House Of Lords Is The Second Chamber

House Of Lords Is The Second Chamber House of Lords is the Second Chamber in the United Kingdoms parliament. Its main functions are to scrutinize legislation, both domestic and European, and to debate on issues of public policy and public concern. This house is fully appointed. Attempts to change this have been made in the past and obviously we can see now that the government is developing plans for fully or mainly elected House of Lords and present them in very near future. There is much debating in public whereas the fully elected upper chamber would be a good or a bad thing. This essay will show you that fully elected House of Lords would not strengthen British democracy. In fact, it would become much weaker. As the Archbishop of York (2010) states, the elected Upper House may seemingly be in the interests of democracy but may ultimately fail this nation. That is for many reasons. Firstly, Second Chamber would replicate the First Chamber in its composition and even might challenge the authority of Commons. This leads to a definite change in relationship between two Houses. Secondly, there would be a great loss of expertise if we are to have House of Lords elected, as lifelong experience would be replaced by career ambition. Furthermore, there would be very little or no independent members because election mostly favours party politicians. Lastly, there would be no religious representation in a fully elected Second Chamber. All these arguments are discussed more deeply in this essay. The main problem of elected House of Lords is that it would become very similar to a House of Commons and therefore this could result in a possible change in relationship between two Houses. Current system works because composition of two Houses is different, but this could be completely changed if we introduce election to Upper House. Second Chamber could become wholly dominated by the political parties and could end up with the same party winning majority of seats in both Houses. As the result there would be little chance of efficient scrutiny or revision of government work. (A W Bradley and K D Ewing, 2007:186). By contrast, election could lead to both Houses being dominated by different parties. Upper House could claim they too have a mandate of people and would likely begin to seek more powers and exercise them. There would be no reason for members of elected Second Chamber to see their chamber role as a complementary one (Lord Norton, 2010). In this case, they would challenge t he authority of Commons and there would be a potential for conflict between the two. That could result in agreements being struck. Those agreements would probably represent party interests and would not benefit electors. Bogdanor (2010:12) also supports this view and says that elected upper House would see itself as being more democratic and legitimate, therefore end up conflicting with Commons. He accurately concludes that this would make Britain more difficult to govern. The second big problem considering elected Second Chamber is that there will be a huge loss of expertise. Today House of Lords is a chamber of expertise and the reality is that it is where legislation is analyzed in more detail, certainly deeper than in House of Commons. In fact, as Edward Pearce (2009:497-499) states that debates there continue beyond party influence. Having appointed peers also helps to sustain and even increase the level of expertise in the House. Once in the Lords, the way in which the House functions gives opportunities for peers to maintain their professional lives outside the Lords. By contrast, elected peers would have to devote that spare time to fulfill their constituencies demands. In addition, all agree that most expertise is provided by life peers. They obtain priceless experience and wisdom in certain fields throughout their life and do not pursue a career to be top politicians. As Paul Vallely (2010) says their life peerage offers considerable real lif e experience to counter the myopia of professional politicians. But all of that would be taken away if we are to have Second Chamber elected. In any type of election, persons who compete for a political office will be chosen by parties and voted for mainly by admirers of parties. Upper House would just be a House of whipped party politicians, not experienced peers. Expertise would be replaced by ambition. There would no longer be detailed revision of government bills. Another big disadvantage of elected House of Lords is that there would be a huge reduction in, or even removal of, independent peers. Independence is very important aspect of Second Chamber and it arises from the fact there are many Crossbench members who do not belong to a party. As Philip Norton (2003:19) says peers are able to operate free of the constraints on and incentives available to the party leadership, activists and voters in other countries.This makes the government think very carefully when dealing with the Lords, because government has no majority and is vulnerable to defeat. But as we discussed before, elections are organized by political parties and therefore it is very unlikely for independent members to win a seat in Upper House. Moreover, as party whipping in House of Lords is very weak and Lords are not afraid to lose their seat due to life peerage, often even party peers tend to think and vote in a different manner than their party wants them to. This, combined w ith Crossbenchers voting, adds a huge amount of independence and scrutiny of the government actions. This all would be removed if we introduce elections, because peers would vote as their parties would want them to, because otherwise, they would lose their seat. Lastly, it would be very difficult to ensure religious representation in parliament as in fully elected House of Lords we would no longer have a voice of Church. Religious belief is an important aspect of many peoples lives and it is desirable that there should be some form of religious voice in the Second Chamber. A presence of the Church of England bishops in House of Lords has contributed to legislation in many aspects. It increased quality of debates by providing philosophical, moral and spiritual considerations, not just religious ones. Bishops are better informed and better experienced when it comes to everyday problems of our society than any elected official (The Bishop of Croydon, 2010). Some argue that there should be no representation of the Church of England, as other faiths are excluded from political representation. But they forget that there is growing co-operation between the faiths, and Archbishop of Canterbury is ever more likely to raise issues of pressing concern to a number of British spiritual leaders (Sunday Telegraph, 2008). In addition, removal of bishops not only would eliminate the knowledge mentioned above, but would also raise the whole question of the relationship between State and Church, with unpredictable outcomes. It would end a 900 year tradition. This essay showed that House of Lords should not be fully elected and that is for four main reasons. First of all, there is a huge chance that fully elected Second Chamber would mirror House of Commons. The same party could win majorities in both Houses, leading to a pointless existence of Upper House. By contrast, we might have a deadlock government as different parties would be in control of both Houses. Secondly, there would be a huge loss of valuable expertise. Life peer system generated priceless amounts of experience and all of that would be replaced by purely professional politicians without sufficient wisdom. Furthermore, independent peers would not do well in elections and House of Lords would become House of whipped politicians. The two Houses would not act independently, as required. And lastly, Church would not be represented politically, which would lead to a symbolic relationship change between State and Church.

