Discuss the Importance of Non-Lethal Weapons for Police Operations Research Paper

Discuss the Importance of Non-Lethal Weapons for Police Operations - Research Paper Example It is often left to the practical application on the field (Jussila, 2001), as it is not possible to determine the extent of police force used before the actual event. However, preferably, the police is expected to minimize the damage to the persons involved, and the property (Jussila, 2001), with the understanding that it is inevitable to cause some sort of offence to the criminals or the property during police operations. If there is no checks and balances, there would be unfair and unjustified loss, both of the life and the property of the parties involved (Jussila, 2001). For this purpose, there is an increased trend to employ non-lethal weapons, or force instruments (Jussila, 2001), so that even fewer cases of damages are invoked. This paper purports to analyze the importance of such non-lethal weapons during police operations. The weapons are basically categorized into two classes; against the people and against the machinery, such as the vehicles (Capstick, 2001). There are so me significant examples of weaponry employed for each category, and the following is a brief description of each of these non-lethal weapons, and their importance in police operations. ` The most common forms of weapons are lasers and tasers. Lasers are straight rays of high intensity light that is used to focus targets, make the machinery malfunction, and even as an offensive weapon against criminals (Capstick, 2001). The newer versions of lasers are safe for the eyes, so they can be used without any permanent damage to the victims (Capstick, 2001). Tasers, on the other hand, are essentially shocks of high voltage, low amplitude electricity that is shot through the body of the victim (Capstick, 2001). This causes a reversible and temporary neuromuscular failure, causing the victim to succumb to the police officers (Capstick, 2001). However, care must be taken not to overuse the tasers as it might even prove to be detrimental to the officers using them. Foams come in sticky and aque ous forms (Capstick, 2001). They stick to the victim and make him unable to move, by increasing in volume and engulfing the victim (Capstick, 2001). The aqueous forms can easily be removed later on and do not cause the danger of suffocation or eye damage (Capstick, 2001). However, they are not as adhesive as the sticky foam. Simple water is perhaps the most effective and the safest form of non-lethal weapon used against large gatherings for dispersion and for clearance of a closed off area (Capstick, 2001). It is used with pressure through pumps and water guns, and can be infused with dyes to mark the miscreants (Capstick, 2001). Acoustic weapons and malodarants are two technologies that can be effectively used against mass gatherings and for crowd dispersal (Capstick, 2001). However, they can be a source of inconvenience for the people in the neighborhood and for untargeted victims (Capstick, 2001), as they need to be further improved and refined. However, they have the potential f or effective force employment that is non-detrimental to the victims, like the water guns. Sticky nets are another example of non-lethal weapons, and they can be fired using simple dispensers that can be attached to the police guns to entrap the victims and make them indisposed to counterattack (Capstick, 2001). Non-lethal weapons that can be used against machinery such as vehicles include

