non-Muslim worlds categorization of violence is not related to the Quran. In the non-Muslim world, the use of legitimate violence is defined as a state-oriented concept which must find just cause in domestic or international precepts.  [23]  However, in the Islamic world the Quran itself determines political, economic and social perceptions. 9. Violence in Islamic nations almost always has an essential religious rather than a purely political bias. The Quran states that any Muslim can be a warrior of God rather than the state based on his religious interpretations. The extent to which violence can be used in Islam for this purpose remains unstipulated by the Quran. It simply states that Jihadis should engage all means required to ensure that the enemy is defeated or accepts defeat. Thus even though violent Jihad can create aggression that amounts to terrorism in the non-Muslim world, in Islam this is not perceived as such as long as it occurs within the guidelines on the use of violence, stipulated in the Quran. Contrary perceptions of violent Jihad persist in the non-Muslim world mainly because of the divergent perspectives from which the use of violence is defined. 10. Bin-Laden and some other extremists in the Islamic world contend that the 11 September 2001 attacks were a reaction to the hegemonic status that the United States (US) has established in the Middle-East, especially after the Afghan-Soviet War. This had political and economic implications that often violate the Shariat on governance and trade. These Muslims oppose power-politics played by the US in countries such as Iraq, Iran and Libya. They contend that these politics mainly further US economic interests in the Middle-East. The Quran states that Islamic resources should be used mainly for Islamic benefits and can be exchanged with non-Muslims through negotiations and agreements. However, it strongly condemns unsolicited involvement of non-Muslims in Muslim affairs. Thus, some Muslims also emphasize US oil-trade in the Middle East from this perspective. They also condemn power hungry leaders in the Islamic world who facilitate such economics and politics and prevent the downward filtration effects of these engagements, as recommended by the Quran. Thus, Bin-Laden and these Muslims believe that, despite their intensity, the 11 September 2001 attacks were a legitimate Quranic reaction to preserve the sanctity of Islamic values in the Middle East. 11. Extreme interpretations of the Qurans discourse on violence would legitimize this belief. Contrarily, perceptions of state oriented violence and war in the non-Muslim world would reject it. However, it is important to remember that in Islam, extreme as they maybe, acts of violence are legitimized by the Quran, as long as they are enacted to reserve the Shariat and executed within its discourse on violence. Role of Quranic Interpretations in Justifying and Integrating Terrorism 12. Even though the various terrorists groups intone various ideologies of the Islamic religion, there are no set universal agendas for these groups. In the contemporary world the goal for groups like Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Chechen rebels is a nation of their own with tactics reminiscent of the ethnic violence erupting after abandoned colonialism. On the other end of the spectrum are groups like Jemaah Islamiya (JI) and Al-Qaeda with its various offshoots, who indeed are looking to rearrange the global order, instigate the now-infamous clash of civilizations and create a Muslim caliphate that spans continents, all the while bringing the West to its knees. Their goals are vast and global. Somewhere in the middle of all this are groups at risk, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET) in Pakistan and the separatist movements in the Philippines and Thailand. These groups are primarily motivated by state-centric goals, but all rest on the cusp of pan-territorial and far more dangerous age ndas. Terrorist groups can largely be conceived as having two working parts: an identity and an ideology. When it comes to Islamic  terrorism, that identity is based in religion, but sometimes the ideology is based in nationalism, while at other times in a more transient, pan-territorial agenda. This difference is most stark between more traditional ethno-terrorist movements and the far more globally oriented groups like Al-Qaeda  [24]  . 13. Since nationalist movements are focused on creating a state or political freedoms for one group, their strategies are focused on the nation-state from which they hope to gain concessions. Their violence is directed at those inside the state. Whether or not Islam provides the identity, their goals are not apocalyptic. In contrast,  religious  terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda engage in almost no domestic targeting. Their goals cross continents. They want to destroy corrupt regimes in the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, purge the Western presence in their lands and change the global power order  [25]  . 14. After having seen how the terrorists interpret the Quran in justifying their actions, we can surmise that the popularity of this kind of radical reaction in the Muslim world can be explained as a  religious  counter reaction to the rapid progress of modernization, which has often included a move away from traditional  religious  beliefs in societies. In some parts of the less-developed world, fundamentalists are counterattacking against the perceived threats to their societies posed by secularism and modernity, and some are blaming their societies failures on the godless West. Political Islam calls for a renewal of Islamic values in the personal and public life of Muslims. Its manifestations include strict  religious  observances, the rapid growth of  religious  publications and readings from the Koran on radio and in television programming, and demands for the implementation of Islamic law. Political Islam often includes growing numbers of Islamic schools, organi zations, and activist movements and expressions of resentment against the Western world for exporting a secular Coca-Cola culture to the Islamic world  [26]  . Throughout the Arab world, Muslim militants and terrorists are often recruited from the legions of unemployed and dispirited young men in both urban and rural settings in seriously underdeveloped countries. In many nations in the Middle East, there is never a shortage of those who are willing to find attractive the idea of launching a holy war against the enemy.

