Mexican History Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mexican History - Term Paper Example Of course, the Spaniards’ military superiority is well documented. Moctezuma’s warriors were bewildered by the firepower Cortes’ men brought to bear and the Aztec population was decimated by the smallpox pandemic. It all happened with shocking speed: Cortes made landfall at the Gulf of Mexico in 1519; two years later, he and his men entered the smoking ruins of Tenochtitlan, masters of Mexico.1 In so short a time, the Aztec empire was completely shattered. â€Å"Conquered by Cortes, the Indians of central Mexico had to come to terms with a radically new society.†2 What would follow was a cauldron of ethnic, social and political change. The conquest of the Aztecs was the great drama that raised the curtain on Mexico’s colonial epoch. The Spaniards had adroitly forged alliances among the peoples of Central Mexico, yet these fared little better than their Aztec victims. The Tarascans, among others, benefited in the short term from the conquest of Tenoc htitlan, but they were no more impervious to the ravages of smallpox than their ancient oppressors. They didn’t have long to wait before discovering that the Spanish, who had promised so much, were to become their new oppressors. 2 The first Audiencia, established by decree in 1527, established a pattern of corruption that would become a hallmark of the Spanish occupation. It was also illustrative of the struggle between church and government over a number of issues, not the least of which was the treatment of the natives. Juan de Zumarraga, first bishop of Mexico, wrote a letter to King Charles V of Spain complaining of the depredations committed by the administration of Nuno de Guzman. Zumarraga’s letter addressed everything from illegal land grabs to outright murder. He writes that since the Audiencia was established, â€Å"they have declared vacant many and very good encomiendas of Indians, more than thirty of them, either by exiling those who held them, or by con fiscation†3 Zumarraga proceeded to list the encomiendas the Audiencia itself had bestowed on the native population. It got worse: Zumarraga went on to list breathtakingly immoral behavior by Guzman and his cronies. On one occasion, â€Å"the lords of Tlateloco of this city came to me weeping so bitterly that I was struck with pity for them; and they complained to me saying that the president and oidores were demanding of them their good-looking daughters, sisters, and female relatives.†4 Things had gotten so bad, Zumarraga reported, that an Audiencia official demanded that the Indians provide what amounted to a personal harem for Guzman. The president had also wasted little time engaging in a slave trade at the expense of the natives. Zumarraga reached the end of his rope when the Audiencia forced him to desist from acting in the capacity of defender of Indian rights. Eventually, Zumarraga’s complaints and the opposition of Guzman’s 3 political enemies, su ch as Cortes, were enough to convince the authorities of Guzman’s guilt. In 1538, he was arrested for treason and for abusing the government’s subjected Indian populations. One may question the veracity of some of Zumarraga’s charges, but there can be no doubt that Guzman and the oidores of the Audiencia had been told to treat the natives with respect and

Principles of Data Privacy & Protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Principles of Data Privacy & Protection - Essay Example Although genetic profiling has its origins in the healthcare establishment, other establishments are warming up to the benefits of genetic profiling, for instance, education and insurance. This interest has stirred up a debate as insurance laws for example, do permit the use of medical data, which could be interpreted as genetic data for underwriting. This has led to concerns among the general public and other organisation of the use and development of genetic profiling by organisations that do not understand the concept of informed consent, and the issues surrounding the use and retention of very personal information. This paper will argue both sides of the argument, as there is a case for and against genetic profiling in each case study, however it soon becomes apparent that the same issues keep arising - namely, discrimination and informed consent. What this means for data privacy and protection is that more clarity is required, as well as a structured approach to amending the cur rent legislation, and it also means that non-medical organisations interested in genetic profiling, may need to provide the solutions to the issues raised in the argument. Data privacy and protection started becoming an issue, after the dawn of the information age. It was now very easy and simple to transfer personal data and information, without going through all the mandatory security checks. The digital age also brought with it the realities of digital crime. Privacy can be defined as "the interest that individuals have in sustaining a 'personal space', free from interference by other people and organisations (Clarke)." For example, banks operate privacy conditions, where it is not possible to access another individual's bank account as this infringes on their personal space and confidentiality. The medical establishment also practices privacy in the form of confidentiality, where a doctor cannot disclose any information to anyone else even if they are related to the patient. This disclosure is often left to the patient.Privacy has several dimensions as knowledge of personal information can be classed under four different areas (Clarke). The first a spect is the personal privacy which is concerned with the individual's body and includes compulsory immunisation, blood transfusion, and compulsory provision of samples of body fluids and tissue and even compulsory sterilisation. This deals specifically with medical notes and medical history. The second aspect deals with the privacy of personal behaviour. This involves what are considered to be sensitive matters such as sexual preferences and habits, political activities and religious practices whether or not they occur in public places. This is particularly important as these matters can subject the individual to unnecessary discrimination and/or unprovoked attacks in the form of homophobic attacks or even intimidation. One example of this in the UK is with the animal testing laboratories, where those involved in animal testing are frequently targeted by groups opposed to testing animals. The third aspect deals with personal communications where the individual can claim the right t o be able to communicate to others, using various media, without routine monitoring of their communications by other persons or organisations. This mainly applies to the wider aspect of