Fast food restaurant Essay Example for Free

Fast food restaurant Essay Introduction †¢ Franklin Pierce College was founded in 1962 by Frank S. DiPietro †¢ This research project was conducted from September to December of 2004 for the population of Franklin Pierce College. †¢ The population of our survey was based on the 1,591 Franklin Pierce College students on the Rindge campus. 2 Problem Statement Our research team came to the conclusion that there is a lack of fast food facilities in the Rindge area. We came to the conclusion that: Research is necessary to determine if Franklin Pierce College students would patronize a fast food chain in Rindge, NH 3 Research Objectives. †¢ Determine what criteria are important to consumers with respect to patronizing a fast food establishment. †¢ Determine which fast food restaurant would be most successful in the area. †¢ Determine fast food spending habits. 4 Methodology †¢ First, our team identified the problem of the lack of fast food restaurant choices in the area. We conducted primary research on the fast food industry, as well as speaking to others on campus to determine the fast food demand. †¢ We then created our problem statement. †¢ We then created our research objectives, and created our survey with our objectives in mind. †¢ We used convenience sampling, by handing out surveys to 30 students (15 boys and 15 girls) of each class standing, Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior. †¢ We analyzed our data using SPSS software, which created our results so that we could determine our conclusions and recommendations. 5 Survey Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Are you on the Meal Plan? How many times a month do you go to the Raven’s Nest Pub? Please circle your response. Which fast food restaurant do you most prefer? Please Rate the following statements: I get hungry between the hours of 10pm and 3 am. I travel outside of Rindge for food. I patronize fast food establishments. I prefer fast food restaurants with the drive-thru option. Based on your own experiences which of the following restaurants has the best customer satisfaction? 6 Survey Continued 9. 10. 11. 12. If there were more fast food options in the Rindge area would you patronize them? What fast food chain would you like to see come to Rindge, New Hampshire? Check the appropriate gender. What’s you current class standing? 7 Are you on the Meal Plan? 25% Yes NO 75% Mode= 1 (yes) 8 How many times a month do you go to the Raven’s Nest Pub? 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 3 6 9 MEAN 9 Which fast food restaurant do you most prefer? 12% 2% Papa Johns 14% McDonalds 11% Wendys Subway 23% 38% Mode= 3 (Wendy’s). Burger King Other 10 I get Hungry between the hours of 10pm and 3am. Mean 2. 13 Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree 0 10 20 30 40 11 I Travel outside of Rindge for food. 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree 2. 38 Disagree Strongly Disagree MEAN MEAN 12 I prefer fast food with the drive-thru option. Mean 2. 53 Strongly Disagree Neutral Strongly Agree 0 10 20 30 40 13 I Patronize fast food establishments. MEAN 2. 37 Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree 0 10 20 30. 40 14 Which of the following restaurants has the best customer satisfaction? 15% 8% 14% Papa Johns McDonalds 8% Wendys Subway Burger King 29% 26% Other Mode= 4 (Subway) 15 Cross Tabulations A you on the meal plan? * What i s your current cl ass standing? Crosstabulation re Count Are y ou on the meal plan? y es no Tot al What is y our c urrent class standing? Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior 30 30 14 16 16 14 30 30 30 30 Tot al 90 30 120 Case Processing Summary N Are you on the meal plan? * What is your current class standing? Valid Percent 120 100. 0% Cases Missing N Percent 0 .0% N Total Percent 120 100. 0% 16 Cross Tabulations. Case Processing Summary N Based on y our own esperiences, which of the f ollowing retaurant s has the best c ustomer sat isf action? * C heck the appropriate gender: Valid Percent 102 85. 0% N Cas es Missing Percent 18 15. 0% N Tot al Percent 120 100. 0% Based on you r o wn esp er ien ces, whi ch of th e fo llo win g r etaur an ts has th e b est cu sto mer sati sfactio n ? * C heck the ap pr o pr iate gen d er : Cr o sstabu latio n Count Based on y our own esperiences, which of the f ollowing retaurant s has the best c ustomer sat isf action? Tot al Papa Johns McDonalds Wendy s Subway Burger King Check t he appropriat e gender: Male F emale 6 4 7 10 15 16 16 18 6 4 50 52 Tot al 10 17 31 34 10 102 17 Cross Tabulations Case Processin g Summary N Which f ast f ood restaurant do y ou m ost pref er? * If t here were m ore f ast f ood options in the Rindge area, would y ou patronize t hem ? Valid Percent 106 88. 3% N Cas es Missing Percent 14 Tot al Percent N 11. 7% 120 100. 0% Wh ich fast fo od restau rant do you most p refer? * If th ere were more fast foo d o ptio ns in th e Rin dg e area, wou ld yo u p atro ni ze them? Cro sstab u latio n Count Which f ast f ood restaurant do y ou m ost pref er? Tot al Papa Johns McDonalds Wendy s Subway Burger King. If t here were more f as t f ood options in the Rindge area, would y ou patronize them? Y es No 2 12 5 37 9 21 7 12 1 84 22 Tot al 2 17 46 28 13 106 18 Limitations †¢ Small sample size †¢ Time †¢ Confusion of questions by our respondents (question 9) †¢ Lack of knowledge of SPSS software 19 Conclusions †¢ Based on our results the top three restaurants students selected to their preference were : Wendy’s with a 38. 3% rating. Second was Subway with 23. 3%, and McDonald’s with 14. 2%. †¢ 64. 2% reported that they travel outside of Rindge for food. †¢ 59. 2% students reported that they patronize fast food restaurants. 20 Conclusions Continued †¢ 78. 3% of students reported that they would patronize a fast food establishment in Rindge. †¢ Subway was recorded as having the highest customer satisfaction ratings at 28. 3%, Wendy’s followed with 25. 8%. 21 Discussion †¢ More than 87. 5% of respondents surveyed replied strongly agree, agree, or neutral when asked if they would patronize a fast food restaurant. †¢ We found that our research for our literature review stated that McDonald’s was the top choice for favorite fast food restaurant. Our survey showed that students would prefer a Wendy’s. †¢ We also found that our research stated that Papa John’s had the highest rating for customer service. Our survey respondents had little to no knowledge of the Papa John’s restaurant. 22 Recommendations †¢ A fast food restaurant should open in the Rindge area, preferably close to campus. †¢ There should be a drive-thru option based on our surveys results of 50% of students strongly agreeing or agreeing with this option. †¢ There should be a fast food establishment which offers late night service for students. Our survey resulted that 70. 8% of students strongly agreed or agreed that they get hungry between the hours of 10pm and 3am. 23 The end Thank you for your time Any Questions? 24.

