The development of privacy laws in the states of America. Missouri Essay

The development of privacy laws in the states of America. Missouri - Essay Example Privacy laws in the United States have their origins in the British common law, which protected individuals from only the interference with their lives and with their property. This came to be further developed in the United States with the institution of state laws and statutes, which further expanded this crime to include the interference with the emotional wellbeing of a person. With the coming and continuous development of mass media, there seems to be very little privacy being left to individuals and this has ensured that the current state privacy laws continue to evolve to make sure that the privacy of individuals is protected (Sullivan, 2010). The Missouri Revised Statute No. 565.253 states that a person will have committed the crime of invasion to privacy of the second degree if such a person deliberately views, films, or takes another person’s photographs without the latter person’s awareness or permission (Missouri Revised Statutes, 2010). Moreover, this crime will be said to have been committed if the person being filmed or photographed is in a state of nakedness or partial nakedness and if this person is in a place where he or she would anticipate a reasonable belief of their own privacy. Furthermore, this statute states that a person shall be considered to have committed the crime of invasion of privacy if he secretly takes photographs or films another person using a concealed camera or camcorder without the latter’s consent. ... These laws were later broadened to include the right of a person to be left alone and property was further defined as comprising of all forms of possessions, both tangible and intangible. Some scholars believe that the historical common law concerning privacy can still be applied today especially in situations where the right to privacy cannot be clearly defined by the current laws (Thaemert, 2002). They believe that the common law is much broader than current laws and that it would be best if it were to be taken seriously in matters concerning privacy and not disregarded as it is today. Common law privacy torts are very rarely used today and in fact, they are not applicable in cases where the affected person is considered newsworthy despite the fact that they provide a broader range of options than the Fourth Amendment. In the United States, the protection against the invasion of privacy varies from state to state and the American constitution itself does not provide strong penaltie s against it. Some states have a high level of protection against the invasion of privacy while some are more relaxed and a suspect may get off the hook easily (Siegel et al, 2009). This is not the case with common law which not only protects the right of individuals to be left alone but it also ensures that their property if protected. The common law is more specific in its application because it protects an individual from the invasion of their privacy from both the government and private citizens (Clapman, 2003). The evolution of the current laws and statutes has been largely influenced by the advent of mass media all over the world and the hunger that many people have for sensational news. Most of this highly demanded news requires that those pursuing it invade the

Discussion Forum 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Forum 4 - Essay Example In this regard, this paper discusses appropriate solutions to the problem of brownouts using a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy sources, supporting the proposed solution on both economic and environmental grounds. Fundamentally, the non-renewable energy sources, which are the most commonly exploited energy sources, normally deplete at their respective deposits (Walker, 2010). This means that the continued exploitation of the non-renewable sources is not sustainable as compared to the renewable energy sources (Heinberg, 2004). The major sources of non-renewable energy include fossil fuels whose deposits cannot guarantee the energy demands of the future generations. On the other hand, renewable energy sources such as nuclear, hydro, wind and solar energy play an important role in ensuring that the world attains a sustainable energy exploitation and use (Johnston & Master, 2004).   Unfortunately, the non-renewable energy sources are heading for depletion leading to rampant situations of brownouts. This is particularly so because the current level of exploitation of the renewable energy sources is not adequate to meet the global demand (Johnston & Master, 2004). This is despite the fact that major players channel enormous amounts of resources to the project each year in attempts to promote the use of cleaner energy for both domestic and industrial purposes. In addition, brownouts occur majorly because a vast majority of the energy created is lost through wastage rather than conservation (Walker, 2010). In this regard, the best suggestion would be that the world be more cautious with the non-renewable energy due to the numerous environmental challenges such as waste disposal and interruption to the ecosystem. An approach that leans towards storing energy would work best for many countries in the reduction of cases of brownouts