text:
Why the Easyjet pay dispute matters
Luke Hildyard
The Easyjet dispute highlights important lessons for building better businesses and a fairer society
Easyjet cabin crew are to vote over the coming month on potential strike action this August.
Their dispute over the company's offer of a small pay increase highlights some important lessons for building better businesses and a better society.
Firstly, that Unions have a vital role to play in addressing low pay and the gaping income gap between those at the top and everybody else.
These are problems that everybody wants to solve.
However the left might caricature the Tories, they're not sitting in castles chuckling about inequality. Prior to the election David Cameron exhorted businesses to give their staff a payrise. Boris Johnson said this week that the top rate of tax should not come down without a significant increase in the minimum wage. He's previously stated that we need to shake 'the cornflake packet' to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to get to the top, and has fulminated against the 'extraordinary' growth in income differences within British companies.
The problem is that merely talking about these issues – usually alongside implausibly optimistic platitudes about the role of education making things better in the future – will not improve the current pay and conditions of ordinary workers or achieve a fairer balance of incomes between those at the top and everybody else.
What is really needed – and even the International Monetary Fund and Hedge Fund billionaires recognise/fear this – is an empowered workforce, with trade union representation giving them the capability to secure a better deal for themselves, rather than hoping for a hand-out from their employers inspired by politicians speeches.
Easyjet workers are showing how workers can fight for a better deal; but it happens too rarely in Britain, where we have amongst the lowest level of collective bargaining coverage and worker participation in company decision-making in Europe.
The second lesson from the Easyjet dispute relates to excessive executive pay, and how it does companies no favours whatsoever. Research for the High Pay Centre found that industrial conflicts are more common in workplaces with bigger pay gaps. Easyjet CEO Carolyn McCall was paid £7.7 million last year, more than 150 times the average Easyjet employee. According to Unite the Union, many cabin crew staff get little over £10,000 as their basic salary and are reliant on bonuses and commission to top up their total pay package.
Mccall's pay was cited by the Easyjet Union when rejecting the company's pay offer, just as ITV staff brought up CEO Adam Crozier's £8 million pay package when balloting for industrial action last year. It's no wonder that this kind of different treatment for people who are working for the same company and contributing to its success proves irksome, increasing the likelihood of industrial conflict.
Easyjet has, of course, been successful, with pre-tax profits of over £500 million last year. But it's legitimate to question the value of such successes to the wider economy, when a tiny number of people grab a disproportionate share of the rewards.
Luke Hildyard is a contributing editor at Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter
42 Responses to "Why the Easyjet pay dispute matters"
Of course we need empowered Trades Unions.
Society doesn't just consist of the wealthy few at the top of the heap, there are millions who`s only hope of a decent standard of living is collective bargaining.
With the neutering of Unions in the UK, collective bargaining has become ineffective and society has become imbalanced.
Unions give a voice to millions of working people, they give them a chance to democratically influence their working lives.
Good employers welcome and encourage unions, they understand that a dialogue between employer and employee is necessary and beneficial to the health of the company.
So let`s have a bonfire of unfair union laws and restrictions and return to more democratic and balanced industrial relations.
Do you remember the glory days of the trades unions in the 1970s? You couldn't turn the lights on or boil a kettle because the miners were on strike. You couldn't turn the TV on because the TV technicians were on strike. You couldn't bury the dead because the undertakers were on strike. The army had to man green-goddess fire engines because the fire brigade was on strike. No trains -drivers were on strike. Rubbish piled up in the street -refuse collectors on strike. On and on and on. Democratic and balanced industrial relations -trade union style.
Awesome, another strike from the lefties, IF they strike, then i will never fly easyjet again, they can join the queue for the 'dole' as they'll have no customers left. Striking during peak times only hurts customers not the company, a strike hurts the company at any times. so this is nothing more than a stab in the back for the customer.
Blimey, you do exaggerate. We're you actually around then?
Striking during peak times does hurt the company, or else unions wouldn't do it. It reduces forward bookings and the passengers must be compensated as well as refunded for cancelled flights.
I don't support industrial action in cases when companies have to make cutbacks to survive, however easyJet made £500m profit last year. It's not as if they're on the brink of going under, so they can easily afford a decent pay rise for the cabin crew. They just don't want to be seen as generous in the eyes of "the City", as share price is everything these days!
timworstall
McCall…didn't she used to run the Guardian?
Charlie Morrison
Absolute bollocks you will.fly with easyjet again because they're the biggest please go to BA instead then….oh wait didn't they strike? No no don't be throwing empty threats out because you re against trade unions is it because your a small business owner because I'm sure easyjet won't miss you
Selohesra
How long will it take Easyjet to train up some attractive Eastern European immigrants as trollies dollies – then tada – problem solved – employ people who want to work
I can remember no tv because of the powercuts – made me miss out on Magic Roundabout & Hectors House – bastards!
Of course there were problems, but the whole thing has been wildly exaggerated by the Tory press so they can claim Thatcher 'saved' the nation.
You're not too bright are you Charlie, did mommy drop you on your head as a child ? ? Thankfully, people like you will never be anything more than a pawns in life, queuing up down the job center each week because nobody will employ you or put up with your militant attitude, you're the reason we employ eastern europeans, and thats exactly what will replece your sacked staff, because they are willing to work for their money, not simply beg for it or want it for nothing.
blarg1987
How long would it take to replace a CEO, with an individual who would do the job for a third of the pay and double the hours managing a similar if not bigger industry in, eastern Europe, Asia or south america? Answer not long.
Funny how the top end of society ring fences itself while expects it from others, utter hipocracy.
By that logic, would you allow greater consumer choice and allow people to know which company you own (assuming you do) so those who disagree can voice it by not buying your products?
Striking is sometimes the only way some companies will listen to staff. It is worth noting that easy jet cabin crew in the UK are on worse conditions then their European counterparts.
If the company has been treating their staff unreasonably claiming poverty etc, and ignoring requests to negotiate then they can't be surprised if people strike because management have not been more then reasonable form the get go.
Well Germany has TU reps on the board and look at their industry!
There is a lack of trust which does not help when the man on the street is being told he can;t have a pay rise because the company is struggling, however the company tells shareholders it has record breaking profits and is paying larger dividends.
In the 1970`s you could turn on the kettle, watch TV, fight fires and bury the dead 99.99999% of the decade. It`s a little bit disingenuous saying you couldn't and then blaming it all on the unions.
The 1970`s were a decade of rampant energy price hikes as a result of wars and oil cartels in the middle east. Inflation spiralled out of control as a result. Thank goodness for the unions fighting to keep pace with it on behalf of their members.
We didn`t all swallow misleading Tory election propaganda wholesale back then, A lot of people remember it well and know the truth.
The average Easyjet salary is 16k plus bonuses, they net £1200 – 1600 a month, and they typically work 2 days and get 1 day off, which means they average over 20k a year, thats pretty good, for what is usually an individual with very few or often no qualifications and just 4 weeks training. I count many easyjet pilots on my friend list, as well as several of their QA staff. Many, many companies have folded over the years due to unqualified, unskilled, untrained idiots going on stike because the union told them they should be earning 25-30k+ PA (todays market) this is simply unrealistic for unskilled, unqualified staff. Just like the idiot tube drivers in the table below . .
The jobs the last labour government created are now bankrupting the country, as they are generally unskilled people working in 'created' posts for local government on salaries they don't deserve. Labour took this country, for the first time in its history, to 70% of the population working for the government, but its a scam, it looks great on paper, it 'appears' to create jobs, but these people are paid from tax, therefore the tax they pay is simply tax going around in circles, they create no wealth, they are actually a drain on the state, it would be cheaper to pay them welfare, only the private sector generates wealth, thats a fact, and the unions can never get it into their thick heads, they simply want the rich to line the pockets of the legions of bone idle, lazy shits that will NEVER work for a living and simply want state handouts and free housing forever. And thats the state that Labour created, a welfare state.
It cannot be sustained, it is simply a mathematical impossibility. It has been proved, time and time again, by finanacial analysts the world over, that the wealthy create wealth, the more money you leave in the pockets of the wealthy, the richer the working classes become, but Labour and the trade unions simply cannot work that out, every single Labour government we've ever had has bankrupted the country, fact.
If i pay you 100k a year, and then take 50k of you in tax, i redistribute that tax to state employees or the unemplyed, and you get pissed off, and the unemployed stay unemployed and ultimately, nobody gains. If i take 10k in tax for just the essential services, then you keep 90k, you are very happy and you spend lots of money, it doesn't matter what you buy, whether its a new car or a bigger house, or simply spend more in sainsbury's, because you are indirectly employing 2-3 people because the shops are busier, manufacturers are selling more goods. then we have 4 people working instead of 1, so 4 people paying tax instead of 1, plus we get more corporate tax because companies are selling more goods. EVERYBODY WINS.
danash123
That's right. According to many on the right the unions almost brought civilisation as we know it to its knees in the 70s so they had to be crushed. Meanwhile the banks have created more damage and cost us more than every strike in history lumped together and it's business as usual.
Is that the average across the whole of Europe or UK rates? And how does it compare to their European counter parts?
Just to clarify, what is your evidence that 70% of the population work for the state, or do you include companies that have state contracts or for,er state companies such as railways, energy sector etc?
That figure comes from the ONS and EU, that was in 2010, 53% were public sector employees working directly for the state, state contractors took it over 70% (total state spending)
In 2010, Australia had a TOTAL of 33% the USA 42%, we had just 52% TOTAL in 1997, the average across Europe is 53%. It was simply a massive job creation scheme, and it cannot be sustained, it should be the other way around, 30% state 70% private sector. To make things worse, these people often draw salaries way above their education or qualification level, with even bigger pensions that they did not pay for. Somebody has to pay for this. A family member of mine is a prime example, she has no qualifications, she is just a clerk, she should be on minimum wage somewhere, but she works in one of these created jobs in the NHS, she earns over 30k a year, and has a huge pension that she pays very little towards, she is basically having 50% of her salary and her pension being paid for by someone wealthy (and i'm not talking millionares here, doctors/lawyers and the like), that wealthy person, who is likely from a working class background that worked hard at school (unlike her) to get a well paid job, is giving 20% of his salary to top up hers and pay her pension. In what universe is that fair ? ?
1% of the population already pay 50% of the state income (tax is the only source of state income) how much more would you like them to pay ? ? If you push it too high, they simply go and live somewhere else.
Ben blake
FYI I am ex easyJet cabin crew and I can tell you that we work a flexible roster, typically 5 long days and 2 or 3 off. A typical day is 4 short or medium flights or 2 longer flights which is typically 12 hours but can be 14. And we are trained for just under 6 weeks not to serve tea and coffee but to get everybody off the plane in an emergency or give life saving medical treatment at 36000 feet.
I was earning 1500 after tax on a good month but I had to fly 80 hours and sell a lot of tea and coffee to come out with that. It doesn't go far living in the South east of England.
Stop getting your facts from the Daily Mail and start educating yourself.
Can we see a link to those figures? As I want to know how they quantify the data, for example to they class Boeing and Airbus as state or private?
Secondly, once you transfer people and support services from what are private organisations in other countries to organisations that are state controlled here, how do the figures look?
So, my facts and figures were just about perfect and your telling me to check my facts . .
The daily mail is a blog, nothing more, i gather no facts from it at all, facts come from companies like glassdoor and payscale. Also, i know the young gent that used to train the cabin crew, although he's not so young anymore, so i know exactly what training you recieve. I'm also aware, that easyjet only carry a basic forst aid kit, they were criticised by EASA in 2010 for not even carrying equipment to measure blood pressure and sugar levels.
Getting everyone off the 'aircraft' (i used to work for Airbus) is simply a matter of opening the bloody door, if it actually crashes, your all dead.
I suggest you contact the ONS as i do not know the complete breakdown of their figures, both the ONS and EU websites are available to the general public.
I would be amazed if Boeing or Airbus would be included, why would they be, they are both private companies that have nothing whatsoever to do with the state, they are not even UK companies. Airbus has its headquarters in the Netherlands, it is entirely independent and not even part of EADS anymore. Boeing has even less to do with the UK, they are entirely US based.
Please give me an example of a private enterprise moving to the uk and being brought under UK state control, in fact, for it to make any difference to those figures, it would need to have a workforce of hundreds of thousands of people.
PeterMBeck
Best Quality performance leftfootforward……… <…… Find Here
The MOD is buying the A400M of Airbus, whose wings are built in the UK.
Airbus does get a lot of work from the state for example, its helicopters etc.
The same goes for Boeing and as you have admitted in your earlier comment state contractors which Boeing and Airbus would be classified as, should be counted appropriately in those countries comparisons.
The A400M wings are built at the Filton factory, Airbus also supplies those same aircraft to Germany, Spain, France, Turkey, Belgium, Luxembourg and Malaysia, does that mean that the workforce at Filton is also classed as state employees in Malaysia ? ? Thats a ridiculous statement, those people are not paid by the state. They have nothing to do with the state whatsoever. They are employed by a private company listed in the Netherlands. If you continue to follow that line of thought, then all the Dell employees that work in the USA are also state employees, as the government buys Dell computers, its utter nonsense.
By any definition, a state employee is an individual that is paid from the state purse, i would imagine that a small private cleaning contractor that an NHS hospital sub contracts to, would certainly count as they are paid by the state through a 3rd party. The MOD civilians at Brize Norton that carry out maintenance on the A400M airframes owned by the MOD and operated by the RAF would certainly be classed as a state employee,
By definition yes as those Airbus employees are being paid by those states purses as your definition applies.
But to get the 70% figure for the UK I bet you that is how it is measured here, but not been done abroad.
Engine85, you're an arsehole!!! Enough said!
Engine85, you're seriously an arsehole! Bye bye!
ChrisJHenning
Last 40 year Best Home Income with leftfootforward… < ……. Find Here
I work 6 days on 3 days off all year round not just summer I Can work anything between 6 and 12 hours with normally 11 hours rest
The strike is no longer about the pay that issue fizzled out long ago it's the way were treated. I've been there almost ten years and I'm working more hours got less money and less care and compassion. Funny that I've never signed another contract tho. The company compare us to the like of Thomas Cook and monarch when there is no comparison actually
And Thomas Cook crew earn more then us and do less hours ago actually were fighting for quality of life now not just the money
Support us or not that's your choice
Actually we carry defibrillators and a doctors kit now so no you don't know alot
My apologies, i see you signed a contract with Defibtech on 16th Dec 2014.
Believe ot or not, i do support you, as long as you don't make unrealistic demands.
But striking during the summer holidays just alienates the british public, a strike in October affects Easyjet almost as much, but does not alienate the british public, whose support you ultimately need.
The unions have long thought that strikes during peak times for any company gets it noticed more and puts more pressure on the company, but it has been proved over and over again that all is does is turn public support against the staff of that company.
The people that really suffer are the mums and dads with children stuck in departure lounges for days on end, If your argument is with Easyjet, then take it out on them, go on strike in Oct. The Unions have never got that into their thick heads.
Patrick Nelson
The winter of discontent was a Soviet attack on British Social Democracy and the Labour movement through their agents such as Jack Jones according to KGB defectors such as Oleg Gordievsky.
Anyway you should be pleased with it as it caused the opening that allowed Maggie Witch Thatcher to start dismantling the country and turning its people into slaves.
The 1970s were not the glory days of the trades union movement they were dark days in which Labour had weakly failed to implement "in Place of Strife" which would have prevented the winter of discontent from igniting in the first place.
Margaret Seymour
I think it is disgusting that EasyJet have not paid anything to their new staff, even though they have received letters confirming they have passed their probation they were excluded from the increase as they 'are probationers'!!!! Stelios would never have done this to any of these hard working, dedicated crew. Come on easyJet you know it's wrong
I think you need to check your facts engine85. They are often well qualified and chosen from a huge applicant base. They work extremely hard and can be re-rostered at any moment. It is so typical of someone who doesn't work in the industry, I don't but have contacts who do and they are mostly exhausted on their precious days off so that people like you can get your cheap flights
Ignorant and outdated
Really, these are if course, A level students and university graduates ? ? Everything i have stated is a fact, whereas your comments are from the heart because you have friends that wok there, As I have already stated, I know the trainers and the pilots as well as several staff myself, I'm afraid if you continue to go through life with your rose coloured glasses allowing your heart to rule your brain then you're in for a rough ride.
How rude are you? Regardless of what you say I am not talking from the heart but just don't use other people's facts and figures to justify my comments. Have you really nothing better to do?
You attack my statement, with nothiing but 'my friends are great and work hard' attitude, it is NOT rude to point out facts, Everything i have said is a statement of fact, i do not make claims because my friends or friends daughters work for the company, i'm afraid whether you like it or not, 'looking at the world through rose tinted glasses' is exactly what you are doing.