Energy Conversion Is The Conversion Engineering Essay

Energy Conversion Is The Conversion Engineering Essay Energy conversion is the conversion of one type of energy into another. This principle is used every day in our lives. For instance, a battery uses chemical energy to create electrical energy to power an electric starter motor. Steam engines change heat energy into mechanical energy and an electric bulb uses electrical energy into heat and light energy (Freeman, Ph.D., M. Ira, 1957, p. 20). According to Tega Jessa (2012), fossil fuels are a finite, non-renewable resource. Fossil fuel is any carbon-based substance that is used by humans as a source of energy. Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are considered as fossil fuel. Fossil fuel is a primary source for the production of electricity. In the Distributed Generation Education Modules, it states that chemical energy is released because of the combustion of these fuels. This produces heat to power steam turbines. The steam turbines rotating electric generators produce power, and this kinetic energy turns into electricity. Another attraction is that natural gas and petroleum is big business. According to Natural Gas.org, natural gas is a valued resource and the natural gas industry generates a lot of commerce in the United States and worldwide. Wind power and solar power are two alternatives to using fossil fuels. Wind power is a great source of energy. Wind power has great potential as an energy source. The environmental impact is small and it is renewable. According to John C. Ayers, at higher altitudes and areas without obstructions, wind is stronger. Hilltops are good sites for wind turbines. Ground-based turbines in cities are not as efficient. Wind strength also plays a big part. Wind varies by region and season. This means that it is not a great source of energy in all areas. A disadvantage of this energy source is if the wind is low; you have to supplement it with another source of energy. Energy is produced by using wind turbines. Wind turbines are usually horizontal with blades are mounted on a rotating axis. The electricity produced can be immediately used. In addition, it can be stored in batteries for use when the wind is low. The advantage of using wind power is that it has less of any impact on our environment. It is a clean alternative energy source. According to John C. Ayers, new wind farms produce electricity at costs competitive with oil- and coal-powered plants, and more cheaply than nuclear reactors. Another advantage is that they release no greenhouse gases. David Frum (2013) states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“wind energy continues to flunk the market test. Ontario buys wind energy at a price 50% higher than it would have to pay for electricity from natural gas. (A new natural gas facility can make money selling electricity at 7-8 cents a kilowatt-hour. Ontario buys newly installed windpower at prices of about 11 cents per kilowatt-hour.)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  A disadvantage of wind power is the cost. Acquiring ground underneath the turbines is a big cost, as well as the cost of wiring turbines to the grid. Another cost is maintaining the wires. According to Windustry.org, commercial turbines installed are $3-$4 million installed. Wind turbines under 100 kilowatts run approximately $3,000 to $8,000 per kilowatt of capacity. A 10 kilowatt wind turbine (used to power a large home) approximately cost $50,000-$80,000. The cost could be more depending on the tower type. Even though this may be a disadvantage to some, the advantage is the tax incentive that can help reduce the cost. Solar power is another alternative to fossil fuels. Passive solar and active solar are the two types of solar energy. According to Jennifer Claerr, a building on the east-west axis uses passive solar. Silicon solar cells capture sunlight and convert it into electricity. Direct current is generated and is converted into alternating current before it can be used to power household devices. Passive solar is used to keep a home warm in winter and cool in summer. An advantage of solar power is the cost savings. Many people are installing solar systems to protect the environment and to conserve fossil fuels. Another advantage of using solar energy is to become self-sufficient by providing for all of the own energy needs. A home can be built using passive solar for about the same price as a conventional home. For an existing home, active solar is a good alternative. Both passive and active solar are beneficial to the environment. Passive and active solar can prevent carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. The disadvantages of using solar power is that it doesnt work at night without a storage device such as a battery, and cloudy weather can make the technology unreliable during the day. They can be expensive and require a lot of land area to collect the sunà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s energy.