Establishment Notions of Englishness Essay

In what ways did the iconography, the music, the lyrics and the performances and behaviour of punk rock acts present a challenge to ‘establishment notions of Englishness’ in 1976-77? The early roots of Punk rock were appearing in the form of The Velvet Underground in 1965, closely followed by The Stooges and MC5 in 1969, but it wasn’t until the early 1970s that punk began to globalise, hitting Australia in 1972 with The Saints. Within a year, legendary Punk club CBGB’s opened it’s doors for the first time, becoming a constant dwelling for the up and coming acts of the 70’s, and more importantly, providing a regular crowd of punk kids to listen to them. Britain in the early 70s, according to Spicer, was filled with ‘political frustration, surging unemployment and a gag-reflex to the patriotic froth generated by in celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee, giving punk’s raw noise a particular spice and vigour. The UK had either been in decline, recession, stagflation or worse since the end of the swinging sixties.’ (Spicer, 2006: 3). ‘Eight years later when the idealism of the 60s had well and truly faded, the strategies and rhetoric of street protest were still going strong. So when mainstream politics wouldn’t even listen to what was driving the kids insane, the Sex Pistols’ cry of â€Å"Anarchy in the UK† seemed like a viable alternative.’ (Spicer, 2006: 5) ‘Punk came with a philosophy that was influenced by the anti-establishment turmoil reverberating from the 60’s.’ (Spicer, 2006, Page 4), so in a time when the youths of Britain were so ignored and undervalued as a part of society, it seemed like a natural outlet to make the government and the authorities stand up and take notice of what they were saying. Renowned Manchester based punk journalist and singer John Robb stated that ‘Punk Terrified the establishment’ (Robb, 2006: 3), suggesting this outcry for non-conformism was having an impact and the message of challenging the government was being heard. Despite this, however, critics are still divided about whether the punk phenomenon was in fact a significant cultural shift. ‘Was it just another youth craze (with a hairstyle calculated to drive the parents crazy), or did it offer a real challenge to the  complacency of the times? A Challenge that was more than just musical and sartorial, but p olitical as well?’ (Spicer, 2006: 2). Hebdige stated that ‘the punks were not only directly responding to increasing joblessness, changing moral standards, the rediscovery of poverty, the Depression, etc., they were dramatizing what had come to be called â€Å"Britain’s decline† by constructing a language which was, in contrast to the prevailing rhetoric of the Rock Establishment, unmistakeably relevant and down to earth (hence the swearing, the references to â€Å"fat hippies‟, the rags, the lumpen poses). The punks appropriated the rhetoric of crisis which had filled the airwaves and the editorials throughout the period and translated it into tangible (and visible) terms’ (1991: 87). A significant part of the construction of the punk rock movement in the British media was the fashion of the stars, which was later emulated by the fans, with the iconic style quickly becoming a obligatory staple of â€Å"being punk†. According to Paul Gorman, speaking in Punk: The Whole Story, ‘Almost every element of punk’s style, attitude, politics, musical tastes and even personnel emanated from two tiny clothes shops on Chelsea’s King’s Road 30 years ago.’ (2006: 84) These two shops were Acme Attractions and SEX, both in London. Don Letts, ex-employee of Acme, and later member of Big Audio Dynamite said in Punk: The Whole Story, ‘Acme was more than a shop. It was a club, a lifestyle, a forum for talent. It reflected the way London was going – it was about multi-culturism’ (2006: 84). I think this really exemplifies the importance of the fashion and self-representation of the punk movement, even at the beginning. Robb recalls, ‘I saw photos of punk rockers in the papers, and I knew instantly what they sounded like. Never had a music and its threads been so closely associated’ (2006: 2). Hebdige also observed, ‘The various stylistic ensembles adopted by the punks were undoubtedly expressive of genuine aggression, frustration and anxiety. But these statements, no matter how strangely constructed, were cast in a language which was generally available – a language which was current’ (1991: 87). I feel this rings true in a big way, especially when you contrast another artist of ’74 with the way, for example, the Sex Pistols presented themselves. In image one, we see the Sex Pistols wearing typical punk style  clothing, however, in image 2, The Who, another British band making music in 1974, are seen to be sporting a much more reserved fashion, that could be classed as smart/casual, due to the tailored trousers, tucked in shirts and sports jackets, and even be called patriotic, with the presence of a union flag jacket. In contrast, while the Sex Pistols are also wearing union flag attire, however, it seems to be done so in a satirical, ironic way. The flag is cut into and is covered in holes, which could suggest the way that the punk youth saw the state of the government, or at least what they thought of it. Similarly, there is also a sports jacket being worn, however, it is teamed with a punk print T-shirt, which could easily be seen as a rebellion against the notion of looking presentable and dressing in your Sunday best. Ruth Adams discusses Hebdige’s notion of punk fashion being a bricolage, and states ‘Bits and pieces of both officially sanctioned and popular English culture, of politics and history were brought together in a chaotic, uneasy admixture to form a new culture’ (2008). I feel this accurately describes the way punk took what it wanted from English culture and used it as a way to challenge the established notions of â€Å"Englishness†. Icons such as swastikas were often wore as a fashion statement , however, ‘for punks like Siouxsie and Sid Vicious it became just one more ingredient in the imagery of offence – not devoid of meaning, but mainly a way of getting up the noses of the straight and the narrow’ (Spicer, 2006: 4). You can imagine that this explicit and in your face approach to fashion and iconography would starkly contrast with the dreary fashion of the 70’s. Spicer states that ‘as the decade that saw beige, brown, orange and gold recommended as a desirable colour scheme for the home, the 70’s had little going for it stylistically either’ (2006: 3). I feel that this contrast in style would have made punks even harder to ignore, insuring that someone was always looking at them and listening to what they had to say. ‘Punk rock lyrics are typically frank and confrontational; compared to the lyrics of other popular music genres, they frequently comment on social and political issues’ (Laing, 1985: 27). An obvious example of this would be â€Å"God Save The Queen† by the Sex Pistols (1977, Sex Pistols). At the time of  release, the song was highly controversial, mainly for the fact it was explicitly ‘anti-monarchy’, implying that the Queen was a part of a fascist regime, as shown by the lyrics ‘God save the queen, the fascist regime’, and also for quite blatantly writing England off as being bleak and without any hope, shown