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Police break up two Jewish gatherings in New Jersey
NEW JERSEY - Multiple child neglect charges were filed against parents who threw a bar mitzvah party for their son that was attended by dozens of guests.
The New Jersey state police say it happened Sunday in Lakewood in Ocean County.
Police said they were called to a home where 40 to 50 guests were gathered on the front lawn and in the street for a bar mitzvah, the celebration that mark's a Jewish boy's coming of age.
Eliezer Silber, 37, and Miriam Silber, 34, were charged with five counts of child endangerment.
Governor Phil Murphy issued a statewide ban on social gatherings on March 21.
On Monday, two other men were also arrested for hosting another large gathering in Lakewood.
At approximately 8:30 a.m., Lakewood Township Police were called to Bais Horraah on Madison Ave. for a report of a large gathering of people. Responding officers found approximately 35 people inside the building.
After several unsuccessful attempts by the officers to clear the building, the crowd was eventually dispersed.
The building houses a Jewish school along with a banquet facility.
The building's owner, David Gluck and the building's manager Abraham Haberfeld were each charged with maintaining a nuisance.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Let me say right at the outset that growing garlic is easy and doesn't require the expertise of a professional gardener or farmer.
Garlic is a well known herb used in a variety of dishes all over the world. You don't need to buy questionable garlic that's possibly an irradiated imported product... stick some in every spare corner of your own garden.
Plan on growing garlic now, and with over 600 sub-varieties available today, you can pick the one that is suited to your environmental and climatic conditions.
Garlic plants thrive in soil that is well drained and has a pH value between 6.0 and 7.0.
Making sure you weed the surrounding area and nourish the plants with lots of organic matter plays a significant role in growing garlic successfully in your little backyard.
Anytime from early to mid winter (between September-December in northern Hemisphere and March-June in southern hemisphere) is good for planting garlic which is a fall plant.
Those in colder areas should plan on growing garlic earlier and ensure that they plant well enough in advance to allow the plant to take root and grow strong before the onset of winter.
If the roots aren't strong or haven't been given enough time to develop, the plant will not survive the harsh conditions of winter. Plants 'heave' out of the ground when the ground freezes. If their roots aren't strong, adding a 7-9cm (3-4") layer of mulch can often prevent this from happening.
Take the largest sized garlic clove you can find. Drill a hole that's 5cm (2") deep and place the clove with the pointed end facing up. The next clove should be planted in the same manner at least 12cm (5") away. The distance between two rows should be about 40cm (16").
Spread a layer of compost on top and add mulch as recommended above to protect the cloves and help them in the germination process.
It's a good idea to put in fresh mulch right after the soil freezes. Let it stay there all through winter, only taking it off when spring arrives unless it's rotted down or is just a thin layer. This gives the sun direct access to the ground and its warmth benefits the growing garlic cloves.
Put on the layers of mulch again when you see the plant beginning to grow on the surface.
Topsets can be cut and used in curries as often as required. There's a belief that doing so affords more nutrition for the bulb's growth resulting in larger sized bulbs.
Make use of organic compost or organic fertiliser once or twice in spring to nourish the plants further.
Provide the growing plants with approximately 2.5cm (1") of water per week until you notice the foliage turning from green to yellow and falling over. This is an indication that the bulb is approaching maturity.
At this stage it is alright to make use of the leaves but don't make use of more than ¼ of the plant.
The time to start considering harvesting is when about half or more of the plant has turned yellow or you see the leaves closest to the ground turn brown.
The best way to harvest the bulb is to dig around it. Avoid uprooting and pulling out the plant as it can damage the bulb and make it difficult to store.
Clean them off and cure them by hanging them in a mesh bag in an airy room for about 3-4 weeks.
Snip off the roots and tops when they dry out and peel off the outer skins gently. They are then ready to store.