Claudius :: Ancient Rome Roman History

Claudius The emperor, Claudius, was a man with great integrity, individuality, common sense, patriotism and determination. From his struggles as a child to his death, was a remarkable journey. Many historians today and ancient Rome have placed him amongst the greats of all time. Despite his physical disabilities and background, Tiberius Claudius Nero contributed much to the greatness of the Roman Empire. Tiberius Claudius Nero is the youngest son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia (Daughter of Antony and Octavia), giving him royal blood. He was born on August 1st, 10BC, in the city of Comata, which is in the Region of Lugdunum (Modern Day Lyon, France). He was an unwanted child since birth. It is said that he had a sick and ugly appearance, with cerebral palsy. Yet, against the odds, he became an emperor, made many contributions to the benefit of the Roman society. According to many sources, Claudius was rejected from his own family due to his appearance; even his mother frequently mocked him. He would have been the normal choice to succeed Tiberius, had the monarchical family not thought him, unfit for the office. However, only Augustus thought Claudius as not stupid and granted Claudius a non-governmental priesthood position. Claudius was trained as a scholar, by the historian Livy and wrote several histories and literary works in Latin and Greek. (None of his work has survived, although there are inscriptions and fragments that provide some insight into his thinking). Claudius was considered a fool and kept out of public life until his insane nephew, Calligula, became emperor and appointed him as consul (alongside Calligula's horse) as a joke. After the assassination of Calligula, Claudius was found hiding in the palace, scared for his own life. The Praetorian Guards, interested in keeping their job as the Emperor's bodyguard, declared Claud ius as emperor and forced the Senate to do the same. The soldiers, courtiers, freedman and foreigners were his main followers. Nevertheless, they did not dream that Claudius would be known as one of the greats. Claudius' reign is marked with the expansion of the Roman Empire. He had great sympathy for the traditions of the old Roman Republic than previous rulers of the house of Caesar. But a futile revolt in the Senate, within a year after he became emperor, made him favour the army. In 43AD, he conquered Britain, where his troops accepted him as a god (Smith, Mahlon.