in the lyrics ‘There is no hope in England’s dreaming’ and ‘There’s no future, no future, no future for you’. This contrasted significantly with the jingoistic ideals that were being put forward in the wake of the Queen’s silver jubilee. Savage stated, ‘â€Å"God Save the Queen† was the only serious anti-Jubilee protest, the only rallying call for those who didn’t agree with the Jubilee because [†¦] they resented being steamrollered by such sickening hype, by a view of England which had not the remotest bearing on their everyday experience’ (2001: 352-353). Laing speculated that ‘Punk was a total cultural revolt. It was a hardcore confrontation with the black side of history and culture, right-wing imagery, sexual taboos, a delving into it that had never been done before by any generation in such a thorough way’ (1985: 27). I feel this really sums up the ideology at play with ‘God Save The Queen’, as it was a total revolt of the dominant ideology at the time it was released. Punk rock is not known for its musical ingenuity, its creativity, or even its skill. John Robb described punks as ‘The DIY brigade fumbling with musical instruments, trying to make sense of the world with three chords learned last week on second hand guitars’ (2006, Page 3). I feel this expresses the rebelling of the establishment in a way that goes above lyrics or fashion. Here we can see that punk was not about pleasing people or making everyone happy, it was about doing what you wanted because you could, and not caring if people liked it or not. This directly challenged the English ideology of the 1970s, which was predominantly all about keeping a stiff upper lip, being polite, and being, for lack of a better word, nice. Rock journalist Caroline Coon wrote about the Sex Pistols’ live performances, stating that ‘participation is the operative word. The audience revels in the idea that any one of them could get up on stage and do just as well, if not better than the bands already up there’ (1982: 98). This again draws on the angry, challenging, do-it-yourself attitude attached to the punk genre. Machin describes the discourse of the melody of â€Å"God Save The Queen† by the Sex Pistols in a way that epitomises the ideology of the genre. ‘Here [image 3] we can see that much of the melody remains on the first note. There is therefore very little outward giving of emotion or positive energy. This means that there is something very contained about the way it is sung. In fact, the vocalist sings the song generally at a high pitch which conveys emotional intensity. Yet in this intensity there is no emotional outpouring or pleasure. There are only short sharp occasional outbursts on the 4th note. This is fitting of the punk discourse of nihilism and cynicism.’ (Machin, 2010: 105) Philip Auslander proclaimed that ‘we may not usually think of musical performance, apart from opera and musical theatre, as entailing characterisation in the conventional dramatic sense. Nevertheless, we must be suspicious of any supposition that musicians are simply ‘being themselves’ on stage’ (2004: 6). Auslander goes on to quote Frith, who states that musicians are ‘involved in a process of double enactment: they enact both a star personality (their image) and a song personality, the role that each lyric requires, and the pop star’s art is to keep both acts in play at once’(2004: 6). I feel that this observation directly applies to the punk rock era, as it exemplifies the explicit and hyperbolic style of the genre. This can be exemplified by Sex Pistols front man, John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten). In the public eye he is an anarchist punk rebel who is not scared to speak his mind and does not care who he offends, however in real life he is a man who was bullied as a boy for having an English accent while at his grandparents’ home in Cork, Ireland. This performance persona is a prime example of the way that punk challenged the notion of Englishness, as everything about â€Å"Johnny Rotten† was anti-establishment. This is typified with the quote from Rotten himself, stating â€Å"I’d listen to rock ‘n’ roll, but I had no respect for it. It was redundant and had nothing to do with anything relevant†. Here, he is dismissing everything that already exists in England as not being relevant or influencing him in any way, suggesting that he was the change that England needed. Auslander later goes on to discuss that ‘both the line between real person  and performance persona and the line between persona and character may be blurry and indistinct, especially in the case of pop music performers whose work is heavily autobiographical’ (2004: 7). Again, I think this is extremely relevant to the analysis of the performance of John Lydon as Johnny Rotten, as punks felt this allegiance with him through his work as he was them while he was on stage. He was also a working class, angry young person with no money who resented the royal family and the government. Al Spicer asked the question, ‘was it just another youth craze (with a hairstyle calculated to drive the parents crazy), or did it offer real challenge to the complacency of the times?’ (2006: 2) and I think the answer to this would have to be that they really did challenge the system, in every possible way. Punk as a movement intended to shock and defy the norm of 1970s England, to rebel against the complacent and austere ideals of the time and radically confront the patriotic notions of Englishness put forward by the royal Jubilee, and I think that they succeeded. Instead of merely writing protest songs, punk bands were a protest. Every fibre of their existence protested, whether it was scandalous lyrics, deplorable fashion choices or unrestrained, extroverted stage personas who would say what they thought, and never care about the repercussions. Punk was one vast protest across England and the notion of English ideals. Bibliography Machin, David. (2010) Analysing Popular Music: Image, Sound, Text, London: Sage. Spicer, Al. (2006) A Rough Guide To Punk, London: Rough Guides. Blake, Mark (Editor) (2006) Punk; The Whole Story, London: Dorling Kindersley. Sabin, Roger (Editor) (1999) Punk Rock, So What?, London: Routledge. Robb, John (2006) Punk Rock; An Oral History, London: Elbury Press. Adams, Ruth (2008) â€Å"The Englishness of English Punk: Sex Pistols, Subcultures and Nostalgia.†Popular Music and Society, 31.4, P. 469–488. Hebdige, Dick (1991) Subculture: The Meaning of Style. London: Routledge. Savage, Jon (2001) England’s Dreaming: Sex Pistols and Punk Rock, London: Faber & Faber. Laing, Dave (1985) One chord wonders: power and meaning in punk rock, Milton Keynes: Open University. Auslander, Philip (2004) Contemporary Theatre Review, Vol. 14, London: Routledge. Boyd, Brian (2010), The Making of a Rotten Public Image, The Irish Times: 08 Aug 2010 Issue. Coon, Caroline (1982) The New Wave Punk Rock Explosion, London: Omnibus Press. IMAGE 1: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2008/12/30/1230675664257/Sex-Pistols-in-1978-001.jpg IMAGE 2: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLyigXbSHz6VUNLNzgvmlh4Va93pcKaCgtOOIKKW2Y8Yq4gq5CDL9CrGDK3hGDDry-yNK7Cc7VUnu4ojhsCPCqMoNTv76qB_jZNjAMRgNSqbE9-zltzW2OPR0ZQZC9GbmQspt8gXZWmK8/s1600/The+Who.jpg IMAGE 3: Machin, David. (2010) Analysing Popular Music: Image, Sound, Text, London: Sage. Page 104.