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Experience Excitement for All Ages at Patriots Point
Discover writers share all of the places, activities and adventure that South Carolina has to offer. Read more from some of South Carolina's locals and discover what's happening in the Palmetto State.
More from "Kerry Egan"
If you're a woman of a certain age, it's quite likely you saw the movie "Top Gun." In fact, you might have seen it more than once, or even twice or more.
OK, I'll admit it, maybe it was close to ten times.
And if so, there's probably some deep fascination in your heart with aircraft carriers and the sailors who risk their lives on them every single day. Now how many museums out there allow you to indulge your teenage crushes and fascinations while at the same time engaging and enthralling your kids?
Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant is just that unexpected museum. Patriots Point is probably best known as the home of the USS Yorktown, a World War II-era aircraft carrier. Sitting in Charleston Harbor at the foot of the Ravenel Bridge, the Yorktown is a striking sight to any visitor to Charleston. But Patriots Point is so much more than a pretty photo op.
The museum is comprised of the Yorktown and more than two dozen aircraft, ranging from World War II to present day that sit on her runway or on the hangar deck, the World War II-era destroyer the USS Laffey, the Cold War-era submarine the USS Clamagore and the land-based Vietnam Experience.
Each of these exhibits gives visitors the chance not just to read what life would have been like in the service on this ships, but to see, hear, touch and smell the experience.
The immersive experience at Patriots Point is aided by the amazing docents and tour guides. These veteran guides include professors at the nearby Citadel, enlisted men, officers and Bill Watkinson, a 95-year-old pilot from World War II who flew off the Yorktown in the Pacific.
The museum aims to appeal to young and old alike. While there is the possibility for a lot of nostalgia for adult visitors, there are lots of great interactive exhibits to keep the kids enthralled.
The USS Laffey's fantastic Combat Information Center (or CIC) allows kids (and their parents) to sit in a 1960s-era command center on a ship and really imagine what it would have been like to have make split-second a decision during the Cold War. The long climb up the stairs to the very top of the ship is well worth it, so don't skip it.
The remarkable and immersive Vietnam experience allows visitors to walk through a recreated encampment during the Vietnam War, complete with barracks, canteen, patrol boat and the never-ending sound of helicopters overhead. It's an enormously moving and intense experience as you imagine (and remember) the lives of the soldiers and sailors who served in that war.
The flight simulator on the hangar deck lets visitors of all ages experience some of the thrills of a combat pilot in the skies. And in the Yorktown's engine room, the throttle board exhibit lets visitors take commands from the bridge to get the ship moving in a crisis.
If you really want to get inside one of the planes on the flight deck, make sure to visit during an "Open Cockpit Sunday." You can find dates on the website as well as information about other upcoming events.
If you're part of a scouting or other group, look into the possibility of scheduling a sleep over on the Yorktown, an experience children will never forget.
Articles | Itineraries
Explore Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum
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Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, Home of the USS Yorktown
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, only five minutes from downtown Charleston, is home to the aircraft carrier USS YORKTOWN CV-10, WWII's...
City of Charleston
Known as the "Holy City", for its long tolerance for religions of all types, Charleston is the state's most beautiful and historic treasure....
Town of Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant is separated from Charleston, South Carolina, by the Cooper River. For many years it was primarily populated seasonally by Charleston...


text:
A text game or text-based game is an electronic game that uses a text-based user interface, that is, the user interface employs a set of encodable characters,
such as ASCII, instead of bitmap or vector graphics.

All text-based games have been well documented since at least the 1960s, when teleprinters were interlaced with mainframe computers as a form of input, where the output was printed on paper. With that, notable titles were developed for those computers using the sprinter in the 1960s and 1970s and more numerous game titles have been developed for our video terminals since at least the mid-1970s, having reached their peak popularity in that decade and the 1980s, and continued as early online games into the mid-1990s.

Although generally replaced in favor of video games that use non-textual graphics, text-based games continue to be written by independent developers. They have been the basis of instigating genres of video gaming, especially adventure and role-playing video games.

Overview

Strictly speaking, text-based means employing an encoding system of characters designed to be printable as text data. As most computers
only read binary code, encoding formats are typically written in such, where a bit is the smallest unit of data that has two possible values and each combination of bits represents a byte. That said, a text-based game is any electronic game whereby information is conveyed as encoded text in the user interface.

Although technically graphical when displayed on a computer monitor, text data is sometimes contrasted with graphics as the former is text-only; data representation conveyed via an output device is restricted to a given set of encodable characters and the total number thereof, as well as graphical capabilities. For example, ASCII uses 96 printable characters in its set of 128, whereas ANSI uses both ASCII and 128 additional characters from extended ASCII and allows the text to be variously colored, allowing for further possibilities. Text data also has the advantage of requiring small processing power and minimal graphical capabilities by modern standards, as well as significantly reducing production costs compared to graphical data.

History

Text-based games trace as far back as teleprinters in the 1960s, when they were installed on early mainframe computers as an input-and-output form. At that time, video terminals were expensive and being experimented as "glass teletypes", and the user would submit commands via the teleprinter interfaced with the mainframe, the output being printed on paper. Notable early mainframe games include The Sumerian Game, Lunar Lander, The Oregon Trail, and Star Trek.

In the mid-1970s, when video terminals became the cheapest means for multiple users to interact with mainframes, text-based games were designed in universities for mainframes partly as an experiment on artificial intelligence, the majority of these games being either based on the 1974 role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons or inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien's works. As with other games, they often lacked functionalities such as saving. Proposed reasons for the absence of the ability to save included the fact that early computer games were often simple and gaming sessions were brief, as well as hardware limitations and costs. This may partly explain why earlier computer games were developed instead under the episodic structure, but such computer games whose source code could be accessed by anyone could be modified, and as designers wrote larger game worlds, gaming sessions lengthened, and the need to resume where left off became inevitable. This started in 1977 with Don Woods' revision of the 1976 text-based adventure game Colossal Cave Adventure (later renamed to Adventure), which saw expanded gameplay and story and, notably, the ability to save.

Text-based games were also early forerunners to online gaming. From the late-1970s until the worldwide dominance of the Internet in the mid-1990s, home computer users could still interact remotely with other computers by using dial-up modems, connecting them via telephone wires. These computers were often directed via text-based terminal emulators to hobbyist-run bulletin board systems (BBSes), which tended to be accessible—often freely—by area codes to cut costs from more distant communications. Without a graphical program for clients, most online computer games could only run using textual graphics, and where the user did have such a program, the often limited bandwidth of the modem made downloading graphics much slower than text. Online games designed for BBSes initially used ASCII as the character set, but since the late-1980s, most BBSes employed colored ANSI art as the graphical standard. These online games became known as "BBS door games", as connecting to a BBS opened the "door" between the client and the games on the BBS.

However, terminal emulators are still in use today, and people continue playing MUDs (multi-user dungeon) and exploring interactive fiction. The Interactive Fiction Competition was established in 1995 to encourage development of and explore independent interactive  fiction titles, and has since held annual competitions for who can develop the best such game.

Genres

Although text-based games are not limited to any specific genre, several notable genres started as and were popularized by text-based games.

Text adventure

Text adventures (sometimes synonymously referred to as interactive fiction) are text-based games wherein worlds are described in the narrative and the player submits typically simple commands to interact with the worlds. Colossal Cave Adventure is considered to be the first adventure game, and indeed the name of the genre adventure game is derived from the title. As text-based adventure games reached their peak in popularity in the late 1970s and 1980s, notable text-based adventure titles were released by various developers, including Zork and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Infocom.

MUD

An MUD (originally Multi-User Dungeon, with later variants Multi-User Dimension and Multi-User Domain), is a multi-user real-time online virtual world. Most MUDs are represented entirely in text, but graphical MUDs are not unknown. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, interactive fiction, and online chat. Players can read or view depictions of rooms, objects, other players, non-player characters, and actions performed in the virtual world. Players typically interact with each other and the world by typing commands that resemble a natural language.

Roguelike

The roguelike is a subgenre of role-playing video games, characterized by randomization for replayability, permanent death, and turn-based movement. Many early roguelikes featured ASCII graphics. Games are typically dungeon crawls, with many monsters, items, and environmental features. Computer roguelikes usually employ the majority of the keyboard to facilitate interaction with items and the environment. The name of the genre comes from the 1980 game Rogue.

Some of Text Game Engine
They are alot of game engines to choose from but here we gonna just mention 4
TGE- For Text adventure games and it's also known for being easy and simple
Renpy- For Visual novel type of games and is one of the best engines for Vis novel games'
Quest- Tends to have games without art added in, I see more old school strictly text-based games used with this. Pretty good for making adventure games I think.
Twine- Probably the easiest to use and like Renpy, allows art to be added into the game.