prom :: essays research papers

Teenagers today are spending more and more money on the extravagance of prom. The article by Jeffery Shaffer claims that high school proms have become an â€Å"exercise in the celebration of extravagance and indulgence.† In this article negative ideas and, inappropriate messages are conveyed to teens. Many of the ideas proposed in this article are eccentric, turning school tradition into competition of unlimited spending. Although the price for prom according to Shaffer has reached â€Å"more than $1,200 per couple† and assumes â€Å"it’s the same or higher†, the price for prom in present years is beginning to near $2,000 a couple. Even with most high school students believing that it is worth it because of the great time they will have and the memories. From personal experience this year my friends as well as I are spending almost $700 on the entire prom event, for just our self’s. This includes everything from dress, shoes, to limo and post prom events. The average high school student does receive financial help from their parent, opposed to in 1925-26 when â€Å"girls were not allowed to borrow money from the office†. Showing the negative side of the expense for prom to teens could discourage them from going and have a great last high school experience. Causing them to later regret in life, such as three of my best friends who decided not to go to their prom last year but instead go to Six Flags. By reading this article teens might decide not to go to their prom thinking they won’t regret it, when most of them will after sitting home while everyone is out. Many people such as Jeffery as well as myself that have â€Å"never been very interested in the party scene† can still have a great time at something that would be filled with such great memories. If teens read something like this they might say to themselves ‘I fit into that category’ and intern miss out on a fun filled night. Prom to most high school students is just an all night event of hanging out with friends and dancing, with an expensive price tag. If teens that feel they fit into a category such as this they should look at it as a night of just hanging out with friends. If they do that such as I did they won’t miss out on their last high school experience, and won’t have any regrets.

The Great Gatsby Film Essay -- omnipotent feelings, classic novel

Class distinctions often determine actions. People who believe themselves as better than others will strive to garner, or even just associate themselves with, wealth in order to feel omnipotent. Through the classic novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, film Washington Square, based off the novel by Henry James and cover of the October 12th, 2009 issue of The New Yorker, the authors show that money will result in perversion. Because some people have delusions of superiority, they are more likely to be corrupted by money as its power appeals to them. It is only those who are humble and do not desire the power money bestows who can remain uncorrupted. Tom Buchanan, Doctor Sloper, and the woman from the cartoon all boast their â€Å"superiority† over others. Tom, a man of â€Å"old money† (family wealth), owns a home that indicates his status to all who pass by. Described as a â€Å"Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay† (11), the home is located in East Egg, the more â€Å"fashionable† place where â€Å"White Palaces... glittered along the water† (10). Nick even mentions that Tom is one of the few men of his generation who was rich enough to own â€Å"a string of polo ponies† (10). Tom, along with being ostentatious, uses force to assert his power over those who are not wealthy like him. This is foreshadowed from the beginning of the novel when he asks Nick if he read The Rise of the Coloured Empires. The title alone indicates that it is a novel that only a power-hungry and egotistical man would read. Even his wife refers to his as a â€Å"brute of a man† (16). However the r eader does not get a true feel for his barbarity until the great fight in his apartment. The small New York City loft located on 158th street serves as a meeting place for Tom and... ...iman goes to formals with the family, dresses in extravagant dresses, and interferes with Catherine’s life. When Catherine is away, Mrs. Penniman tries to transform Mr. Townsend into her perfect man, rather than Catherine’s. As a result, she corrupts him with money by helping him find a high-paid job and letting him live the high life while the Slopers are in Europe. When Catherine confronts her, she replies, â€Å"I thought of him as my own†¦ my own son† (1:29:40). Work Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2013. Print.