Open Medical Marijuana Delivery Service Full

County Guidelines |Page Chapter 1: Obtaining a Doctor’s Recommendation A doctor’s recommendation will allow you to take the next critical step of obtaining a Medical Marijuana Card through California’s MMP Program. No official registration is required to obtain a doctor’s recommendation. Marijuana can be recommended by a doctor for ANY serious condition for which it provides relief; over 250 uses have been reported. Resource: To see a sample Doctor’s Recommendation go to: http://www. canorml. org/prop/MDRecForm. jpg WARNING: Beware bogus clinics!Some unethical doctors are charging clients extra for socalled â€Å"cultivation licenses† supposedly entitling them to grow more than the normal number of plants. There is no such thing as a â€Å"cultivation license† under California law. Any patient with a California physician's recommendation may legally cultivate or possess as much marijuana as they need for their own personal medical use, and no more. No physician can authorize them to cultivate more (they can only testify in court that a certain amount of marijuana is consistent with the individual patient's needs, and they do not have professional competence to prescribe plant numbers).Resource:To find a California Physician you can go to: http://listings. canorml. org/physicians/listings. lasso 3|Page Chapter 2: Obtaining a California Medical Marijuana Identification Card The next step to starting a Legal Medical Marijuana Delivery Service is to obtain a Medical Marijuana Identification Card through the California Medical Marijuana Program (MMP). This identification card will allow you to legally carry a given amount of Medical Marijuana as outlined in your counties bylaws, and to be recognized as a caregiver for your patients.In other words each county has their own guidelines as to how much marijuana each caregiver can carry legally for each of their patients. Establishing yourself as aMedical Marijuana Caregiv er will allow you to legally serve your patients. Resource:To apply simply fill out the form located at: www. cdph. ca. gov/pubsforms/forms/CtrldForms/cdph9042. pdf After you have completed this form it is best to apply in person at your local County Department of Public Health for expediency purposes. You can do it online or via fax, but this can take months to complete. Resource:You can ind your local County Department of Public Health by going to: http://www. cdph. ca. gov/services/Pages/MMPCounties. aspx When you apply you will need to bring the necessary documentation which includes: a) b) c) d) Your Application Form Your Physician’s License Number Your Doctor’s Recommendation Form You will also need to supply personal information to prove residency such as a driver’s license, utility bill, or government issued photo ID. 4|Page You will need to pay the application fees and be photographed. The application fees vary by county and are usually $66. 00 + admini strative fees.To ensure the application process goes smoothly and to give yourself the best chance of not having any unforeseen obstacles it is always a good idea to take an individual who has signed documentation stating they are a patient in your care. We will talk more about the necessary patient care documentation later. It is important to understand that to be a register primary caregiver for more than one patient you must live in the same county as all of your patients. It is strictly forbidden and illegal to operate a delivery business across county lines. 5|Page Chapter 3: Starting The Business / NonprofitStep 1 – Your Delivery Business / Nonprofit Name The first step in creating your new medical marijuana delivery business is to think of a name for your new business. Most medical marijuana collectives and coops use the terms collective, caregiver, or something of that of that nature in their name. You’ll also need to make sure that your physical address reside s in the city and county that your delivery business will be operating in an. It is also important to note that this physical address cannot be a P. O. Box. Resource: Make sure to check the availability of your nonprofit name by going to: http://www. sos. ca. gov/business/corp/corp_naav. tm Step 2 – Start a Nonprofit Organization Next we will need to create a Non-Profit because nonprofits are the only types of organizations that are allowed to operate as medical marijuana patient care givers. This is also the quickest and easiest way to get into the medical marijuana industry. The best way to set this up is to place yourself in the role of president of the Non-Profit. This enables you to recuse yourself of responsibility for the actions of other members. Your membership agreement will outline the rules for membership and no one can join or become a patient unless they have agreed to the membership guidelines.The process of starting a nonprofit organization generally involves: 1. Drafting Bylaw 2. Submitting Articles of Incorporation to the State of California Drafting Bylaws Drafting Bylaws sets forth the structure of the organization and creates a governing board with final authority for the organization Resource: For an example of Nonprofit Bylaws go to:Link 6|Page Completing and Submitting Articles of Organization To incorporate as a nonprofit in the state of California you will need to complete articles of organization and submit them. There is generally a $30. 0 filing fee for these forms. Resource: Articles of Organization Forms www. sos. ca. gov/business/corp/pdf/articles/corp_artsnp. pdf To submit this form you will need to go to one of the 2 regional offices located at either: Sacramento Main Office 1500 11th Street Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 657-5448 Or Los Angeles Regional Office 300 South Spring Street, Room 12513 Los Angeles, CA 90013 (213) 897-3062 Step 3 – Creating a Website The next step is to create a website. If you do not have any experience creating websites do not be frightened.You can register a domain name (URL) at one of the many registration services found online. You can then use one of the many web site builders also found online that allow you to do simple drag and drop web design that enables even a novice to create a website with absolutely no programming skills necessary. Please note that it is also a good idea to utilize this URL for your e-mail account. Many of the registration services allow you to do this and it looks much more professional than having a generic e-mail address like Gmail. All told you can expect to spend between $30. 00 and $50. 0 getting your website up and running and this can be achieved in as little as a couple of hours. 7|Page Step 4 – Financials In the next step we will be establishing the necessary financial aspects for our Non-Profit. The first of which is a bank account and a FEIN Number. To set up a bank account simply go to your local branch and tell them you would like to set up a business account. You’ll need to provide them with the necessary documentation including the documentation for your Non-Profit. To obtain a seller’s permit, which we will talk about later, you will need to obtain your FEIN Number.Resource: For a simple form that you can give your bank which includes the legal name and structure of your medical marijuana delivery business as well as your physical mailing address go to: http://www. irs. gov/pub/irs-pdf/fss4. pdf Resource: To get your FEIN Number go to: http://www. irs. gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=102767,00. html Step 5 – Obtaining a Sellers Permit Now it is time to get your Sellers Permit. The sellers permit is one of the most important aspects in keeping your medical marijuana delivery business legal. A sellers permit allows you to pay taxes on your business.Even though you are operating a nonprofit, you are liable for taxes. We have devoted an entire chapter to taxes found late r in this book. You’ll need to get your Sellers permit from the California State board of equalization. All you will need to do is bring all the documentation we’ve outlined in the previous sections and go to the local office of the board of equalization and make an estimated down payment based on your estimated quarterly income. This down payment will be very small if you currently only have one patient, which will generally be the case.Resource: For a California Sellers Permit Application Form, as well processing instructions go to: http://boe. ca. gov/pdf/boe400spa. pdf 8|Page Step 6 – Obtaining a Business License Now it is time to get a Business license. To do this we will need to fill out the necessary form depending upon what town or