How it portrays the human condition Essay

   In the time it’s set of 1801, social classes were arife within the country. It was normality to marry someone within the same class, and was frowned upon to do anything different. The importance of class is evident when Cathy says: ‘if the wicked man had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldn’t have thought it [not to marry him]’. This signifies how in this piece of literature Heathcliff is opressed by the rigid class system, and becomes a victim in the way that class is the very thing that prevents Cathy & Heathcliff marrying. The fact Heathcliff is told every day how worthless he is and how lucky he is to be in ‘a decent house’ provokes his hate towards the separation of their society into classes. As of the way Hindley treated him like a servant and degrading him, Heathcliff shows pure hatred towards him. He also exposes this putrid manner towards the Linton’s, whom in time changed Catherine, in a way to believe she was much too good for Heathcliff. We are first made aware of how much class is going to affect Heathcliff’s and Cathy’s love for each other when Catherine is attacked by dogs, in which the blame lies upon Heathcliff. The Linton’s then describe him as: ‘a wicked boy†¦ quite unfit for a decent house. ‘ Although it is hardly frowned upon to marry someone from a different class in today’s society, this novel remains relevant on the human condition by the fact that it portrays how someone will do truly anything in their power to be with the person they love with, which is of course shown by Heathcliff. The fact he has been placed in a lower class differentiates how Cathy shows her love towards him, forcing Heathcliff to try and better himself. This even results in Heathcliff attempting to drive Cathy mad with jealousy, by marrying Isabella. In his pursuit of Cathy’s love, he manages to destroy all around him, affecting his own self. This means that Bronti could even be supporting the upholding of these conventional values. Initially the answer would seem to be no, as the reader sympathizes with Heathcliff; the gypsy oppressed by a rigid class system and constantly referred to as ‘imp’ or ‘fiend’. But as Heathcliff pursues his revenge and persecution of the innocent, the danger posed by him to the community becomes apparent. Like other novels of the 1830s and 40s, Wuthering Heights may really suggest the necessity of preserving traditional ways; to prevent danger to the world that is perhaps even unnecessary, because fighting for this cause still won’t get you what you want. This helps us understand even if we know that ultimately we cannot obtain what we want, we will still fight for it the best we can; part of the human condition. Cathy is so induced by this system of class, she thinks of class as part of the reason to marry someone or a reason to love. Cathy thinks of Edgar as a way of elevating her position in the community, which can be seen when she’s talking to Nelly (and I shall like to be the greatest woman of the neighbourhood). Because Cathy is so interested in society, it comes to a point where it corrupts her love for her own ‘family’. This is apparent to her relationship with Nelly; before Cathy was seduced by this idea of high-society, she regarded Nelly as just as important as her own mother. Though now, Cathy treats Nelly with disrespect, and even attacks her, much to Nelly’s anger: ‘O, Miss, that’s a nasty trick! You have no right to nip me, and I’m not going to bear it’. This is important on the grounds that this represents the human condition in a way that we can all be deeply influenced by something to hurt the ones we love. By a range of devices, Bronti shows how each character is motivated. Throughout the novel we see how human motivation encourages a huge change in Cathy. At the beginning of the novel Bronti portrays her as a content, free, family-orientated girl. For illustration, the novel says Cathy ‘was hardly six years old, but she could ride any horse in the stable’. This shows that Cathy was not yet influenced to be ladylike or prosperous, and was still a kindred spirit. She is still portrayed as this wild young girl, until the point where Heathcliff and she are spying on Thrushcross Grange, and are attacked by dogs. When they are found by the Lintons, Heathcliff is merely sent away deemed as ‘a wicked boy†¦ quite unfit for a decent house’. However, Cathy is invited into the house, and the Lintons show her a whole new way of life, judging by her new concept of class, and anew sense of etiquette. The reader is told that her remaining family have noticed her new self, especially Nelly: ‘there lighted from a handsome black pony a very dignified person’. The fact Nelly compares Cathy’s change to a horse links in with her love of riding horses, as shown earlier in the novel. Now this change has occurred, we now see how Cathy is not only motivated by love and fun as she was with Heathcliff, but by more shallow things perhaps, such as wealth and appearance. She is shown to be motivated by wealth when she discusses Edgar with Nelly (‘and he will be rich’). She in fact talks about Edgar in such a way that she deserves this wealth and life of upper class. You can see how she’s motivated in a shallow fashion when she says to Heathcliff: ‘if you wash your face, and brush your hair, it will be alright. But you are so dirty! ‘ This shows that now, after these new found motivations, Heathcliff has to change how he is to acquire to Cathy’s needs, and in order to be loved by Cathy. On the other hand, Heathcliff is driven by one thing only; his animalistic and pure love for Cathy. Although he is motivated by love, other things quash this motivation, such as cowardice. Heathcliff is jealous of what she sees in Edgar, and tries to tell Cathy he loves her, without success. He is close to declaring his love for her when they’re arguing, and he says: ‘the crosses are for the evenings you have spent with the Lintons, the dots for those spent with me†¦ to show that I do care’. Fuelled by his love for Cathy, and how is world is centred purely on her actions, Heathcliff does some very spiteful things, condemning him as a gothic character. For example, he marries Isabella purely to induce jealousy within Catherine. The novel shows how Heathcliff feels that if Cathy had not become a lady of etiquette with new motivations then they would never have been separated. This can be seen when he says: ‘Because misery, and degradation, and death, and nothing that God or Satan could inflict would have parted us’. With the human condition in question, this is important because it shows how humans can feel hatred not towards a person exactly, but towards the actions and changes that occur in that person. In the novel we are also shown by Bronti how certain circumstances like loss and jealousy can change someone, and their condition of humanity. After his wife dies, Hindley’s character changes dramatically. Before this loss, he loved his family dearly, and was content with his life. However, after her death, Hindley is subdued into a world of alcoholism and fury, to the point where he endangers the lives of his loved ones. This is shown when Hindley ‘carried him [his own son] upstairs and lifted him over the banister’ and actually drops him. Hindley is also affected by jealousy. Because his adoptive brother, Heathcliff, was favoured by his father, he had to endure being shadowed by Heathcliff all of his childhood, until his father died. Considering this, Hindley grew up to hate Heathcliff, and eventually destroyed Heathcliff, using him as a servant, placing him in a lower class. Therefore, Hindley indirectly ruined Heathcliff’s chances of obtaining Cathy’s hand in marriage. In conclusion, I feel that the novel by Emily Bronti helps us to understand the human condition in a way that no other novel does. Her unique way of showing love within the novel meant that she didn’t just show the initial attraction of love, but how it can corrupt one’s other feelings and thoughts. Bronti ‘s use of language within the novel displays the emotions and motivations of the characters successfully, and gives a great sense of the reality of the human condition to the novel. As a result of this, Bronti will remain one of the greatest writers to of lived, and her books will, and currently, remain as relevant and as important as they did in the 19th century.   Laura Pearson Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