A Child Labour Problem In India

After independence Child labour is a major problem in India. The major determinate child labour is Poverty. Even though children are paid less then adults, what ever income they earn is of benefit to poor families. India has the largest number of children employed than any other country in the world. According to the statistics provided by the Govt. f India around 90 million out of 179 million children in the six to 14 age groups do not go to school and are engaged in some occupation or other works. This means 50% of children are deprived of their right to a free and happy childhood. Unofficially, this figure exceeds 100 million but the fact that a large number of children are works without wages in field or in cottage alongside their parents, unreported by census, makes it very difficult to estimate accurately. However, it is estimated that if there working children constituted a country it would be the 11th largest country in the world. A large number of children work in a cottage industries, matches, firecrackers, bidis, brassware, diamond, aluminum industries, glass, hosiery, hand loomed cloth, embroidery, leather goods, plastic bangles, mica mines, coal mines, hotels, rickshaw puller, local liquor industry, auto shop, vegetable shop Brick in and sporting goods. The highest numbers of children are found in agricultural sector. Poverty has often been cited as the reason for child labour problem in India while it is true that the poorest, most disadvantaged sector of Indian Society supply the vast majority of child labourers, child labour actually creates an perpetuates poverty as it displaces adults from their jobs and also condemns the child to a life of unskilled badly paid work.