county you live in. The easiest way is to simply Google â€Å"business license† + your town or county. Next you will need to go to your county specific business license branch, with your documentation, and simply tell t hem you will be operating at a †Home Healthcare delivery surface†.Resource: For county by county business license application instructions go to: http://www. cityapplications. com/business-licenses/CA-California/biz-California. html 9|Page Chapter 4: Operating The Business Now it is time to discuss the operations and management of your medical marijuana delivery service in regards to staying compliant with California Law. Membership The lifeblood of your business will be membership because if you do not have anyone to deliver to you will not be making any money. To join your Non-Profit and become a patient each member will have to agree to your membership terms.Legal Application Requirements To legally operate in the state of California you must perform certain steps when taking on new members or patients. Step 1 – Verification You must verify each member’s status as legally able to be a patient under your care. The way that you do this is by verifying thei r medical marijuana identification card number. Resource: To verify a potential patient’s medical marijuana card go to: http://www. calmmp. ca. gov/ Step 2 – Primary Caregiver Form Next you will need each person to sign a form designating you as their primary caregiver.Resource: You can find a sample form by going to: http://www. peaceinmedicine. org/PDFs/PrimaryCareGiver. pdf 10 | P a g e Step 3 – Membership Form For you to legally distribute Medical Marijuana to your patients they must be members of you Nonprofit. To become members they need to simply fill out a membership form. Resource: For a sample membership for go to: http://www. greendotguy. com/Membership-Agreement. pdf 11 | P a g e Chapter 5: Products / Medical Marijuana If you have not already you’ll need to acquire the products or medical marijuana you will be providing to your patients.This is an important step because you must make sure that you acquire your products lawfully. As per Califor nia law collectives and cooperatives can only acquire medical marijuana from their own members. This means you can only acquire medical marijuana grown by fellow members of your collective. In other words before you can purchase medical marijuana from a grower they must first be a member of your collective. This is very simple to do. Simply have the grower or growers sign a membership agreement before you obtain the medical marijuana you will be delivering to your patience from them.This allows your operations to consist of acquiring medical marijuana from one of your nonprofit members and distribute it to your non-profit patients. This is what we call a closed cycle. Resource: For a sample membership for go to: http://www. greendotguy. com/Membership-Agreement. pdf 12 | P a g e Chapter 6: Revenue Members of your non-profit may reimburse you for medical marijuana that has been allocated to them in the amount necessary to cover overhead and operating expenses as well as services prov ided. This means that members can reimburse you for your delivery service through reasonably calculated compensation.This is the way in which you want to record accrued revenue in addition to the overhead costs. 13 | P a g e Chapter 7: Possession, Delivery, and the Law As per California law a primary caregivers may poses a certain amount of medical marijuana for each patient under their care. If you are operating your delivery business and you have more than the personal legal limit of medical marijuana you should have supporting records readily available showing that you have under the legal limit allowed for the number of patients you have under your care.This is especially important when you’re transporting medical marijuana for delivery. Primary Caregiver To be classified as a primary caregiver the Supreme Court has set forth certain requirements: a) A primary caregiver is an individual who consistently provides caregiving; independent of any assistance in taking medical marijuana at or before the time he or she assumed responsibility for assisting with medical marijuana. † People v. Mentch(2008) 45 Cal. 4th 274, 283 (85 Cal. Rptr. 3d 480, 195 P. d 1061) b) The person must show â€Å"a caretaking relationship directed at the core survival needs of a seriously ill patient, not just one single pharmaceutical need. † Id. at p. 286. To be classified as a primary care giver it is important to operate within these guidelines. SB 420 allows caregivers to be compensated for their services but it does not authorize the sale of marijuana itself for profit. Therefore, to run a successful medical marijuana delivery business it is recommended that you 14 | P a g e tipulate your compensation is being accrued from the service of medical marijuana delivered in the form of donations. California State Law It is important to note California State law and how it pertains to a medical marijuana delivery services. 1. Patients and caregivers with a state-issu ed ID card are immune from arrest and allowed to possess whatever amount the law allows them. 2. Patients and caregivers without a state-issued ID card, even with a physician’s statement or county entitlement, are subject to case by case scrutiny that can lead to arrest.As per California State law, possession and cultivation of marijuana grants immunity to patients and caregivers who possess or cultivate marijuana for personal medical use based on the recommendation of a Physician and within county guidelines of residence. 15 | P a g e Chapter 8: Taxes In October 2005, after meeting with taxpayers, businesses, and advocacy groups, the Board directed staff to issue seller’s permits regardless of the fact that the property being sold may be illegal, or because the applicant for the permit did not indicate what products it sold.This new policy was effective immediately. BOE policy regarding the issuance of a seller’s permit was amended to provide that a seller†™s permit shall be issued to anyone requesting a permit to sell tangible personal property, the sale of which would be subject to sales tax if sold at retail. Previously, the Board would not issue a seller’s permit when sales consisted only of medical marijuana. Anyone selling tangible personal property in California, the sale of which would be subject to sales tax if sold at retail, is required to hold a seller’s permit and report and pay the taxes due on their sales.The sale of tangible personal property in California is generally subject to tax unless the sale qualifies for a specific exemption or exclusion. Sales and Use Tax Regulation 1591, Medicines and Medical Devices, explains when the sale or use of property meeting the definition of â€Å"medicine† qualifies for exemption from tax. Generally, for an item’s sale or use to qualify for an exemption from tax under Regulation 1591, the item must qualify as a medicine and the sale or use of the item must meet specific conditions.Regulation 1591 defines a medicine, in part, as any substance or preparation intended for use by external or internal application to the human body in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease and which is commonly recognized as a substance or preparation intended for that use. A medicine is also defined as any drug or any biologic, when such are approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent any disease, illness, or medical condition regardless of ultimate use.In order to be exempt, a medicine must qualify under the definition, and it must be either (1) prescribed for treatment by medical professional authorized to prescribe medicines and dispensed by a pharmacy; (2) furnished by a physician to his or her own patients; or (3) furnished by a licensed health facility on a physician’s order. (There are some other specific circumstances not addressed here such as being fu rnished by a state-run medical facility or a pharmaceutical company without charge for medical research. ) 16 | P a g eGenerally, all of these requirements must be fulfilled in accordance with state and federal law. Regulation 1591 exempts the sale or use of medicines furnished by qualifying health care facilities. (See response to Question 5, above, regarding the requirements to qualify as an exempt medicine. ) State law defines a qualifying â€Å"health facility† as either a facility licensed under state law to provide 24-hour inpatient care or a state-licensed clinic. Not making a profit does not relieve a seller of his or her sales tax liability.However, whether or not you