Social Media and the Egyptian Revolution

January 2011 marked the beginning of peaceful protests and movement demonstrations staged by citizens throughout Egypt. Movement actors fought for democratic advances, political freedoms and equality. The genuine commitment for change, the unity of the people and most notably the tactful com/the-effects-of-social-media-on-communication-skills/">manipulation of social media resulted in the disposition of the suppressive regime. Modern social media has significantly changed the traditional forms of activism and has simplified the efforts needed to provoke civic mobilization.Social media applications such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube hold the dynamic power to manipulate, control, inform and motivate. Essentially, they have become excellent tools for activists. This paper seeks to describe and assess specifically the relationship between social media and the Egyptian Revolution. Building on this foundation, this essay will prove that social media platforms were the major catalysts fo r social change in Egypt. To begin, social media, or more precisely Twitter and Facebook, defined and formed the movement's collective identity.These platforms represented safe environments that permitted individuals to consult about common grievances and share revolutionary ideas (Comunello & Anzera, 2012; 466). Furthermore, social media applications played key roles in facilitating the efforts needed for communication, organization, and recruitment (ibid). These applications were highly trusted as they allowed activists to network effortlessly and moreover, assisted in turning rational individuals into constituents. Lastly, social media aided in attracting global support and ‘helped spread democratic ideas across international borders' (Comunello & Anzera, 2012; 466).By referencing the works of scholars such as Kenneth Pollack, Halim Rane and Francesca Communello, this paper will prove social media as the underlying force of the Egyptian revolution. To begin, the con versations held on Facebook and Twitter shaped the collective identity that would make ‘individuals feel capable of effecting change' (Staggenborg, 2008; 191). Twitter and Facebook were the underlying catalytic forces of the movement as they provided a space that would allow Egyptians to publically aspire for changes and ‘express opposition to the existing order' (Doran, 2011; 41).â€Å"We Are All Khaled Said† was a Facebook page that established Khaled Said's death as the spark of the Egyptian movement. With Said's brutally beaten face as the banner, this page quickly spurred anger as it emphasized both the unreasonable level of cruelty that was exerted towards him and as well as the oppression Egyptians faced daily. Remarkably over the course of a few weeks, half a million Egyptians were on Facebook, expressing their anger and sharing their grievances over police brutality, rising food prices and corruption.This platform page assisted in framing the movement â⠂¬Å"in terms of demands for dignity, justice, freedom and democracy† (Rane et al, 2012; 80). The establishment of the movement's frame gave rise to many other Facebook pages. These highlighted the corrupted practices of the government and educated both constituents and adherents to the movement about democracy and its benefits. Facebook succeeded in breaking down the psychological fear barrier that obstructed Egyptians from participating.Once fear was no longer an issue, the Egyptian social capital progressed intensively as the collective consciousness emerged. Facebook was used as a mobilization structure that would undeniably give back the power to the people and restore their self esteem. Correspondingly, Tunisia's success in toppling their dictator, had inspired a wave of revolutions in the Middle-East. Socio-political debates and ideas of democratic advances in Egypt were highly influenced by the current events in Tunisia. These influences had left a marginal impact on th e Egyptian collective identity.By using social media platforms, Tunisian activists guided their Egyptian counterparts regarding the matters of revolution. On Facebook, Tunisians inspired Egyptians by further highlighting the benefits of democratic advancements and by providing words of encouragement and advice ( Rane & Salem, 2012; 85). Tunisians contributed to the empowerment and collective morale of the Egyptian people entirely through the use of social networking applications. Social media is what ultimately allowed the Egyptian people to be galvanized.It created a type of common room that allowed dissidents to speak feely which gave emergence to the movements collective action frame and identity. As Twitter and Facebook were deduced as safe and anonymous environments, the psychological fear barrier had eventually been broken, thus supporting the thesis that social media was undeniably a prominent feature in the outcome in Egypt. (Rane & Salem, 2012; 84) In addition, Twit ter and Facebook had facilitated the movement's needed efforts for mobilization.Activists used these platforms as reliable tools  to propagate their message and contact fellow movement actors. Both Twitter and Facebook contain features that allow statements to be liked, shared or quoted; therefore breaking down all geographical barriers. Egyptian activists, while by passing government restrictions, would use these applications to strategically organize peaceful protests and other forms of collective activities and events. Movement actors would organize ways to contest authorities on Twitter or Facebook as they knew their great power to spread news (Idle and Nunns, 2011, p. 20).Specifically, Twitter played a key role during the revolution as it held the power to potentially turn a simple tweet into a worldwide trending topic. Similarly to the diffusion theory, Twitter along with Facebook became key channels of diffusion. Both these applications accelerated the speed at which the ad opters received the innovations