See also
 ASCII art
 List of text-based computer games
 Online text-based role-playing game

References

Video game graphics
Video game terminology
Video games with textual graphics

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A total of 17 projects in Shandong were on the list of the first batch of national catalogs for the promotion of traditional craftsmanship.
Zhu Xiongying, a peach pit carving master from Shandong's Zaozhuang city, offered a special lecture on the age-old miniature folk art at the weekly Shandong intangible cultural heritage classroom on May 19 in Jinan, Shandong province.
The city of Yantai, East China's Shandong province staged a grand calligraphy contest on May 19.
Ningyang, a county-level city in Tai'an, Shandong province, hosted its first Folk Tourism Product Exhibition on May 8, displaying an assortment of local specialties.
The 2018 Mazu Cultural Festival kicked off at in Yantai, East China's Shandong province on May 8 to commemorate the 1,058th anniversary of Mazu.
The annual folk festival Dongyue Temple Fair of Mount Tai is in full swing since open on April 29 at Dai Temple in Tai'an, Shandong province.
Seventy-year-old fisherman Song Shuzhi uses a traditional fishing method -- fishing with ospreys -- on Mata Lake in Huantai county, Zibo city, Shandong province.


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Coronavirus: the documentary events canceled due to the pandemic
Nothing seems to have escaped the Coronavirus or Covid-19 impact field on this planet.
Just like in all areas of the world economy, the film industry is experiencing a series of cancellations of film festivals and iconic showcases, including the possibility of postponing the next edition of the Cannes Film Festival, something that has not happened since the Second World War.
In this article, Guidedoc lists the canceled film events that most affect the documentary film industry.
In case you didn't know, Guidedoc is a global curated documentary streaming platform. You can watch the world's best award-winning docs from around the world. We have new movies every day.
The first major North American film event to have canceled this year's edition due to the global pandemic was the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, which was to take place from March 13 to 22.
The organization of the event issued a statement expressing dismay at having to cancel the event and leaving the door open for possible online experiences for users to enjoy part of this year's program.
Among the documentaries that were left in limbo after the Austin vacuum are "Kenny Scharf: When Worlds Collide" a documentary on the life of the painter Kenny Scharf and the film "9to5: The Story of a Movement", made by the Oscar nominees for "American Factory" Julia Reichart and Steven Bognar.
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
The first major documentary-only film festival to decide not to turn on the film projectors this year was the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, which was to take place April 2-5 in Durham, North Carolina.
The cancellation of the event is part of the measures taken by the Duke University, the institution that sponsors the festival.
This year, award-winning filmmakers Jessica Edwards and Gary Hustwit had already curated a documentary-themed program about the creative process of various artists in front of and behind the camera lens.
Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival
Considered one of the must-see events on the European festival circuit, the 22nd edition of Thessaloniki Documentary Festival was part of this month's wave of cancellations due to the coronavirus.
Held every year in Greece, the festival decided to keep its platform of documentary projects in development through the Internet.
On March 12, the Tribeca Film Festival, listed as one of the ten most important festivals in the world, decided to postpone this year's edition after the order issued by the Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo not to allow events of more than 500 people.
The festival had already launched its official selection, which includes its iconic short film and feature documentary sections.
It is a fact that on April 15 we will not be able to see the opening film, the documentary - or rockumentary - "Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President" by veteran filmmaker Mary Wharton.
Other important film events that have been recently postponed of canceled throughout the world are the Washington Environmental Film Festival, the Red Sea Festival in Saudi Arabia, the Lincoln Center's New Directors/ New Films Showcase and the Guadalajara Film Festival in Mexico.
You can watch award-winning documentaries online now on Guidedoc
Join GuideDoc


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Kaplan-Myrth: As Holocaust Remembrance Day looms, what are we learning?
Rising antisemitism and intolerance mark the daily experience of many in Ottawa and across Canada. If we do not heed our history, we are headed for troubled times.
The National Holocaust Monument on Booth Street in Ottawa. Photo by Errol McGihon /Postmedia
I am putting pen to paper a few days prior to international Holocaust Remembrance Day. I am a Jewish woman physician, a school board trustee for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), and the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors.
Although I could write at length about the horrors of the Second World War, of the genocide of six million Jews — one-third of the world's Jewish population — about the murders of people on the basis of their religion, sexual orientation and disabilities, instead I feel compelled to write about hateful trends that are on the rise today.
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As a trustee candidate for the OCDSB last summer, I joined other candidates and previous OCDSB board members at the National Holocaust Monument for a tour led by the Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarship. One of the other candidates asked the leader of the event, "Was there anything that preceded the Holocaust, that led to the genocide?" That question, although asked innocently, spoke volumes. The history of discrimination against Jewish people goes back millennia.
As a candidate, I was also approached by individuals and organizations asking me whether I would be as racist and bigoted as they are. They wanted to know whether I'd take a stance against "critical race theory," whether I'd "protect their children" from 2SLGBTQIA+ students and staff, whether I'd ban books, whether I'd take "social justice" off the curriculum. I deleted their emails. But the problem doesn't disappear in the spam folder.
Fast-forward to November, 2022. When I put forward the motion to temporarily reinstate masks in our classrooms to ensure the health and safety of students and staff in response to the triple threat of COVID-19, influenza and RSV, the OCDSB boardroom filled with disruptive protesters. What does this have to do with antisemitism? Within the onslaught of mail about the proposed mask mandate, there were also targeted attacks on me as a Jewish woman. During and after our board meeting, I was bombarded by horrific antisemitic slander and death threats.
Antisemitism has sharply increased in the last few years in Ottawa, across Canada, and around the world. Antisemitism encountered by students and staff in Ottawa schools has been reported in the news recently. If you were to speak with Jewish students and families, however, you'll learn that antisemitism (in the form of overt Jew hatred, Nazi symbolism, threats, name-calling and coins tossed at the feet of Jewish students) is commonplace.
It was standing room only as the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board met in November to decide if masks should be mandated in schools again. Photo by Julie Oliver /Ottawa Citizen
Thinking about the conditions that preceded the Holocaust, there was no internet, no social media, no anonymity, but there was radio, there were newspapers, there was widespread disparaging public discourse about Jews. Those who did not actively stand up against Jew hatred condoned it through their silence.
Today, in 2023, Holocaust denial is a common theme, as is blood libel, the myth of Jews controlling media and banks, the conflation of Judaism with Israeli politics, and general scapegoating of Jewish people throughout history. Antisemitism is misunderstood, overlooked, dismissed. No other form of racism or discrimination would be so easily shrugged off.
This brings me back to school boards. Antisemitic incidents in Ottawa schools were overlooked year after year, despite conversations with trustees and senior staff and reassurances to families and the Jewish community that action would be taken. Antisemitism was not adequate addressed by any of the OCDSB's resources.
On Jan. 17, 2023, at our meeting of the committee of the whole, I therefore put forward a motion for the OCDSB to hire a Jewish Equity Coach. More than 1000 Jewish community members, rabbis of diverse affiliations (orthodox, conservative, reconstructionist), as well as representatives of Jewish organizations and leaders from across the political spectrum, came together to consider the motion. After thoughtful discussion, the OCDSB expressed unanimous support for the motion, which should be ratified when it goes back to board at the end of January.
Predictably enough, within hours of the committee of the whole meeting, antisemitic emails once again flowed into my inbox. Emails that call for my entire family to be killed, sent to gas chambers, that I should be raped, with subject lines that refer to me using the K-word, assertions that what I have "done to the children of Ottawa is unforgiveable." The juxtaposition of anti-mask/vaccine rhetoric and racist, antisemitic, misogynist hate is a worldwide phenomenon.
People are shocked when I share what I have received, and people assume that the vehemence of the online hate is somehow related to people's ability to remain anonymous via email or on Twitter. But the hate is trickling down to the real world. What is happening in our board rooms is not anonymous. These are people looking us in the eye and echoing the trolls we block online. The danger to our society is significant.
Sadly, as antisemitism and racism and bigotry are on the rise, school boards have become a battleground for standing up for human rights and social justice.
On Jan. 20, 2023, an open letter was written to students, families and communities by the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) to address accusations of "child abuse" and "pedophilia." Apparently, people showed up at a committee of the whole meeting in Waterloo to express anger about the Ontario curriculum's inclusion of education about gender identity and sexuality; to protest WRDSB voluntary collection of demographic data to ensure that the school board has resources to support 2SLGBTQIA+ students; and to complain about certain books in school libraries. "We have a duty to uphold the Ontario Human Rights Code and Ministry of Education directions and ensure that the environment is safe for all students regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation. Gender and sexual orientation rights are human rights," the WRDSB wrote. The WRDSB cautions that it is not responding to an isolated incident, but to a wider pattern.
Hate is trickling down to the real world. These are people looking us in the eye and echoing the trolls we block online.
As a trustee in the OCDSB, I have thought a lot about the letter from Waterloo. We should all be deeply concerned by the discomfiting trend of hate, racism and xenophobia across Ontario and, sadly, around the world. The WRDSB letter is brave, in addressing head-on an issue that plagues school boards and other institutions that uphold principles of human rights and social justice. "This is our commitment to creating a system where everyone belongs and is treated with respect," WRDSB wrote.
Yet there are people, organized and vocal opponents of anything that they frame as "woke," whose agenda is to silence conversations in classrooms, ban books, disrupt the work of boards, and even — as in my personal experience — threaten and harass those in leadership roles who stand up for human rights and social justice.
The OCDSB is now embarking on community consultations to prepare its four-year strategic plan for 2023-2027. In the very first meeting, there were at least half a dozen people (some parents, some non-parents, non-OCDSB constituents) who attended with the express purpose of railing against equity, diversity and inclusion as guiding principles in public education. "Don't teach my child to read by having them read a story about a trans person," some said. "Don't confuse our children by presenting your opinions," some said. Before the meeting, I was concerned about whether we would reach the most marginalized populations, people who historically are the least likely to feel empowered to speak. My colleagues and I stood up to the racism and bigotry on display, but for us — and for any community participants within earshot of the problematic conversations — it was a clear indication that public consultations are not safe spaces.
Again, not an isolated incident. While there is an expectation that trustees, as elected officials, will respond with some form of diplomacy in the face of racist/bigoted/misogynist constituents, there is a toll that comes from being bombarded by hate. At the end of our community consultation, staff pointed out to me that teachers and school principals (and children) have to deal with these parents (and children) in their classrooms on a regular basis.
It is important to note that people who show up to meetings, or those who write to school board trustees, are not necessarily local constituents. After our failed motion to temporarily reinstate masks in Ottawa schools in November, people who do not live in the Ottawa area boasted on social media that they "shut us down" and that they will travel from board to board for this purpose. Some were among those involved in the convoy in 2021. They are copying a template, a schema, a playbook for disruptions of board meetings that has been a scourge in the United States for years.
Where does this leave us now, locally, across Ontario and Canada, and around the world?
At a federal level, Prime Minister Trudeau has said that antisemitism is not a problem for the Jewish community to solve alone.
Truly, the real problem is that we live in a society in which someone can sit across from me, look me in the eye, and tell me that he wants social justice taken off the curriculum. Even by writing this, there will be others who come out of the woodwork to express their hate.
So, no, we won't negotiate about taking human rights or social justice off the curriculum. If anything, we need human rights and social justice on the curriculum more than ever. We need to increase support for Jewish, Black, Asian and other racialized students and their families. We need to increase supports for refugees and newcomers to Canada. We need to increase supports for students with disabilities, and neurodiverse students. We also need more mental health and social supports for students and staff, in the face of increasing violence and dysregulation in classrooms.
In short, we must teach our children to stand up against discrimination based on race, religion, gender identity, sexuality, disability or neurodiversity. The WRDSB letter ends with the apt assertion, "Hate, racism and xenophobia are not 'opinions' that should be gathered through consultation. The hallmark of a democratic public education system should be that we serve all students well, especially those with the least power."
In my opinion, we should observe Holocaust Remembrance Day as a reflection of past atrocities, and teach children about the history of Jew hatred so that it is understood to be a problem that began long before 1939 and has never ended. Holocaust Remembrance Day should also serve as a warning to the public, a foreboding glimpse of a dangerous trend. If we do not learn from the past, we are headed into troubled times.
Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth is a family physician and a trustee for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
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In my book, there's nothing better then dining on the Sacramento River. We are so very lucky to have that murky yet entrancing waterway flowing through our city. Sure, I wouldn't swim in it – nor does it remind me of Venice – but hey, it's still nice to look at right?!
As a Sacramento Native, here's my top 5 restaurants. All of these are tested and true and in no particular order.
Known for their Corona-battered tacos.
Casual dining at its finest. Flip-flops required.
Fabulous crowds in the summer.
This is a place where you can easily relax and loose a few hours or the whole day.
Plates of cookies for dessert.
Fresh fish and seasonal vegetables.
Top notch wine list with local favorites.
This is hands down one of the best places to take a 1st date.
Nice weather? A seat on the upstairs patio is a must.
Known for their steak and seafood.
Lined under the "tunnel of trees" on Freeport Blvd.
Beautiful yet casual outdoor dining.
Situated between the Tower and I street bridge.
Known for their ribs and seafood.
Rio is more of an upscale establishment and one of the best places to catch a firework show from Raley Field on a warm summer night.
One of the Delta's best keep secrets.
Driving through the town of Locke will make you feel like you traveled back into the 1800's!
Weekly steak specials and cheap drinks.
Jif peanut butter is located on every table and free underwear are available at the bar….you'll have to go and figure that one out on your own!
That's my list so you tell us – what's your favorite place and why?