make a profit, like other retailers making taxable sales, you can ask your customers to reimburse you for the sales taxes due on your sales, if you fulfill the requirements explained in Regulation 1700, Reimbursement for Sales Tax. As discussed in the response to Question 10, the Board may enter into a payment plan with a seller when the seller has difficulty meeting its tax liabilities. The Board has an Offers in Compromise Program that provides a payment alternative for individuals and businesses who have closed out their accounts.The Board will issue a seller’s permit to an applicant who does not indicate the products being sold. The applicant, however, will be asked to sign a waiver acknowledging that his or her application is incomplete, which may result in the applicant not being provided with complete information regarding obligations as a holder of a seller’s permit, or notified of future requirements by the Board related to the products sold. Applicants who do not wish to indicate the type of products they are selling should leave the line, â€Å"What items do you sell? blank and discuss the issue with a Board representative regarding the incomplete application. As with any other seller who has operated without a permit, or who has failed to timely file and pay the taxes due, back taxes are owed on any taxable sales made, but not reported and paid. Generally, penalty and interest will also be due. When you apply for a seller’s permit and your application is processed, Board staff will provide sales and use tax returns from prior periods for you to report your sales of medical marijuana and any other products you may have sold, but did not report.You will need to use these returns to self-report all your sales beginning with the month you first started selling taxable 17 | P a g e products. Once you have filed all your back returns, you will receive a current return for each reporting period in which you make sales. You will continue to receive a return until such time as you stop making sales and have notified the Board of the discontinuance of your business. The Board, however, may grant relief from penalty charges if it is determined that a person’s failure to file a timely return or payment was due to reasonable cause and circumstances beyond the person’s control.If a seller wishes to file for such relief, he or she must file a statement with the Board stating, under penalty of perjury, the facts that apply. Sellers may use form BOE-735, Request for Relief from Penalty, available on the Board’s website. A seller who cannot pay a liability in full may be eligible for an installment payment agreement. Sellers in need of this type of plan should contact their local Board office, as eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis.All California sellers of tangible personal property the sale of which would be subject to tax if sold at retail are required to hold seller’s permits. A seller’s permit should be obtained prior to making sales of tangible personal property. If you are currently making sales of medical marijuana and you do not hold a seller’s permit, you should obtain one as soon as possible. Sellers have a continuing obligation to hold a seller’s permit until such time they stop making sales of products that are subject to tax when sold at retail.Sales tax provides revenues to the state’s General Fund as well as to cities, counties, and other local jurisdictions where the sale was made. The tax from the sales of medical marijuana is treated the same as the tax received from the sale of all tangible personal property. Registering for a seller’s permit brings sellers into compliance with the Sales and Use Tax Law, but holding a seller’s permit does not allow sales that are otherwise unlawful by state or federal law. The Compassionate Use Act of 1996 decriminalized the cultivation and use of marijuana by certain persons on the recommendation of a physician.California’s Medical Marijuana Program Act also exempted qualifying patients and primary caregivers from criminal sanctions for certain other activities involving marijuana. Apart from any provisions of state law, the sale of marijuana remains ill egal under federal law. 18 | P a g e 19 | P a g e Chapter 9: The Medical Marijuana Program The medical marijuana program (MMP) has been established to provide a voluntary marijuana identification card issuance and registry program for individuals who qualify as patients as well as their caregivers.A web-based registry has been created which allows law enforcement and the public to verify patient or caregiver cards which give authorization to possess, grow, transport, and for the use of medical marijuana in California. In 2003, Senate Bill (SB) 420 (Chapter 875, Statutes of 2003) was passed as an extension and clarification of Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. The Medical Marijuana Program, within CDPH, is administered through a patient's county of residence.Upon obtaining a recommendation from their physician for use of medicinal marijuana, patients and their primary caregivers may apply for and be issued; a Medical Marijuana Identification Card. Senate Bill 420 al so required that the MMP be fully supported through the card application processing fees. Both the state and the counties have authority to cover the costs for the program through these application fees. 20 | P a g e Chapter 10: County Guidelines County guidelines have been established to outline legal amounts of medical marijuana possession in regards two personal use, patient care givers, and an growing operations.At the writing of this document, 9-7-2011, they are as follows: Alameda: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Alpine: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Amador: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Butte: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; one pound of processed (formerly 6 plants at any stage) Calaveras: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Colusa: No firm policy; case-by-case review, though â€Å"tentative guidelines† of 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud or 1 . lb. processed (formerly 2 plants outdoors or 4 plants indoors) Contra Costa: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Del Norte: Current status remains cloudy, so fol-low the state minimum guidelines for maximum safety: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud. El Dorado: Outdoors: 20 plants from March 1 through July 31; 10 plants through October (or end of season); 2 lbs. f bud from September 1 through February 28; and 1 lb from March 1 to August 31. Indoors: 10 vegetative plants, 1 mother plant, 10 flowering plants and1 lb of bud per patient (formerly 6 plants and/or 2 pounds processed). NB: Caregivers can take care of household plus three outside patients. Also see El Dorado County DA Policy. Fresno: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Glenn: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud 21 | P a g eHumboldt: 3 lbs of bud or equivalent; 100 square feet of garden canopy, no limit on plant numbers or lamp wattage. Caregi ver amounts calculated per patient served. [Original DA policy: Up to 99 plants with up to 100 square feet of canopy and up to lb. of bud. Indoor gardens limited to 1500 watts total illumination. ] Imperial: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Inyo: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Kern: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud.King: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Lake: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Lassen: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Los Angeles: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Madera: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Marin: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud, county ID cards now honored by all law enforcement. Mariposa: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Mendocino: 99 plants (from 25) with permit—[This County’s guidelines are covered in Hemp Pub lication’s Monograph No. : Grows] Merced: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Modoc: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Mono: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Monterey: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Napa: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud 22 | P a g e Nevada: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants any size; or, in the alternative, 75 square feet of total canopy area ; up to 2 lb. of bud. Collectives must keep copies of all patients’ recommenda-tions available for inspection.Orange: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Placer: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Plumas: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Riverside: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Sacramento: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud San Benito: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bu d San Bernardino: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud San Diego: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud San Francisco: Patient and caregiver ID cards is-sued by county Health Department; no patient guidelines.Case by case policy is based on police claims of indicia of illegal sales or diversion to non-medical market. San Joaquin: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud SanLuis Obispo: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud San Mateo: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Santa Barbara: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Santa Clara: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Santa Cruz: 3 pounds of bud or equivalent, plus 100 square feet of garden canopy, no limit on plant numbers or lamp wattage Shasta: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud or 1. 