initiated by the transmitters, resulting in the instantaneous mobilization of individuals and resources ( Rane & Salem, 2012; 78). The pertinent example of this phenomenon presents itself a few days prior to the massive revolutionary demonstrations of January 25.To avoid attracting authorities, main organizers of this uprising had avoided disclosing details too early. When details were finally shared, it diffused virally over social media applications at an impeccable speed that would attract 80, 000 protestors in two days, thus proving social media as a prominent inciting force. Social media was used to raise expectations of success and coordinate strategy (Howard et al. 2011; 9). These networks were manipulated in ways that would inspire â€Å"dissidents to organize protests, criticize their governments and spread ideas about democracy† (ibid).Twitter and Facebook supported Egyptian activists by sustaining collective action and by facilit ating the process of diffusion (Rane & Salem, 2012; 90). To deduce, social media simplified the dynamics needed to provoke the mobilization of the Egyptian social movement, thus supporting the thesis that Twitter and Facebook were the catalysts to the movement. Lastly, social media platforms galvanized foreign support and â€Å"helped to globally spread voices against [oppressive] regimes† factors that contributed to the movement's success (Comunello & Anzera, 2012; 466).As previously mentioned, social media networks had broken down the geographical barriers that would otherwise limit activists. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube disseminated images and videos of police brutality towards the relatively peaceful protestors; which heightened awareness in countries. Activists used these platforms in their favour to gain international support, thus weakening the oppressive regime. Simply put, the more Egyptians attracted awareness, the more likely Mubarak would fall.Specifical ly, Egyptians directed these images to Western countries as they recognized that added pressures from these States was paramount (Khamis & Vaughn, 2011). An important speech permitted Egyptian movement actors had known of their success days before Mubarak had actually resigned. When Obama publically stated his discontentment with the Egyptian government's abuse of power, there was a cry of victory in all of Egypt. The Leader of the Free World's statement had rekindled the fire of passion and had empowered Egyptians, inspiring them to continue their pursue for change.Moreover, similarly to the Tunisian Revolution, the Egyptian Revolution had sparked movements throughout the Middle East. Countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region share many common elements, thus explaining the wave of uprisings (Rane & Salem, 2012; 84). The Egyptian movement was merely a response to a lack of human rights and freedoms and its success, motivated all pro- democratic activist s in the MENA region. These activists learned of the power of social media by following the Egyptian movement on Twitter and Facebook.In hoping to rid their countries from â€Å"adverse social, economic and political situation†, activists look at social media platforms as the initiators for change (ibid).. Consequently, current oppressive governments in the Middle East have taken example from the failures of the Egyptian and Tunisian governments and â€Å"have been subjected to a new level of scrutiny† (Doran, 2011; 43). In Syria, the authoritative government has been behaving with great brutality in response to mobilization efforts. Assad has ruthlessly killed many of the rioting individuals all while censoring the media, in efforts of shielding ‘himself from foreign audit' (ibid).The social media tactics used by Egyptian and Tunisian activists have weakened their respective government all while strengthening other authoritarian governments in the region. Twitte r and Facebook supported Egypt during its plight for social change as they assisted activists in raising international awareness. Because of their abilities to cascade information virally with no geographical limits, the Egyptian Revolution became an international topic in a matter of weeks; ultimately leading to the movements success.Lastly, social media aided with  spreading ideas of revolution and democracy in the MENA region (Rane & Salem, 2012; 84). The diffusion of Egypt's success on Facebook and Twitter, inspired pro-democratic movements throughout the Middle East; thus supporting the statement that social media was the seminal impulse for social change in Egypt and as well as the rest of the Middle East. â€Å"The best practical reason to think that social media can help bring political change is that both dissidents and governments think they can† C. Shirky ( Comunello & Anzera, 2012; 461).The Egyptian Revolution and the contributory role played by Twitter and Facebook demonstrate the predominant effect social media platforms have on social movements. The achievement of the movements objectives didn't solely depend on social media; offline efforts were required. Nevertheless, Twitter and Facebook were the major driving forces of the movement as they accelerated the movement's progression towards success. To begin, these social media applications shaped the collective action frame and defined the collective identity, ultimately leading to the mobilization of the movement.Furthermore, these platforms facilitated communicational efforts and the transfer of pertinent information thus simplifying all the dynamics involved with mobilization. Lastly, Twitter and Facebook helped in the spreading of democratic ideas and attracted the international awareness needed that would essentially overthrow the Mubarak regime. Considering these statements aforementioned, it is extremely likely that without these social media platforms, the revolution wou ld have evolved at a much slower pace, therefore proving that these platforms were verily major catalysts for social change in Egypt.