How Huckelberry Finn Defines His Moral Character

Defining a Moral Character The journey through life is broad, but early on, people learn values and morals. Often times, these characteristics are influenced by daily experience and contact with others. Although developing morals and values may be difficult at times, adequate time and experience brings gratification. As it was for Huck Finn, the adventure through independence and experience brought knowledge of values including, responsibility, accountability, compassion, and gratefulness which ultimately helped Huck define his moral character.In most situations, Huck was able to make decisions based on his perception of right and wrong, and learns life lessons in doing so. No matter what trial or tribulation he encountered, Huck was grateful he was not subject to Papp’s abuse. When he was caught trying to be a girl by Judith Loftus, he learned compassion when she still accepted him in her home.Huck didn’t want to feel accountable for the death of the murders on the aba ndoned ship, so he did what he felt was necessary, and took on the responsibility of trying to see they were rescued. Stating, â€Å"†¦wishing I knowed who shot the man and what they done it for,† Huck sought and found meaning in most circumstances and understands every choice has its consequence (133). Whether or not to turn Jim in was something Huck toggled with constantly throughout his adventure.He knew that Jim belonged to the widow Douglas who had done so much for him, but Huck still felt compassion for Jim, who he had developed a deep friendship with on account of their experiences together. Because of his bond with Jim, Huck did not want to feel guilty if something bad were to happen to his friend, but at the same time, he did not want to be held accountable for helping a runaway slave.Altogether, the lessons Huck learned on his adventure were a contributor to the definition of his moral character. In the end, Huck acted on what he felt was right according to his set of developed morals and values, regardless of whether it was accepted by society or not. He later affirms his decision by stating â€Å"All right then, I’ll go to hell† as he ripped up the letter to Ms. Watson (239). Huck’s influence and experience led him to be a loyal friend, and a virtuous individual.