33 lb. processed 23 | P a g eSierra: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud or any quantity approved by phy-sician Siskiyou: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Solano: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Sonoma: County policy: Up to 30 plants with up to 100 square feet of garden canopy and up to 3 lb. of bud. Stanislaus: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants and 8 ounces of bud Sutter: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Tehama: 12 seedlings or 6 flowering or mature plants, and 8 ounces dried marijuana.Indoor Cultivation: 12 seedlings or 6 flowering or mature plants, and 8 ounces dried marijuana. Trinity: Board of Supervisors voted to step back-ward and revert to the state minimum threshold of 6 mature plants or 12 immature plant ; 8 ounces of bud. Tulare: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud Tuolumne: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud. Ventura: 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants ; 8 ounces of bud or 1 lb. ry bud or conversion. Yolo: 6 mature plants or 12 imma ture plants ; 8 ounces of bud Yuba: Informal policy: 6 mature plants or 12 im-mature plants ; 8 ounces of bud or 1. 5 lb. of processed marijuana. 24 | P a g e Disclaimer This document has been written for and is meant for educational purposes only. It is not in any way legally binding, or in other words, it cannot be used in a court of law as justification for any actions taken by its readers.It should be noted that while California does not prosecute Medical Marijuana Patients within the guidelines of SB 420, marijuana is still illegal under federal law and individuals can still be prosecuted as such. The writers of this document have provided this document for educational purposes only. We in no way advocate or take responsibility for any actions taken by its readers. 25 | P a g e

History of Law in Ancient Greece - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2291 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/08/16 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Ancient Greek Essay Did you like this example? History of Law in Ancient Greece 8th century BC was the beginning of Greeces emergence from the Dark Ages into the Archaic period. For a majority of history, humanity has been ruled by either a monarchy, led by a single person, or an oligarchy, leadership through a select group of persons. And this was very much the case in Greece just slightly different. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "History of Law in Ancient Greece" essay for you Create order Following the fall of the Mycenaean civilization, which was the last phase of the Bronze Age in Ancient Greece, city-states across Greece overthrew their kings and set up constitutional governments. However, if some city-states kept a king, the power of the king was drastically reduced and was seen more in a context of religion or as a symbolic figurehead. Majority of nobility disagreed in the idea of taking a subservient role under a single person and thus coups were made to overthrow their monarchy and its hardly surprising that Greek city-states adopted an oligarchy instead. The aristocratic families that made up the Greek oligarchy however could end up facing issues due to the competition between the families and possibly lead to civil war. In an effort to counter such possibilities, their constitutions allowed a temporary, absolute ruler also known as a tyrant and in times of crisis the tyrant would be called upon to lead the state until his end term or when whatever crisis pass es. As is only natural in positions of power, many of the tyrants refused to give up their post. Prior to the 6th and 7th century BC, Ancient Greece didnt have any official laws or punishments. Many conflicts were settled between families, if a murder were to happen members of the victims family would go and kill said murderer thus resulting in many blood feuds. Around the middle of the 7th century BC came the emergence of established laws in Greece. Draco was an archon in Athens and was the first recorded legislator and made several reforms to the law. One of his most important established laws was making murder punishable by exile. Dracos laws, termed the Draconian constitution was thought to be very brutal and so the term draconian tends to be used in a context that means excessively harsh or severe. Prior to Dracos reformation of the code of law, law was oral and only known to the aristocratic class, with his introduction laws became written and thus any literate citizen would know the law and was in a sense equal. Aristotle was the main source of information about Draco and one of the rumors about the severity of Dracos laws was that his laws were written in blood rather than ink. While Dracos laws were in general pretty fair due to the fact it could be applied to anyone regardless of status, the consequences were extremely strict. Many criminal offenses, according to the Greek biographer Plutarch, was punishable by death even the smallest one such as stealing produce. Additionally, small offenses could also turn a free citizen into someones personal slave if they had wronged someone else. As mentioned before, homicide was punishable by exile, but if thats the case then why were much minor offenses punishable by death? Well one of the most recognizable traits of the Draconian laws was the distinguishing of murder and involuntary homicide. Where intentional murder would result in death as punishment, involuntary homicide resulted in exile. In the 6th century BC, Athens moved into an economic, social, and political crisis. From the economic standpoint, the population of Athens had grown to such a large scale that feeding its citizens was a struggle. From the social side many citizens grew into debt and for one to obtain a loan the individual would have to put himself as well as his family as collateral which oftentimes ended up in debt slavery. From the political side, the competitiveness between the aristocratic families were driving the city of Athens into chaos. Athens held nine rulers called an archon which was the chief magistrate in many Greek cities whose term lasted one year, but as mentioned Athens had a council of nine. Many of the problems that were prevalent in Athens went unaddressed and so the city of Athens elected the lawmaker and statesman, Solon to rule as tyrant. Solon was born in Athens around 635-640 BCE into a distinguished family but one of only moderate wealth. Following the war between Athens and Megara over control of Salamis, Solon gained more popularity and was made an archon in Athens. Additionally he worked as a trader in his early life. Aside from being a legislator and commander, Solon was also a poet of decent fame amongst the lower Athenians, many of his writings inspired the public that were suffering under the Draconian laws that were still in place. This is also partially why he was elected into the tyrant position. Once elected, Solon acted decisively. In an effort to solve the economic problems of Athens he encouraged the planting and export of only olive oil, any other exportation of other foods abroad were forbidden. In an effort to solve the social problems of the citizens, Solon made away with debt slavery and declared it illegal for an Athenian to own another