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Time Limit: 1 s Memory Limit: 128 MB Special Judge
In strong winds, sailboats tend to heel leeward (tilt away from the wind) like the one in the picture. Heeling is undesirable for at least two reasons. First, the effective sail area is reduced, as the effective height of the sail is multiplied by the cosine of the angle. Reduced sail area implies reduced speed. Second, the boat may heel to the point that its centre of gravity ceases to be above the hull, causing the boat to capsize.
To mitigate these problems, catamarans like the one shown split the hull into two pieces (the port and starboard hulls). This design increases the effective width of the boat. Increased width decreases the vertical mechanical advantage of the sail, thus reducing heeling. Increased width also increases the angle of heeling that can be tolerated before the boat capsizes.
Heeling can also be mitigated by having the crew sit or stand on, or even hike out beyond, the windward hull. If you look carefully at the picture you can see the two person crew hiking to windward.
At some wind velocity, even these measures are insufficient to keep the boat upright. A skipper's only choice (other than to capsize) is to let out the sail, which reduces its effective horizontal dimension much as heeling reduces its vertical dimension. As with heeling, this action causes loss of speed. If the boat heels sufficiently, it may not even be possible to let out the sail, as its outer corner may be obstructed by the surface of the water!
Reefing is a mechanism for reducing the sail's area. Roller reefing involves wrapping the sail around the boom (much like a window blind) so as to reduce its height. With sufficient reefing, the heeling can be controlled in almost any wind.
But reefing involves reduced speed, so our skipper has elected yet another approach. She has decided to beach the boat and pick up some rocks to use as ballast. Ballast is just dead weight added to hull, which tends to counteract heeling. It slows the boat a bit (as it rides lower in the water) but not nearly so much as reducing sail area.
Given n rocks, you are to compute how to divide them between the port and starboard hulls so that the weight of rocks in each hull is nearly equal.
Input contains several test cases. Each test case begins with 1 < n ≤ 100; the number of rocks to be added as ballast. Consider the rocks to be numbered 1 through n. n lines follow; the ith line gives the weight in kg of the ith rock - a positive real number not greater than 100. A line containing 0 follows the last test case.
For each test case, output a single line giving the numbers of the rocks that should be loaded as ballast into the starboard hull. Assume that the other rocks will be loaded into the port hull. The total weight of ballast in the port hull should not differ from that in the starboard hull by more than 2%. If there are many solutions, any one will do. There will always be a solution; indeed, there will always be a solution that balances within 1%, but you aren't required to find it.
5 10.0 50.0 90.0 38.0 7.1 0


Keep in mind that not all adverbs end in -ly and not all words that end in -ly are adverbs.
In that first sentence, "quite" is the adverb.
In the second sentence, "some" is a pronoun form being used as an adjective -- a pronominal adjective, as it's called.
Go into the Word & Sentence Level menu to see specifics on adverbs and adjectives.
One of the first sections here is the section on adjectives and adverbs.
A special ceremony called The Ceremony of the Keys is performed there nightly. What is the adverb, then what is the word that modifies it and is that word a verb, an adjective or another adverb?


nFLOW has a complete line of OEM electrical components available to its customers. These products are designed and tested to provide diesel applications with optimum performance. Our product offering includes starters, alternators and voltage regulators.


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Les États-Unis d'Amérique sont une fédération de plusieurs États réunis en république. L'âge de consentement est établi par chaque État indépendamment des autres. Il existe bien plusieurs lois fédérales relatives à la protection sexuelle des enfants mais il n'en existe aucune qui impose un âge seuil pour avoir des rapports sexuels. La sodomie aussi bien hétérosexuelle qu'homosexuelle a été légalisée le  sur le territoire des États-Unis ainsi que sur tous ceux en dépendant, en vertu d'un jugement de la Cour suprême appelé « affaire Lawrence contre le Texas ». Dans l'affaire Limon contre le Kansas (2005), la Cour suprême du Kansas s'est servie du précédent induit par le jugement Lawrence pour contourner la loi de l'État, dite Romeo and Juliet, qui proscrit des peines moins importantes pour les personnes hétérosexuelles que pour celles qui sont homosexuelles lorsqu'elles sont condamnées pour un délit sexuel similaire à un âge de consentement similaire. Une proposition est en cours pour uniformiser l'âge de la majorité sexuelle à 18 ans sur le plan national. Elle prévoit que si l'âge de la majorité sexuelle d'un État est inférieur à la limite fédérale, le budget alloué par l'éducation fédérale chaque année serait diminué de 10 %. Le Congrès n'a cependant pas entériné cette proposition ni aucune autre visant à changer le statu quo. L'idée répandue parmi les Américains d'un âge de consentement fixé à 18 ans est fausse car, en fait, cet âge est inférieur à 18 ans dans la plupart des États.

Lois fédérales
L'article de loi 18 U.S.C. 2422(b) du chapitre 117 du code de la famille US interdit l'utilisation du Service postal des États-Unis ou de tout moyen de communications entre États ou avec l'étranger tels que téléphone cellulaire ou internet pour persuader ou entraîner par la ruse un mineur (défini comme une personne âgée de moins de 18 ans plus loin dans le chapitre) à participer à un acte sexuel criminel. Il suffit que l'acte soit illégal dans l'État ou au regard de la loi fédérale pour être qualifié de « criminel » aux termes de l'alinéa 2422(b), même dans le cas où les deux parties résident dans le même État mais utilisent une messagerie instantanée dont les serveurs sont situés dans un autre État.

Toujours au chapitre 117 du code de la famille, l'article 18 U.S.C. 2423(a) interdit de déplacer un mineur (défini comme une personne âgée de moins de 18 ans) entre États ou à l'étranger dans le but de le mêler à des actes criminels sexuels à caractère commercial pour lesquels des personnes peuvent être inculpées. Le texte de cet article est ambigu dans sa formulation car paraissant s'appliquer uniquement lorsque le mineur voyage dans l'État ou à l'étranger à destination d'un pays ou État où une telle conduite est déjà réprimée. Le département de la Justice des États-Unis semble d'accord avec cette interprétation.