Katelynn Sampson (Aboriginal foster child murdered) Essay

Katelynn Sampson (Aboriginal foster child murdered) - Essay Example One of Katelynn’s custodial parents, Donna Irving, was taken into custody followed a short time later by the other, Warren Johnson. In the days and months that followed, facts about Katelynn’s short life and sad death emerged. Her biological mother, Bernice Sampson, â€Å"pleaded to three counts of trafficking cocaine in 1998 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison† (Toronto Star, 2008). In January of 2008, Sampson was charged with drug trafficking again. If convicted on that charge she could be sentenced to prison which would have put Katelynn into the care of the Childrens Aid Society (CAS). Rather than risk having her daughter placed with CAS, Sampson voluntarily relinquished custody to Irving, who she called â€Å"her best friend.† One account says that Irving â€Å"gained custody of Katelynn through a family court application that did not involve any child and family service agency and showed no signs of a criminal-background check† (Toronto Star, 2008). Another claims, â€Å"The hearings before Ontario Court Justice Debra Paulseth involved Katelynns biological mother Bernice S ampson, the guardian now charged with her death, Donna Irving, and native family court worker Bela McPherson. Sparse and businesslike, the conversations were dominated by the legal requirement of determining Katelynns biological father and the need to move proceedings along† (Smith, 2008). If Judge Paulseth, Bernice Sampson, or Bela McPherson—someone had looked into Irving’s record, they would have discovered that Irving’s was no better than Sampson’s. â€Å"Irving was convicted in 2000 of communicating for the purpose of prostitution.  In 1999, she pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon and spent five days in custody and 18 months on probation. The year before, she was charged with possession of cocaine for trafficking—she entered a guilty

1996 Health care reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

1996 Health care reform - Essay Example It also endorses the graduate health learning and finance different health programs including a health program for children. There is also the pharmaceutical coverage program for the elderly, initial care, countryside wellbeing care and quality advancement (Rutherford, 2004). The enactment of this act came into effect in 1997. In 1997, the HRCA substituted almost twenty years of rate controlled health compensation with an assortment of bargained rates and persisting public funding for a varied combination of significant health connected schemes. This encompasses medical tutoring, destitute care and coverage initiatives for the uncovered. HCRA authorization has been conducted two times. This is in 1999 as well as in 2003. It was considerably modified in 2002. The expansions and modifications have extended health coverage for the uncovered, gives protection funding for small corporations and employed persons, and also funding to support health security for employees enrolment and retention. Finances for these extensions were to emanate from allotment of a part of the State tobacco payment money, escalated cigarette duties and a onetime augmentation of federal income (Charles and Carl, 2002). Moreover, the public funds sustained by HCRA came via three sources. Firstly, the Public Goods source endorsed by one percent state wide evaluation on hospitals net inpatient incomes, supplementary fees on hospital services as well as protected lives evaluations on sovereign coverage organizations. These organizations depend on the number of individuals protected. Secondly, there are funds from Tobacco Control and protection initiatives, initially endorsed by cigarette excises and tobacco payment finances. Thirdly, there are resources for the Bad Debt as well as Charity Care. There is also the destitute care and inconsistent share. The resources for this emanate from