Athenian. Additionally, he went even further and wiped the slate clean for every citizen by abolishing all former debts owed. Ancient writers suggest that, in a radical move, Solon proposed to cancel all debts. This plan was referred to as seisachtheia or shaking off of burdens. In practice, it seems more likely that the hektemoroi still had to pay off some debts but were given the right to own the land they worked. To prevent poor workers slipping into slavery, Solon also forbade the use of ones person or family members as security on loans. Those hektemoroi who had become slaves through debt were freed from their bondage. (Cartwright). It was Solons political solutions that made the most impact in Athenian society however. To weaken the power of aristocratic families Solon changed the qualifications for political power from lineage to wealth. This didnt really affect the aristocratic families since they were already wealthy but this change extended political power to a much larger pool of people and ensured that the poor had a voice in politics as well. He allowed all citizens in the realm to vote thus electing their own rulers. The general assembly had the final decision in electing public officials and Solon also created a council of citizens to act as judges. Through his reformation of the Athenian social system, he remade the class system in Athens by creating four classes whose hierarchy would be based off of agricultural production. The tier list was the pentakosiomedimnoi (the top class of citizens), the hippeus (the second highest), the zeugitai (the third highest), and the thetes (the lowest class). The pentakosiomedimnoi was the estate that could produce at least 500 medimnoi (a Greek unit of volume) per year and thus were eligible for the all of the top positions of government. They could serve as one of the nine archons, in the Council of Areopagus (ex-archons that elected the current archons), in the Council of 400 (ran the daily affairs of the city), and could serve as generals in the Athenian army. The hippeus were knights and could also serve in a position of high political power. The zeugitai were craftsmen that could serve in a minor position and the thetes were the lowest class as laborers. Every single one of these classes, however, could serve in the Athenian general assembly and jury. Afterwards, Solon made away with many of Dracos laws and only kept the law regarding homicide. Having completed his reforms of the law Solon relinquished his position as tyrant and left the city of Athens. Soon after the Athenian aristocrats managed to undermine the system again. However, in time, his reforms effects had such a deep impact on Athenian society that they continued to be felt even after the period of tyranny was over and eventually became the foundation for classical Athenian democracy. (Karasavvas). After Solon relinquished his power, Athens fell under the tyranny of Peisistratos. Peisistratos was a distant relative of Solon and generally ruled fairly, shared wealth and power, and made an effort to protect the poor. Unfortunately his son Hippias was not as benevolent and began a reign of terror. With the help of Sparta, the aristocrat Cleisthenes drove Hippias out of power and took over. Cleisthenes fame became more prominent when he was made an archon during the rule of Hippias and his political power rose. Eventually his family became less favorable amongst the Athenian officials and Cleisthenes was exiled. The Greeks were a religious people and thus took the word of the gods very seriously. During his time in exile, Cleisthenes supposedly garnered support from the oracle at Delphi and utilized this to convince the Spartan king Cleomenes I to help him and the Athenians overthrow the tyrannical Hippias. Similar to Solan, Cleisthenes was more interested in reforming the system o f law than holding power. However, immediately after overthrowing Hippias, Sparta and Athens turned on each other, Cleomenes I installed Isagoras in the archon council as pro-Spartan. Isagoras backed by other aristocrats drove Cleisthenes out of Athens and was thus unchallenged in power within the city. Isagoras ignored the reforms Solan put into place, abolished the general assembly and imposed a new and un-Athenian system of government in which a select few aristocratic families held absolute power. With the abolishment of their general assembly the Athenians were furious, eager to prevent Athens from becoming Spartan ruled, Cleisthenes garnered the support of the lower class and a revolution took place and Isagoras was overthrown and Cleisthenes was called from exile and was given free reign to complete his reforms. With the Athenian population backing him, Cleisthenes created the first government of the people by the people for the people resulting in the first democracy, breaking the power of the Athenian aristocratic families and unified the regions of Attica. The most significant part of Cleisthenes reform was his division of the Athenian population into tribes, the tribes spanned different regions and broke up traditional ties to powerful families, ones loyalty no longer belonged to a single lord but rather to the whole tribe. In an effort to ensure no aristocrat could drive the running of the state into chaos again, Cleisthenes introduced the policy of ostracism. Once a year the Athenian general assembly could vote to exile a single citizen based on any factor such as being too powerful, too dangerous, or just simply not being popular. The exiled citizens property was maintained however and he was allowed to return after a decade. As a result of the introduction of ostracism, if the people of Athens thought someone might set himself up to be a tyrant, they simply had to vote for him to leave and by law he was required to obey. With his new democratic reform, Athens was sheltered from the aristocracy. Cleisthenes placed the running of the state within the hands of the general assembly. Every citizen, regardless of status, had a single vote. The positions of archon and the Council of Areopagus was still in place but their power was drastically reduced. Proposals of measures and election of archons was transferred over to the Athenian general assembly. The old councils of archons simply took a role of offering advice and overseeing trials for murder, treason, and religion criminals were punished by fines, their right to vote taken away, exile, or death. Imprisonment was generally not used a method of punishment. In context of religion The ancient Greeks believed the gods on Olympus watched over them and it was a crime to offend the gods. Offending the gods brought upon bad luck on himself, his family, his friends, and descendants. Additionally to this it brought upon shame and ill fortune upon his city. There are numerous mythological stories of offenses to the gods such as the story of Sisyphus, Tantalus, and Arachne. But the final verdict of the criminals still lay within the assembly. This direct democracy was unprecedented in history, other city-states had incorporated some form of democratic aspects but these held little to no political power, simply acting as councils in which leaders could ignore, none of it was to the extent of Athens. The general assembly of Sparta was restricted to a small percentage of the population and only voted on issues presented to them by their Council of Elders whom served a life term. Athens was new and fresh and filled with excitement as it appealed to the independent nature of Greek culture, the other city-states assumed that this fresh experiment would drive Athens into ruin. The Spartans held their system of government together through brutal social programming and militarism yet this intense system was constantly under threat of revolution by slaves and could be undermined by outside influences, it was believed that if Sparta was barely keeping it together what hope did Athens have? Evidently Athens didnt combust. By giving e very citizen a voice in the state the Athenians achieved unity and strength. Athens flourished, accumulating wealth and power, emerged as the regions second superpower. While Solon was known as the father of western law and his reforms as being set for the foundation of Athenian democracy Cleisthenes was titled the father of democracy. Despite the immediate effects of his reforms being immediately apparent in ancient Athens, his greatest accomplishment will always consist the fact that democracy, since then, has evolved and expanded to most countries of the modern world, and is still considered by many today (2,500 years later) as the best system of government. (Karasavvas)