L'article 18 U.S.C. 2423(b) au chapitre 117 de ce même code complète le dispositif ci-dessus. Il interdit le voyage entre États ou à l'étranger d'un mineur dans le but de le mêler à des « actes sexuels illicites » impliquant un mineur. L'article 2423(f) du chapitre 109A définit les « actes sexuels illicites » comme étant tous les actes sexuels qui ne sont pas à caractère commercial. En ce qui concerne l'âge de la majorité sexuelle, le seul article applicable est le 2243(a) concernant le cas d'un jeune mineur de 16 ans mais ayant atteint celui de 12 et d'une personne plus âgée que lui de 4 ans (les personnes de moins de 12 ans sont concernées par l'article 2241(c) qui traite des abus sexuels aggravés). Il en découle que l'âge de consentement est de 12 ans si l'un des partenaires est au plus de 4 ans l'aîné de celui qui a un âge de 12 à 15 ans. L'âge de la majorité sexuelle est de 16 ans dans tous les autres cas. Cette législation reflète le souci du Congrès de ne pas trop interférer avec la législation concernant l'âge de consentement propre à chaque État, ce qui aurait été le cas en fixant cet âge à 18 ans pour tous les délits. Cette loi s'applique également à tous les ressortissants et résidents américains en voyage à l'étranger.

Bien que la législation tende à refléter la position générale de la société à l'égard de l'âge de la majorité sexuelle, Richard Posner dans son Guide des Lois Américaines concernant le Sexe (Guide to America's Sex Laws) :
.

Lois propres à chaque État
Chaque État des États-Unis possède sa propre législation concernant l'âge de la majorité sexuelle. Actuellement les lois des différents États ont fixé l'âge de consentement à 16, 17, ou 18 ans. L'âge le plus courant étant de 16 ans dans plus de la moitié des États. Cependant, la plupart des États les plus peuplés ont fixé un âge plus élevé (Californie : 18 ; Texas : 17 ; New-York : 17 ; Floride : 18 ; Illinois : 17). Le tableau ci-dessous donne l'âge de la majorité sexuelle pour les différents États qui composent les États-Unis, tel qu'il est établi par leur législation en vigueur au  :

La législation sera discutée en détail ci-dessous.

Alabama

L'âge de la majorité sexuelle est de 16 ans en Alabama ainsi que précisé dans le  Code de l'État d'Alabama :

Art. 13A-6-70

Art. 13A-6-62

Kentucky

L'âge de la majorité sexuelle est de 16 ans au Kentucky d'après l'article 510.020 (en anglais) des Kentucky Revised Statutes (Jurisprudence Revue du Kentucky) qui estiment une personne incapable de donner son consentement si elle est mineure de 16 ans. Une circonstance atténuante peut être trouvée lorsque la « victime » est âgée d'au moins 14 ans et que la différence d'âge entre les deux partenaires est inférieure à cinq ans ( Article 510.130(b)).

De plus, toute personne âgée de plus de 21 ans qui accueille une mineure de 18 ans en placement familial et ayant des rapports sexuels avec elle tombe sous le coup de l'Article 510.120(d) (en anglais).

Louisiane

L'âge de consentement est de 17 ans en Louisiane.

§80. Relations charnelles criminelles avec les adolescents
A. </ref>.}}

§80.1. Relations charnelles délictueuses avec les adolescents
A.

Maine

L'âge de la majorité sexuelle est fixé à 16 ans dans l'État du Maine. Les adolescent(e)s peuvent avoir des rapports sexuels avec un partenaire de moins de cinq ans leur aîné.

§254. Abus sexuel sur mineurs.
1.

Maryland

L'âge de consentement est de 16 ans au Maryland. Une mesure d'exception existe lorsqu'un des partenaires n'est pas âgé de moins de quatre ans par rapport à l'autre. Une personne qui a autorité sur l'autre et qui a des rapports sexuels avec un(e) mineur(e) peut être reconnue coupable de délit à caractère sexuel du quatrième degré ainsi que spécifié par le Code du Maryland § 3-308.

Massachusetts

L'âge de consentement est de 16 ans au Massachusetts comme spécifié au Chapitre 265, paragraphe 23 des Lois Générale applicables au Massachusetts :
</ref>...}} (MGL 265-23)

Cependant, le paragraphe 4 du Chapitre 272, établit un âge de majorité sexuelle à 18 ans lorsque la « victime » mène « une vie chaste » et que le l'auteur du crime l'a trompé(e) :
{{citation|Quiconque trompe une personne mineure de 18 ans et menant « une vie chaste » afin d'avoir [avec elle] des rapports sexuels sera sanctionné.}} (MGL 272-4).

 Michigan

L'âge de la majorité sexuelle est de 16 ans au Michigan à moins que l'une des personnes soit sous l'autorité de l'autre auquel cas l'âge de consentement est de 18 ans.

750.520d. Comportement sexuel criminel au troisième degré ; crime
§ 520d.
(1) {{citation| Une personne est coupable d'un comportement sexuel criminel au troisième degré si la personne est coupable de pénétration sexuelle sur une autre personne dans les circonstances suivantes :
(a) Si l'autre personne est âgée d'au moins treize ans et de moins de seize<ref>

Minnesota

L'âge de consentement est de 16 ans au Minnesota.

Cet âge est porté à 18 ans si une des parties a autorité sur l'autre. Si la « victime » est mineure de 13 ans, le/la partenaire ne doit pas être son aîné de plus de 36 mois. Cette différence est portée à 48 mois lorsque la « victime » est âgée de 13, 14 ou 15 ans. Les textes précis de ces lois sont consultables sur Articles 609.34 et suivants du Code Criminel du Minnesota ainsi que sur :
 609.341  Définitions ;
 609.342  Comportement Criminel à caractère Sexuel du Premier degré ;
 609.343  Comportement Criminel à caractère Sexuel du Second degré ;
 609.344  Comportement Criminel à caractère Sexuel du Troisième degré ;
 609.345  Comportement Criminel à caractère Sexuel du Quatrième degré ;
 609.3451  Comportement Criminel à caractère Sexuel du Cinquième degré ;
 609.349  Relations volontaires.

Lire aussi
 YouCanStopItNow.org Site d'une association contre les abus sexuels des enfants.

Mississippi

L'âge de la majorité sexuelle est de 16 ans au Mississippi.

§ 97-3-65. Viol tel que défini par la loi ; peines aggravées pour rapports sexuels forcés ou viol tel que défini par la loi après l'administration de  certaines substances'' :

{{citation|(1) Le crime de viol tel que défini par la loi est commis lorsque :
(a) Toute personne âgée de dix-sept (17) ans ou plus a des rapports sexuels avec un enfant qui :
(i) est âgé de quatorze (14) ans au moins mais mineur de seize (16) ;(ii) est de trente six mois plus jeune que la personne ; et(iii) n'est pas le conjoint de la personne.}}

§ 97-3-95. Coups et blessures à caractère sexuel.
{{citation|Une personne est coupable de coups et blessures à caractère sexuel si elle a des rapports sexuels avec :...
(c) Un enfant âgé d'  au moins quatorze (14) ans et mineur de 16, si cette personne est de trente-six mois (36) ou plus, l'aînée de l'enfant...}}

Missouri

L'âge de la majorité sexuelle est de 17 ans au Missouri.

Une erreur sur l'âge de la « victime » peut-être un moyen de défense dans certaines circonstances comme indiqué dans  RSMo 566.020.

Les paragraphes  566.032 et 566.062 du RSMo concernant le viol tel que défini par la loi et la sodomie et impliquant un enfant mineur de 14 ans.

Les paragraphes  566.034 et 566.064 du RSMo concernant le viol tel que défini par la loi et la sodomie, tous deux au second degré, impliquant un enfant mineur de 17 ans et un accusé de 21 ans et plus. Le crime d'attentat à la pudeur sur enfant au second degré, RSMo paragraphe  566.068, survient lorsqu'un enfant mineur de 17 ans est l'objet de « contacts à caractère sexuel ».

Ces distinctions parmi les différents crimes a conduit certains à la conclusion erronée qu'il existait des clauses d'exception liées à l'âge dans la législation du Missouri. L'État n'a jamais introduit dans la loi de telles dispositifs d'exception allant au-delà des degrés dans le crime commis.

Tandis que les titres de la loi sont exprimés en termes de Viol et de Sodomie, les textes interdisent les termes comme « rapport sexuel » et « déviation sexuelle ». Ceux-ci seront définis au paragraphe  566.010 du RSMo.

Viol tel que défini par la loi, second degré, sanction pénale.
Art. 566.034. 1 - {{citation|Une personne commet le crime de viol au second degré tel que défini par la loi si étant âgé de vingt-et-un ans ou plus, il a des rapports sexuels avec une autre personne mineure de dix-sept ans<ref>{{citation étrangère|langue=en|A person commits the crime of statutory rape in the second degree if being twenty-one years of age or older, he has sexual intercourse with another person who is less than seventeen years of age.}}</ref>.}}Sodomie telle que définie par la loi, second degré, sanction pénale.Art. 566.064. 1 - Attentat à la pudeur sur enfant, second degré, sanction pénale.''
Art. 566.068 - {{citation|Une personne commet le crime d'attentat à la pudeur au second degré sur un enfant s'il ou elle entraîne une autre personne âgée de moins de dix-sept ans à un contact à caractère sexuel.}}

 Montana

L'âge de consentement est de 16 ans au Montana ( )

 Nebraska

L'âge de la majorité sexuelle est de 17 ans au Nebraska.