E-Business Resit Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

E-Business Resit Coursework - Essay Example The adoption of e–business is not restricted to any particular industry or particular company. From high tech aerospace industry to the farming industry, several companies of various sizes are conducting e–business activities at present. The paper will analyze the impact of internet and other digital technology in the supply chain process of retail industry (Jorge, 2008). The company chosen for retail industry is Topshop, a retail apparel company of the UK. It is a brand of Arcadia Group, a retailing giant of the UK. Topshop had earned its uniqueness through its own marketing strategies, retailing methods and online businesses (Topshop, n.d.). Impact of Internet on Supply Chain Process The impact of internet and digital technology in the market and within the general business performances are significant. In retail industry of the UK, the direct business system through internet had been applied by many companies. With regard to Topshop, it allows customers to choose any product through website and sell products without heavily depending on third–party distributors. The e– business of Topshop also assures convenience and cost cutback (Levi & Et. Al., 2004). A retail company such a Topshop is very successful in developing internet business model that let it to increase revenue radically and capture the market. According to Topshop, it sold almost 30 brace of knickers per minute, 500 brace of legging per hour and 6000 brace of jeans per day in the year 2006. The internet acts as a driver for business alteration (Rushton, 2007). The supply chain process is often viewed as a tactical asset as it has the strength to make a difference and develop sustainable advantage in the competitive economy. Presently, several new business enterprises had appeared to have complete advantage of the e–business e.g. ‘drop shipping’ which had rapidly gained reputation among retailers. In this system, an e–tailor takes order for pr oduct and provides the producer or distributor opportunity to send the product to the purchaser. In this system, the e–tailor does not possess any stock. Through the alteration of conventional supply chain process, the ‘drop shipping’ system helps to transfer the inventory management related difficulties to the producers (Feng, 2008). Impact of Internet on Retail Sector The retail industry had reacted lately to the competition from e–business environment and to identify the prospects offered by the internet. In recent times, the scene has changed, as many retail companies such as Topshop had introduced internet shopping to their offerings. Topshop knows the benefit they can have by entering into e-business. TopShop has its own virtual trade store and it services the products by its existing storehouse and supply chain network. High quantity products, whose demand is balanced with the supply on the basis of long-term estimation, are stocked in stores. In ca se of low quantity products, the storing is done centrally for the purpose of internet marketing. The products which are purchased online have high volatility of demand, thus the centralised stocking helps to

CV personal statement with 2 page to answer Assignment

CV personal statement with 2 page to answer - Assignment Example 3-phosphoglycerate 3-phosphoglycerate ? 2-phosphoglycerate 2-phosphoglycerate ? phosphoenolpyruvate Phosphoenolpyruvate ? pyruvate pyruvate ? acetaldehyde acetaldehyde ? ethanol B) The result that would be obtained if muscle tissue were used instead of yeast 2 marks Since in muscles NAD is exhausted, pyruvate is converted to lactic acid to be able to produce NADH. PRACTICAL 4 1. Based on the approximate free energy changes for their hydrolysis, ADP, ATP and creatinine phosphate are expected to be better phosphate donors than glucose 6-phosphate and AMP, because the former three undergo hydrolysis that have more negative free energy changes than that of the latter two. This means that their hydrolysis is more spontaneous. 6. The solutions containing ATP, ADP, AMP, and glucose 6-phosphate ranked first, second, third, and fourth, respectively, in the amount of 680 nm absorbed, and subsequently the amount of inorganic phosphates produced. This ranking also indicates the willingness of th ese compounds to donate phosphate. PERSONAL STATEMENT I have the passion to teach different subjects, biochemistry in particular, due to a variety of reasons. First, biochemistry is an interesting and exciting subject to be involved in, because of the number of experiments that could be conducted and the potential to formulate new experiments. There is always something new to spark the interest of students. In addition, these experiments can have tangible and measurable products, usually with visible changes, usually colorimetric in character. This can encourage and motivate the students to do the experiments, despite probably experiencing setbacks and not seeing results. Moreover, the topics of biochemistry are easily applicable to their lives, and so they will find the sense and reason behind studying these lessons and conducting the experiments. For example, knowing how our food, through its production of ATP, powers our daily activities can be easily applicable and understandabl e since eating is a common human process that, when not undertaken, results in weakness. However, I know that teaching is a difficult job to do. Although biochemistry is an enjoyable topic to discuss, I know that I should be hardworking, patient, passionate and creative in teaching my students. It is my belief that the potential of biochemistry being enjoyed by the students can only be realized if the teacher is able to tap its strengths and blunt its weaknesses. I should be able to formulate enjoyable and exciting experiments by using reactions that produce color changes. If the students do not perform the experiments well the first time, I should be patient in guiding my students to the eventual achievement of desired result. If my students see these characteristics in my personality, I hope they can imbibe these good qualities so that they can bring it as they grow older. Hopefully, I will be given the chance of not only giving my students knowledge, but teaching them qualities t hat can help them in the future. SUMMARY Chemical processes are vital in providing energy for all the functions of living things. Their extensive characterization entails the conduct of experiments that looked into the reactions’ different aspects. In part 1, intermediates of metabolic pathways such as glycolysis can be studied despite their low steady state concentrations by inhibiting the processing enzymes, in this case by exposing pyruvate decarboxylase to alkaline conditions. Aside from looking at the intermediates, other compounds, such as enzymes and