The Host Chapter 42: Forced

Ian's jaw fell slack. â€Å"You†¦ what?† â€Å"I'll explain in a minute. This isn't fair to you, but†¦ please. Just kiss me.† â€Å"It won't upset you? Melanie won't bother you?† â€Å"Ian!† I complained. â€Å"Please!† Still confused, he put his hands on my waist and pulled my body against his. His face was so worried, I wondered if this would even work. I hardly needed the romance, but maybe he did. He closed his eyes as he leaned toward me, an automatic thing. His lips pressed lightly against mine once, and then he pulled back to look at me with the same worried expression. Nothing. â€Å"No, Ian. Really kiss me. Like†¦ like you're trying to get slapped. Do you understand?† â€Å"No. What's wrong? Tell me first.† I put my arms around his neck. It felt strange; I wasn't at all sure how to do this right. I pushed up on my toes and pulled his head down at the same time until I could reach his lips with mine. This wouldn't have worked with another species. Another mind wouldn't have been so easily overwhelmed by its body. Other species had their priorities in better order. But Ian was human, and his body responded. I shoved my mouth against his, gripping his neck tighter with my arms when his first reaction was to hold me away. Remembering how his mouth had moved with mine before, I tried to mimic that movement now. His lips opened with mine, and I felt an odd thrill of triumph at my success. I caught his lower lip between my teeth and heard a low, wild sound break from his throat in surprise. And then I didn't have to try anymore. One of Ian's hands trapped my face, while the other clamped around the small of my back, holding me so close that it was hard to pull a breath into my constricted chest. I was gasping, but so was he. His breath mingled with mine. I felt the stone wall touch my back, press against it. He used it to bind me even closer. There was no part of me that wasn't fused to part of him. It was just the two of us, so close that we hardly counted as two. Just us. No one else. Alone. Ian felt it when I gave up. He must have been waiting for this-not as entirely ruled by his body as I'd imagined. He eased back as soon as my arms went limp, but kept his face next to mine, the tip of his nose touching the tip of mine. I dropped my arms, and he took a deep breath. Slowly, he loosened both his hands and then placed them lightly on my shoulders. â€Å"Explain,† he said. â€Å"She's not here,† I whispered, still breathing in gasps. â€Å"I can't find her. Not even now.† â€Å"Melanie?† â€Å"I can't hear her! Ian, how can I go back in to Jamie? He'll know that I'm lying! How can I tell him that I've lost his sister now? Ian, he's sick! I can't tell him that! I'll upset him, make it harder for him to get well. I -â€Å" Ian's fingers pressed against my lips. â€Å"Shh, shh. Okay. Let's think about this. When was the last time you heard her?† â€Å"Oh, Ian! It was right after I saw†¦ in the hospital. And she tried to defend them†¦ and I screamed at her†¦ and I-I made her go away! And I haven't heard her since. I can't find her!† â€Å"Shh,† he said again. â€Å"Calmly. Okay. Now, what do you really want? I know you don't want to upset Jamie, but he's going to be fine regardless. So, consider-would it be better, just for you, if -â€Å" â€Å"No! I can't erase Melanie! I can't. That would be wrong! That would make me a monster, too!† â€Å"Okay, okay! Okay. Shh. So we have to find her?† I nodded urgently. He took another deep breath. â€Å"Then you need to†¦ really be overwhelmed, don't you?† â€Å"I don't know what you mean.† I was afraid I did, though. Kissing Ian was one thing-even a pleasant thing, maybe, if I wasn't so racked with worry-but anything more†¦ elaborate†¦ Could I? Mel would be furious if I used her body that way. Was that what I had to do to find her? But what about Ian? It was so grossly unfair to him. â€Å"I'll be right back,† Ian promised. â€Å"Stay here.† He pressed me against the wall for emphasis and then ducked back out into the hallway. It was hard to obey. I wanted to follow him, to see what he was doing and where he was going. We had to talk about this; I had to think it through. But I had no time. Jamie was waiting for me, with questions that I couldn't answer with lies. No, he wasn't waiting for me; he was waiting for Melanie. How could I have done this? What if she was really gone? Mel, Mel, Mel, come back! Melanie, Jamie needs you. Not me-he needs you. He's sick, Mel. Mel, can you hear that? Jamie is sick! I was talking to myself. No one heard. My hands were trembling with fear and stress. I wouldn't be able to wait here much longer. I felt like the anxiety was going to make me swell until I popped. Finally, I heard footsteps. And voices. Ian wasn't alone. Confusion swept through me. â€Å"Just think of it as†¦ an experiment,† Ian was saying. â€Å"Are you crazy?