Art. 28-319 - Attentat à la pudeur, Premier degré, sanction pénale.
(1)

Art. 28-319 - Débauche de mineur ; sanction pénale.
(1) {{citation|Toute personne non mineure commet le délit de débauche de mineur si lui ou elle débauche ou déprave la moralité de quelque garçon ou fille mineur(e) de dix-sept ans en :
(a) persuadant de manière obscène un tel garçon ou une telle fille à avoir des relations charnelles avec une quelconque autre personne<ref>{{citation étrangère|langue=en|Any person not a minor commits the offense of debauching a minor if he or she shall debauch or deprave the morals of any boy or girl under the age of seventeen years by :
(a) Lewdly inducing such boy or girl carnally to know any other person...}}</ref>...}}

Nevada

L'âge de la majorité sexuelle est de 16 ans au Nevada.

Art. NRS 200.364 - Définitions. Ainsi que précisé aux articles NRS 200.364 à NRS 200.3774 inclus, et sauf indication contraire du contexte requiert :
...3. {{citation|« Séduction sexuelle telle que définie par la loi » signifie :
(a) le rapport sexuel ordinaire [comprenez à l'aide des organes génitaux], le rapport anal (sodomie), le cunnilingus ou la fellation commis par une personne majeure de 18 ans sur une personne mineure de 16 ; ou
(b) toute autre pénétration commise par une personne âgée de plus de 18 ans sur une personne mineure de 16 ans avec l'intention de l'exciter [sexuellement], de faire appel à, ou de satisfaire le désir charnel ou les passions ou l'envie sexuelle de l'une ou l'autre des personnes<ref>{{citation étrangère|langue=en|« Statutory sexual seduction » means :
(a) Ordinary sexual intercourse, anal intercourse, cunnilingus or fellatio committed by a person 18 years of age or older with a person under the age of 16 years ; or(b) Any other sexual penetration committed by a person 18 years of age or older with a person under the age of 16 years with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust or passions or sexual desires of either of the persons.}}</ref>.}}

 New Hampshire

L'âge de consentement est de 16 ans au New Hampshire. Il existe une clause d'exception autorisant la « pénétration sexuelle » avec une personne de plus de 13 ans mais de moins de 16 dans le cas précis où leur différence d'âge est de moins de trois ans. Cependant, si l'un des partenaires est le substitut des parents (« in loco parentis »), comme un enseignant ou un tuteur, l'âge minimum requis est de 18 ans.

 New Jersey

L'âge de la majorité sexuelle est de 16 ans au New Jersey. Néanmoins, des enfants de plus de 13 ans peuvent avoir des rapports sexuels avec des personnes qui sont leur aînées de quatre ans au plus. Il est légal, par exemple, pour de jeunes adolescent(e)s d'avoir des rapports sexuels avec une personne à condition que cette dernière ne soit pas plus âgée que 18 ans. Cette limite sera de 17 ans
pour des adolescent(e)s de 13 ans, et ainsi de suite.

Art. 2C:14-2 - Attentat à la pudeur...
c. -

 Virginie

L'âge de consentement est de 18 ans en Virginie assorti d'une exception lorsque les âges des protagonistes sont proches. Dans ce cas, les adolescents âgés de plus de 15 ans peuvent avoir des relations sexuelles mais uniquement avec un partenaire de moins de 18 ans. Cependant la législation n'est pas très claire et discutée en détail ci-après.

Toute pénétration sexuelle autre que pénis-vagin est définie en tant que « sodomie » par la loi de l'État de Virginie. L'Article 18.2-361 du Code de Virginie intitulé Crimes contre nature dispose :

De plus, tout rapport sexuel est défini comme une « fornication » par la loi de l'État de Virginie. L'Article 18.2-344 du Code de Virginie intitulé Crimes contre nature'' dispose :

Les différentes Cours [de justice] de l'État de Virginie ont statué en disant que ces jurisprudences n'étaient pas contraires à la décision de la Cour suprême rendue dans l'affaire « Lawrence contre le Texas » du fait qu'elles s'appliquent à des adultes et que l'âge de la majorité sexuelle est de 18 ans en Virginie. Cela signifie que les personnes de 18 ans et plus peuvent avoir des relations sexuelles consensuelles en privé mais les autres pas.

Le § 18.2-63 du code se rapporte aux mineurs de 15 ans alors que le § 18.2-371''' traite des personnes âgées de 15 à 18 ans.

Le paragraphe 18.2-63 () dispose en particulier :

Le cas d'une activité sexuelle consentie de part et d'autre dans laquelle un des partenaires est âgé de 15,16 ou 17 ans et l'autre de plus de 18 est un délit de classe 1.

§ 18.2-371 actes de causalité ou d'encouragement rendant un enfant délinquant, abusé, etc. ; sanctions ; enfant abandonné.
{{citation|Toute personne de 18 ans ou plus, y compris les parents d'un enfant, qui, (i) volontairement, contribue à, encourage ou est à l'origine de tout acte, négligence ou condition, lesquels rendent un enfant délinquant, dépendant d'une aide, nécessiteux d'une surveillance ou abusé ou abandonné ainsi que défini au § 16.1-228, ou (ii) mêlée à des rapports sexuels mutuellement acceptés avec un enfant de 15 ans ou plus qui n'est pas son conjoint, enfant ou petit(e)-enfant, sera coupable de délit de classe 1<ref>{{citation étrangère|langue=en|''Any person 18 years of age or older, including the parent of any child, who (i) willfully contributes to, encourages, or causes any act, omission, or condition which renders a child delinquent, in need of services, in need of supervision, or abused or neglected as defined in § 16.1-228, or (ii) engages in consensual sexual intercourse with a child 15 or older not his spouse, child, or grandchild, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.''}}</ref>.}}

 Virginie-Occidentale

L'âge de la majorité sexuelle est de 16 ans en Virginie-Occidentale.§ 61-8B-5 - Attentat à la pudeur au troisième degré.
(a)

 État de Washington

L'âge de consentement est de 16 ans dans l'État de Washington.

Il est contraire à la loi de pratiquer des actes sexuels avec un/une mineur(e) de 18 ans dans trois circonstances énumérées sur RCW 9A.44.096 (en anglais) : parents avec leur enfant adoptif, enseignants et employés de l'administration scolaire avec leurs élèves. Ces trois circonstances impliquent toutes les situations suivantes survenant deux par deux : la personne la plus âgée est plus vieille de 60 mois ou plus que celle de 16 ou 17 ans, la personne entretient des relations importantes ainsi que définies sur defined (en anglais), et cette personne plus âgée abuse de la situation pour pratiquer des actes sexuels.

Il existe également trois clauses d'exception lorsque les protagonistes sont d'un âge proche.
 RCW 9A.44.079 -
 RCW 9A.44.076 -
 RCW .44.073 -

Certains ont soutenu que les immoral communication with a minor statute lois concernant les relations immorales avec un mineur existent et fixent l'âge de la majorité sexuelle à 18 ans en raison de l'incapacité de « communiquer » avec des jeunes de 16-17 ans pour tout ce qui touche à la sexualité. Ces propos étaient alarmants par nature, cependant ils sont totalement anecdotiques et peut-être même une légende. La  division de la Cour d'Appel de Washington, dans l'affaire « de l'État contre Danforth» (State v. Danforth, 56 Wn. App. 133, 782 P.2d 1091 (1989), a décidé qu'une telle relation devait exister dans le but de commettre un acte illégal au titre de l'article 68A, Chapitre 9 du Revised Code of Washington (RCW). La condamnation de Danforth était rendue caduque par cette décision. Néanmoins, la Cour Suprême de Washington, statuant sur le procès de « l'État contre McNallie » a cassé la portée de la loi « Danforth » (Bien que le résultat ne soit pas encore connu ; Danforth pourrait bien voir sa condamnation réactualisée à la lumière de l'affaire « McNallie ») en incorporant toutes les inconduites avec un mineur dans la loi sur la communication et pas seulement celles décrites à l'article 68A Chapitre 9 du RCW qui s'appliquerait plutôt à la pornographie enfantine et à la prostitution. Au regard de ces cas, il est évident que la communication avec les 16-17 ans, exclusivement pour ce qui touche à la sexualité, est légale dans la mesure où la conduite dont nous avons discuté n'est pas illégale ou aurait été légale dans la vie réelle (tel que dans la relation enseignant/élève, parents adoptifs/enfants adoptifs, la relation dans le but évident d'abus sur mineur ou demande de photos illégales ou tentatives d'entraîner de jeunes personnes dans la prostitution).

 Wisconsin

L'âge de consentement est de 18 ans dans l'État du Wisconsin.Art. 948.02 - Attentat à la pudeur sur un enfant...
 2) ATTENTAT A LA PUDEUR AU SECOND DEGRÉ. Art. 948.09 - Rapports sexuels avec un enfant de 16 ans ou plus.