Impact of calorie labeling on menus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impact of calorie labeling on menus - Essay Example It is unlikely that posting the amount of calories that are in food while have a strong impact on diet or they health decisions for the majority of consumers. Some people may have been genuinely unaware of how unhealthy some of the food they were eating was, and as a consequence make a choice towards better eating. However, it is likely that people who do this will be in the minority.There are many different factors which control why consumers purchase different products, with price being only one of these. Other factors include the convenience, the price and the taste. Much of the food that is bought from chain restaurants such as McDonalds and Burger King is bought because consumers desire food that is fast and inexpensive. A study on the effect of showing the calories on menus at McDonalds showed that there was no significant difference in the calorie content of the meals that were brought before and after the changes to the menu were made (Harnack et al. 2008). Another study showed that the inclusion of calorie information on fast food menus in Seattle had no effect on consumption (Consumer Affairs 2011). Often at chain restaurants, the price of the food is directly related to the health, with food that is lower in calories generally being more expensive. Because of this, it is unlikely that making consumers more aware will change their eating habits, as the factors of price and convenience are likely to be more relevant than health.

Methods of Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Methods of Analysis - Essay Example The most commonly utilized tools include vertical analysis, horizontal analysis and ratio analysis (Haber, 2004). Vertical analysis-Vertical analysis involves reporting every item as a percentage of the other larger item. This method compares between 2 or more corporations within the same industry simple. In addition, vertical analysis permits a firm to weigh present reports against those of the past, illuminating areas that might require enhancement. For instance, when analyzing a balance sheet vertically implies that each item on the balance sheet is usually restated to be a % of the total sum of the assets. This technique also known as common-size analysis permits analysts to view the compositions of the various classes of financial statements. Sales is normally used as a reference class in addition to being the denominator of the rest of the computations when doing an income statement. On the other hand, the balance sheet makes use of total equity, total assets and total liabilities. One of the demerits of vertical analysis is the fact that it provides a view at only one singular period of operations, normally a year. This usually, makes it hard to arrive at conclusions regarding the company over time (Haber, 2004). Horizontal analysis-Horizontal analysis is a kind of essential analysis in which particular financial data is made use of to evaluate the performance of a business over a certain length of time. This sort of analysis can be evaluated on one company over a given length of time, making comparisons of similar ratios or items, or it can be done on several companies operating within the same industry to evaluate the performance of the company relative to the competition. Variations in this sort of analysis are referred to as the trend analysis; which basically begins with the 1st year a firm is in business, also commonly referred to as the base year. A

Journal Entry 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Journal Entry 3 - Assignment Example In most situations, a manager often analyze the task at hand and then determine the skill necessary to per take on the task. Studies have shown that most individuals have a better understanding or rather quicker understanding of tasks and hence per take then faster than others. It is for this sake that some tasks end up stalling because the team to undertake the task was not scrutinized or analyzed properly by the management. Other than stalling the process, this also slows down many processes and in turn might not only affect that department but the whole organization. When this happens, then the organization is likely to suffer a loss. In reality, a manager is meant to use the available resources for the undertaking of the task assigned. If the manager picks a task and the resources for the task are not available, then the process will be slow. At such instances, the employees under that manager also get frustrated because of lack of work and resources. At the same time, the employees are supposed to have the ability to understand the task at hand as they are part of the resources of an organization. There are various ways of determining the human behavior model. One of them is cognition. It is the process in humans which describe how information which is constantly acquired is transformed and stored for later use as knowledge in decision making. It includes a range of mental processes such as visual images, problem solving, languages and decision making. The task an employee is meant to be assigned depends on how this model has been analyzed and how quickly the employee works. The interpersonal process depends on how well the employees in the organization work and relate to each other. The grouping of employees during tasks also depends on their speed of working and the chemistry that exists between them. At the same time, the groups have to be put in manageable ways. One of the issues experienced is the grouping of