† Jared answered. â€Å"Is this some sick joke?† My stomach dropped through the floor. Overwhelmed. That's what he'd meant. Blood burned in my face, hot as Jamie's fever. What was Ian doing to me? I wanted to run, to hide somewhere better than my last hiding place, somewhere I could never, ever be found, no matter how many flashlights they used. But my legs were shaking, and I couldn't move. Ian and Jared came into view in the room where the tunnels met. Ian's face was expressionless; he had one hand on Jared's shoulder and was guiding him, almost pushing him forward. Jared was staring at Ian with anger and doubt. â€Å"Through here,† Ian encouraged, forcing Jared toward me. I flattened my back against the rock. Jared saw me, saw my mortified expression, and stopped. â€Å"Wanda, what's this about?† I threw Ian one blazing glance of reproach and then tried to meet Jared's eyes. I couldn't do it. I looked at his feet instead. â€Å"I lost Melanie,† I whispered. â€Å"You lost her!† I nodded miserably. His voice was hard and angry. â€Å"How?† â€Å"I'm not sure. I made her be quiet†¦ but she always comes back†¦ always before†¦ I can't hear her now†¦ and Jamie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"She's gone?† Muted agony in his voice. â€Å"I don't know. I can't find her.† Deep breath. â€Å"Why does Ian think I have to kiss you?† â€Å"Not kiss me,† I said, my voice so faint I could barely hear it myself. â€Å"Kiss her. Nothing upset her more than when you kissed us†¦ before. Nothing pulled her to the surface like that. Maybe†¦ No. You don't have to. I'll try to find her myself.† I still had my eyes on his feet, so I saw him step toward me. â€Å"You think, if I kiss her†¦?† I couldn't even nod. I tried to swallow. Familiar hands brushed my neck, tracing down either side to my shoulders. My heart thudded loud enough that I wondered if he could hear it. I was so embarrassed, forcing him to touch me this way. What if he thought it was a trick-my idea, not Ian's? I wondered if Ian was still there, watching. How much would this hurt him? One hand continued, as I knew it would, down my arm to my wrist, leaving a trail of fire behind it. The other cupped beneath my jaw, as I knew it must, and pulled my face up. His cheek pressed against mine, the skin burning where we were connected, and he whispered in my ear. â€Å"Melanie. I know you're there. Come back to me.† His cheek slowly slid back, and his chin tilted to the side so that his mouth covered mine. He tried to kiss me softly. I could tell that he tried. But his intentions went up in smoke, just like before. There was fire everywhere, because he was everywhere. His hands traced my skin, burning it. His lips tasted every inch of my face. The rock wall slammed into my back, but there was no pain. I couldn't feel anything besides the burning. My hands knotted in his hair, pulling him to me as if there were any possible way for us to be closer. My legs wrapped around his waist, the wall giving me the leverage I needed. His tongue twisted with mine, and there was no part of my mind that was not invaded by the insane desire that possessed me. He pulled his mouth free and pressed his lips to my ear again. â€Å"Melanie Stryder!† It was so loud in my ear, a growl that was almost a shout. â€Å"You will not leave me. Don't you love me? Prove it! Prove it! Damn it, Mel! Get back here!† His lips attacked mine again. Ahhh, she groaned weakly in my head. I couldn't think to greet her. I was on fire. The fire burned its way to her, back to the tiny corner where she drooped, nearly lifeless. My hands fisted around the fabric of Jared's T-shirt, yanking it up. This was their idea; I didn't tell them what to do. His hands burned on the skin of my back. Jared? she whispered. She tried to orient herself, but the mind we shared was so disoriented. I felt the muscles of his stomach under my palms, my hands crushed between us. What? Where†¦ Melanie struggled. I broke away from his mouth to breathe, and his lips scorched their way down my throat. I buried my face in his hair, inhaling the scent. Jared! Jared! NO! I let her flow through my arms, knowing this was what I wanted, though I could barely pay attention now. The hands on his stomach turned hard, angry. The fingers clawed at his skin and then shoved him as hard as they could. â€Å"NO!