 Wyoming

L'âge de la majorité sexuelle est de 18 ans au Wyoming.Art. 6-2-304 - Attentat à la pudeur au troisième degré.
(a)

Certains ont pensé que l'âge de la majorité sexuelle était de 16 ans au Wyoming comme établi par l'article de loi 6-2-304 ci-dessus. Les procès de « l'État contre Pierson(State v. Pierson) »  et de   « l'État contre Moore (State v. Moore) » ont démontré que les actes sexuels sur des mineurs âgés de 16 ou 17 ans pouvaient être condamnés au titre de l'article 14-3-105 de la loi :Art. 14-3-105''' - Actes immoraux ou indécents ; sanctions pénales.
(a)

Voir aussi
 Majorité sexuelle
 Majorité sexuelle en Amérique du Nord et centrale
 Majorité sexuelle sur le continent africain
 Majorité sexuelle sur le continent asiatique
 Majorité sexuelle en Océanie
 Majorité sexuelle sur le continent européen
 Majorité sexuelle en Amérique du Sud
 Wilson v. State of Georgia

Notes

Amérique du Nord
Etats-Unis


text:
Armenian Reform Vote Tarnished by Fraud Allegations
Political opposition says referendum was fixed, and international monitors call for claims of widespread abuses to be investigated.
By Armen Karapetyan
President Serzh Sargsyan casts his vote in the December 6 referendum. (Photo: Photolure agency)
Counting votes in the Armenian referendum. (Photo: Photolure agency)
Protests after the December 6 referendum. (Photo: Photolure agency)
Protests after the December 6 referendum. The banner says "No". (Photo: Photolure agency)
As Armenia's government hails the yes vote in a referendum on constitutional change, the opposition says the results were fixed by half a million fraudulent ballots.
Hundreds of people protested against the outcome in the capital Yerevan on December 7, the day after the referendum, and the opposition warned that more demonstrations might follow. It also said it would challenge the results before Armenia's Constitutional Court.
The Central Election Commission formally approved the results on December 13, saying that after a review of the returns and the complaints it had received, the reform package had passed successfully.
The commission said 63.4 per cent of votes cast were in favour of the changes, with a turnout of 50.5 per cent of the 2.5-million-strong electorate. The yes vote works out at about 32 per cent of all registered voters including those who stayed away from the polls; a minimum of 25 per cent was needed for the outcome to count as valid.
The constitutional reforms will reduce future presidents to a largely ceremonial role, strengthening the positions of the majority in parliament and the prime minister it elects. Presidents will be selected by parliament rather than the electorate, and will serve for seven years instead of the current five. (See our earlier story Armenians to Vote on Constitutional Reform.)
Opponents of the reforms have said all along that the apparent shift to a more democratic system is designed to hand perpetual power to the Republican Party, whose head, Serzh Sargsyan, is due to stand down as Armenia's president in 2018.
After the vote, the opposition was quick to allege violations on a large scale.
"There was massive fraud," said Levon Zurabyan, deputy chairman of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC), which spearheaded the no campaign. "Half a million votes were falsified."
"Representatives of the opposition, independent observers and journalists were subjected to intimidation and violence," Zurabyan added.
Another opposition politician, Raffi Hovhannisyan, who heads the Heritage Party, described the referendum as an act of "treason".
"[President] Serzh Sargsyan, [Prime Minister] Hovik Abrahamyan, governors and various mayors, officials, oligarchs, and those who serve the authorities took part in a state crime and fabricated the voice of the people," he said. "Those who did this should resign. We should have free and fair elections."
Reports of violations of voting rules appeared on social networks. Some users posted videos showing bribes being handed to voters as they left polling stations, extra papers being stuffed into ballot boxes, and threats being made against opposition members, journalists and local observers.
The police have said they will thoroughly investigate all claims of abuses, but opposition members and human rights groups are sceptical.
"After every [past] election, the authorities have declared that they will seriously investigate all allegations of fraud and violence during voting," said Artur Sakunts, who chairs the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, which observed the vote.
Sakunts says he has no doubt that those in charge of instructing police to investigate abuses are the same people who ordered the abuses.
A senior figure from the ruling Republican Party challenged the opposition to come up with hard evidence.
"We don't deny that there were violations during the vote. But statements must be accompanied by facts," said Eduard Sharmazanov, who is the party's spokesman and deputy speaker of the National Assembly. "Secondly, if you count up all the violations during the vote, I can assure you that even then, it will not affect the final outcome."
Sharmazanov said Zurabyan should provide proof that half a million votes were fraudulent, otherwise he would be "labelled as a liar".
The referendum was widely criticised by international observers.
"The relatively low turnout, around 50 per cent of the population, reflects the fact that the referendum was driven by political interests instead of the needs of the Armenian public," a delegation of observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said in a statement the day after the vote.
The PACE team noted that parliament only had a few weeks to discuss the text and public debate was limited to two months.
It also noted a number of problems with the referendum process, including "large-scale, organised vote-buying and carousel voting" (where people go from one polling station to another to cast multiple ballots), pressure on election officials, government misuse of administrative resources by executive bodies, and inaccurate voter lists which contained "the names of many people residing permanently abroad or even deceased, leading to claims that these identities were usurped by people who then voted several times".
Both the United State embassy and the European Union delegation in Armenia also voiced concerns.
"The credible allegations of electoral irregularities reported by both non-partisan observers as well as Armenian political parties are of concern," the US embassy said in a December 8 statement. "We urge the electoral commission and the Armenian government to carry out transparent investigations of all credible reports of irregularities."
The EU delegation echoed the call for a full and transparent investigation of credible allegations of fraud, warning that unless this happened, "the referendum would be a missed opportunity to increase the confidence in, and the integrity of, electoral processes in Armenia".
Opposition groups fear that once the current president hands over the reins to a significantly weakened successor, he will still be in control, potentially as prime minister, a post that does not have the same two-term limit as the presidency.
In April, Sargsyan said he had no plans to become prime minister if the new constitution was approved. In more recent months, however, senior figures from his party have hinted that he might do just that.
At a press conference he gave three days before the referendum, Sargsyan avoided giving a direct answer to a question about his political plans, deepening suspicions that the reforms were designed for his benefit.
"I think we'll talk about this after the 2017 parliamentary election," Sargsyan said. "It is premature to talk about it now."
Agasi Yenokyan, director of the Armenian Centre for Political and International Studies, believes the current head of state is particularly keen to block a return by Robert Kocharyan, the last president who cleared the way for Sargsyan to replace him in 2008. Relations seem to have soured, and Kocharyan has been critical of his one-time ally. Ahead of the referendum, he warned that the constitutional reforms would lead to "the monopolisation of politics". (See Nothing Straightforward About Armenian Referendum.)
"The main goal is to create a party system in which there's no place for Sargsyan's main rival – our second president Robert Kocharyan, who does not have a party," said Yenokyan.
Amid the politics of the referendum, he added, "the voice of the people has no value".
Armen Karapetyan is the pseudonym of an independent journalist in Armenia.
CRS Issue 800
http://tinyurl.com/y37m24qh
Safety Questions After Azerbaijan Oil Rig Blaze
Human Rights Day in Armenia: Not Much to Shout About
Why Did Cuba Jail This Journalist?
Rights defenders say that unusually harsh punishment reflects wider troubles for Havana regime.
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text:
Veitch takes reins as Saratoga Springs police chief | The Daily Gazette
Sunday, January 19, 2020 When Credibility Matters
Veitch takes reins as Saratoga Springs police chief
Greg Veitch was overcome by emotion more than once Tuesday, as he was sworn in as Saratoga Springs'
Greg Veitch was overcome by emotion more than once Tuesday, as he was sworn in as Saratoga Springs' new top law enforcement officer.
He teared up repeatedly as he thanked past police partners who taught him the ropes as a street cop after he joined the department in 1995, and again when he became an investigator. By his own account, he was "a mess" again moments later when he thanked his large family for their encouragement and support.
"It's more than an honor standing here today," he said at a City Hall swearing-in ceremony. "When I was a kid we grew up on Circular Street. We had no air conditioning so I'd lay awake with my brothers listening to the sirens go back and forth. I guess I was always going to be a policeman."
Veitch, a 39-year-old Saratoga Springs native, was sworn in as police chief Tuesday as the replacement for Christopher Cole, who retired Friday. Cole had been chief since 2009, and was grooming Veitch as his successor since Veitch was named assistant chief in 2011.
Veitch told a group of relatives and city officials that he will be expecting a high level of professional conduct from his officers in their dealings with the public.
'Protect and serve'
There have been recent blemishes on the department's record: three off-duty officers were involved in a late-night altercation last November, and Cole's reputation suffered in 2011 after a female acquaintance complained about explicit pictures he sent her.
"We have sworn an oath to protect and defend the community," Veitch said during his remarks. "If we didn't mean it, we should not have taken the oath."
"My philosophy is we are dedicated to protect and serve. I can't put it any more simply than that," he told The Daily Gazette after the ceremony. "It's protect and serve, protect and serve."
City Public Safety Commissioner Chris Mathiesen praised Cole for managing the department through difficult budget cuts, and then praised Veitch as "modest, intelligent … and practical."
As chief, Veitch will be paid $102,000 annually.
Veitch joined the police after graduating from Saratoga Springs High School and SUNY-Plattsburgh. He worked part time for the Burlington, Vt., police force before returning to Saratoga.
He rose through the ranks from patrolman to investigator, then the lieutenant in charge of investigations. He was the department spokesman for a time before becoming assistant chief.
Saratoga County District Attorney James A. Murphy III said he has known Veitch for 25 years, and seen him successfully handle cases from major drug busts to the 2005 attempted kidnapping of high school distance runner Lindsay Ferguson.
"Despite the emotion you saw today, he looks at things very clinically, and in a logical way, and with common sense," Murphy said. "I hope he's here for a long time. I think it's good for him, and it's good for the department."
Murphy said Veitch was among those who recently met with the Downtown Business Association to discuss an increase in complaints about panhandling on city streets — a problem he expects to see addressed.
Veitch comes from a large and accomplished family with multigenerational roots in Saratoga. His father, Michael Veitch, was a longtime teacher at Saratoga Springs High School, and remains a locally prominent horse-racing writer.
"He always wanted to be a policeman," Michael Veitch said of his son.
Veitch's older brother, Matthew, is a Saratoga County supervisor representing the city; his brother Mike formerly worked for state Sen. Roy McDonald; and brother Paul is a sergeant with the police department, and head of the city police officers' union.
The new chief and his wife, Jennifer, have five children.
The department currently has an authorized strength of 67, but only 62 positions are filled.
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