† she shouted through my lips. Jared caught her hands, then caught me against the wall before I could fall. I sagged, my body confused by the conflicting directions it was receiving. â€Å"Mel? Mel!† â€Å"What are you doing?† He groaned in relief. â€Å"I knew you could do it! Ah, Mel!† He kissed her again, kissed the lips that she now controlled, and we could both taste the tears that ran down his face. She bit him. Jared jumped back from us, and I slid to the floor, landing in a wilted heap. He started laughing. â€Å"That's my girl. You still got her, Wanda?† â€Å"Yes,† I gasped. What the hell, Wanda? she screeched at me. Where have you been? Do you have any idea what I've been going through trying to find you? Yeah, I can see that you were really suffering. Oh, I'll suffer, I promised her. I could already feel it coming on. Just like before†¦ She was flipping through my thoughts as fast as she could. Jamie? That's what I've been trying to tell you. He needs you. Then why aren't we with him? Because he's probably a bit young to watch this kind of thing. She searched through some more. Wow, Ian, too. I'm glad I missed that part. I was so worried. I didn't know what to do†¦ Well, c'mon. Let's go. â€Å"Mel?† Jared asked. â€Å"She's here. She's furious. She wants to see Jamie.† Jared put his arm around me and helped me up. â€Å"You can be as mad as you want, Mel. Just stick around.† How long was I gone? Three days is all. Her voice was suddenly smaller. Where was I? You don't know? I can't remember†¦ anything. We shuddered. â€Å"You okay?† Jared asked. â€Å"Sort of.† â€Å"Was that her before, talking to me-talking out loud?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Can she†¦ can you let her do that now?† I sighed. I was already exhausted. â€Å"I can try.† I closed my eyes. Can you get past me? I asked her. Can you talk to him? I†¦ How? Where? I tried to flatten myself against the inside of my head. â€Å"C'mon,† I murmured. â€Å"Here.† Melanie struggled, but there was no way out. Jared's lips came down on mine, hard. My eyes flew open in shock. His gold-flecked eyes were open, too, half an inch away. She jerked our head back. â€Å"Cut that out! Don't touch her!† He smiled, the little creases feathering out around his eyes. â€Å"Hey, baby.† That's not funny. I tried to breathe again. â€Å"She's not laughing.† He left his arm around me. Around us. We walked out into the tunnel junction, and there was no one there. No Ian. â€Å"I'm warning you, Mel,† Jared said, still smiling widely. Teasing. â€Å"You better stay right here. I'm not making any guarantees about what I will or won't do to get you back.† My stomach fluttered. Tell him I'll throttle him if he touches you like that again. But her threat was a joke, too. â€Å"She's threatening your life right now,† I told him. â€Å"But I think she's being facetious.† He laughed, giddy with relief. â€Å"You're so serious all the time, Wanda.† â€Å"Your jokes aren't funny,† I muttered. Not to me. Jared laughed again. Ah, Melanie said. You are suffering. I'll try not to let Jamie see. Thank you for bringing me back. I won't erase you, Melanie. I'm sorry I can't give you more than that. Thank you. â€Å"What's she saying?† â€Å"We're just†¦ making up.† â€Å"Why couldn't she talk before, when you were trying to let her?† â€Å"I don't know, Jared. There really isn't enough room for both of us. I can't seem to get myself out of the way completely. It's like†¦ not like holding your breath. Like trying to pause your heartbeats. I can't make myself not exist. I don't know how.† He didn't answer, and my chest throbbed with pain. How joyful he would be if I could figure out how to erase myself! Melanie wanted to†¦ not to contradict me, but to make me feel better; she struggled to find words to soften my agony. She couldn't come up with the right ones. But Ian would be devastated. And Jamie. Jeb would miss you. You have so many friends here. Thanks. I was glad that we were back to our room now. I needed to think about something else before I started crying. Now wasn't the time for self-pity. There were more important issues at hand than my heart, breaking yet again.

Jada Garrison Essays (180 words) - Discrimination, Behavior, Abuse

Jada Garrison Essays (180 words) - Discrimination, Behavior, Abuse Jada Garrison The Daily Progress Charlottesville, VA 22901 To the Editor, As crime is on the rise in America, hate crimes have made quit an uproar, as you were closely effected by one. In 2016, it was recorded that hate crimes rates were up 20 percent compared to past years. These hate crimes are driving our country right down past paths with separation and hatred. As a student in an American Politics course, I feel hate crimes, also known as "biased crimes", and politics have a very apparent connection. There can be many other explanations for one to carry out a hate crime, but most are based on a personal point of view or opinion on a subject. Many believe that the up-rise in hate crimes can correlate with this past election. When Trump took office, some say that it gave some groups courage to be more publicly active. I feel to resolve some of these outbreaks contact with Governor Terry McAuliffe is needed. It would be most helpful for them to work with peers and find fair grounds. Best, Jada Garrison

Identifying the Most Common North American Conifers

Identifying the Most Common North American Conifers Conifers are commonly thought to be synonymous with evergreen trees, which stay green through the year. However, not all conifers- also known as softwoods- remain green and with needles year-round. They are actually scientifically classed by how they fruit. They are gymnosperms or plants with naked seeds not enclosed in an ovary; these seed fruits called cones are considered more primitive than hardwood fruiting parts. General Guidelines for Broad Identification Though conifers may or may not lose their needles annually, most are indeed evergreen. Trees of this classification have needle-like or scale-like foliage and usually renew many leaves annually but  dont renew all of their leaves every year. The foliage is usually narrow and manifests in either sharp-pointed needles or small and scale-like leaves. Although  studying the needle is the best way to identify a conifer, conifers as a class are defined not by their leaves but by their seeds, so its only important to note the shape and size of leaves after determining whether it is a conifer by the shape, size, and type of seed the tree produces. Softwood trees  include pine, spruces, firs, and cedars, but dont let that alternative name for conifers fool you. Wood hardness varies among the conifer species, and some softwoods are actually harder than some hardwoods. The Many Types of Coniferous Leaves While all trees that bear cones are coniferous, and many of these cones are remarkably different from other species cones, often times the best way to identify the specific genus of a tree is by observing its leaves. Coniferous trees can produce two types of leaves with a variety of slight alterations that further define the tree type. If a tree has needle-like (as opposed to scale-like) leaves, it can then be further defined by how those needles are grouped (singularly or alone), how they are shaped (flattened or four-sided and sharp), the types of stems these leaves are attached to (brown or green), and if the leaves invert or not. Other Ways to Identify Conifers From there, the way the cone or seed is shaped and the way it hangs on the tree (sticking up or handing down), the smell and largeness of individual needles, and the erectness of branches in the tree can also help determine what specific type of conifer a tree is. Chances are ​if a tree has any of these features at all it is a conifer, especially if the tree also bears cone-like seeds. The Most Common Conifer Trees in North America Three of the most common conifers that grow in North America are pine, fir, and spruce trees. The Latin word conifer means to bear cones, and most but not all conifers have cones; junipers and yews, though, produce berry-like fruit. Conifers are among the smallest, largest, and oldest living woody plants known in the world. The more than 500 conifer species are distributed worldwide and are invaluable for their timber but also adapt well to the landscape; there are 200 conifer species in North America, but the most common are listed here: Bald cypress- Genus  TaxodiumCedar- Genus CedrusDouglas fir- Genus  PseudotsugaTrue fir- Genus AbiesHemlock- Genus TsugaLarch- Genus LarixPine- Genus  PinusRedwood- Genus SequoiaSpruce- Genus Picea

Proposal Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Proposal Paper - Essay Example What is the expected outcome of the Patient Protection and Affordable Act? It is hypothesized that, the state government is set to implement all recommendations provided in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Jacobs & Theda 44). Currently, the basic strategies recommended for implementation of the Act has been put in place. In addition, citizens and corporates also are set to embrace the changes recommended in health care system. Patient Protection and Affordable Act (Obama Care): The Patient Protection and Affordable is a Federal Statute assented by President Obama on 23rd March, 2010 (McDonough 12). The statute recommended changes in the health care systems that are aimed at improving the condition at which citizens can fund for their medical services. In general, the act the act aimed at increasing the quality of medical services, increasing affordability of medical insurance, lowering the numbers of the uninsured by increasing corporate and employer responsibility and reducing the cost of medical care for both the government and individuals (Donald 34). An appropriate research plan would effectively understand the history of health reforms until the reforms created in 2010. This would enable the determination of the appropriateness of the reforms in regards to the continuity of the trend. In addition, learning on the history of the healthcare reforms would enable research to identify the significance of the reforms in changing the health care system. Apart from learning the history, the research plan would include survey from all the involved stakeholders. The government would be consulted on the objectives it has set to achieve by the creation of the affordable act. In addition, it would be consulted on plans created to make the reforms effective in the current healthcare system. Patients would also be consulted on how effective the reforms have been since their creation in 2010. The consumer’s opinion will be

Mary Barnett case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Mary Barnett case - Essay Example While analyzing the testimony of Caroline Hospers, it may consider that Mary Barnett was a frequent drinker and she was not a fit mother. It is also identified that Barnett lives without a husband and she had wild parties in her apartment. However, Hospers’ testimony that Barnett had gone to California ‘just to party and have a good time’ is her speculation only (Chaffee, â€Å"thinking critically†). This statement clearly indicates that Hospers’ is not in good touch with Barnett, and therefore her testimony might be biased. Therefore, Hospers’ claim that ‘the baby was not taken care of properly’ might also be a speculation. From the policeman’s testimony, it is pretty clear that Barnett was absolutely conscious of what she was going to do. She admitted to the policeman that she was aware of the fact that she was leaving her baby unattended in the apartment and she would not be coming back soon She also said that she had to get to California at all costs. Hence, it can be assumed that getting to California immediately was the first priority of Barnett and she decided to leave her baby in the apartment for a while. Although Barnett had visited her mother before she left the city, she did not try to ensure that her mother would look after little Alison. In the professional view of Dr. Parker, Barnett is competent to stand trial because her current depression and anxiety problems were induced by the guilt she feels for what she did. Dr. Parker undoubtedly states that Barnett ‘was mentally competent on January 23, when she left her child unattended’. There is no need to suspect the testimony of Dr. Parker because he is an experienced professional psychiatrist who has been involved in many judicial hearings to comment on the mental competency of the defendant. Alice Jones’ testimony reflects that Barnett had been suffering from many life difficulties since the birth of Alison. She adds that Barnett had increasingly depended on