Us Foreign Policy With Respect To Iraq Essay Example for Free

Us Foreign Policy With Respect To Iraq Essay During the immediate post 911 period, President George W. Bush spent ample time addressing the United States and the world on the need to pursue and install democracy in Middle East as a long term strategy to winning the war against terror. This came in the wake of the events of the September 11th terror attack that left America shaken to its core. Such address by President Bush clearly defines in a summary the contemporary US foreign policy on Iraq. This paper will inadvertently analyze the foreign policy of the United States on Iraq. It will look at the motivation behind such policy, its achievement and the criticism that such a policy has attracted. Iraq has been a core subject in the United States foreign policy of long to an extent that it has been instrumental in shaping domestic and global politics. The nature of the United States foreign policy on Iraq is a reflection of the relationship that these two nations and the kind of the interaction that there leaders have been having. A look at the past decades of this relationship reveals that it has been full of conflicts and hostility, with the United States being the dominant player and Iraq, despite its immense resources, being on the receiving end although in defiance. The events that have shaped this modern foreign policy began taking shape in the 1980s. In the 1980s, Iraq was under the tutelage of the United States, benefiting from immense economic aid and also non-direct military support. By the time of the Iran-Iraq war, the United States did not issue sanctions despite Iraq’s bombing of the Kurds; instead it resulted to appeasing the then Iraq leader Saddam Hussein and intervening on his behalf. This relationship soured in the early 1990s after Iraq forces invaded and began an occupation in Kuwait citing unpaid up debts and oil feud. With the takeover highly condemned by the United Nations, the United States moved in with speed by sending its troops to the region signifying the commence of the Operation Desert Storm aimed at dislodging Iraq from Kuwait. Allied forces led by the United States liberated Kuwait and enforced a United Security Council resolution to dismantle all the held weapons of mass destruction by Iraq through an operation by the United Nations Monitors. The United States in a bid to extend its presence and occupation erected what came to be known as the â€Å"no-fly zones† heavily putting a stiff restriction on Iraq’s sense of sovereignty. This would indicate the start of a conflict that has by far come to shape today’s United States foreign policy in Iraq and by extension in the Middle East (Chollet, D. and James G. , 2008, 33). The United States since the end of the Operation Desert Storm has maintained its presence unleashing a series of air strikes towards Iraq. As a formal protest towards this transgression, Iraq began restricting the presence of the United Nations weapons inspectors terming them as a part of a larger espionage effort by the United States. Air strikes to this region have become a common event since 1993 by both the British and the United States forces. In a policy that has been sanctioned and appropriately defended by the successive American regimes, the United States has taken over the air space and heavily patrolled Iraq’s naval bases during Saddam’s regime to restrict any movements or any aggression towards Iraq’s neighbors. The United States took an active role in enforcing the sanctions as placed by the Security Council of which it is a key member possessing veto powers. Such sanctions were put in the hope that the hardships experienced would have a resultant effect of producing negative sentiments against Saddam’s rule. They were counter productive though as they strengthened Saddam’s resolve towards his stand in Iraq. One of the negative sides to the US supported sanction was that they only affected the citizens but not the ruling elite, while producing a generation that was anti-United States (Glenn P. ,2003, 58). The focus of the United State foreign policy as can be obviously discerned has been influenced by two things; terrorism and the first Gulf war. It is important to note that those that have largely supported the United States policy on Iraq have seen it as a necessary measure to â€Å"free up the Middle East military for further actions against Al Qaeda, to liberate the Iraqis people from their danger and establish, â€Å"a bunch bed of Arab democracy† (Richard A and Howard F. , 2004, 69). Such arguments have been widely criticized and indeed the United States foreign policy in Iraq has continued to draw mixed controversies with those in support of it being seen as pro war. There are those that see the United States policy as motivated by self interests and oil needs believing that if successful, such a foreign policy â€Å"would prompt US and multinational petroleum giants to rush into Iraq, dramatically increasing the out put of a nation whose oil reserves are second only to that of Saudi Arabia â€Å". (Nafeez M. , 2003, 234). Such sentiments have become prevalent in view of the raging debate over a foreign policy that has led the United States to be on a war path with the rest of the world. Most people in the world did not see the essence of the United States invasion. Polls taken prior to the commencement of the war had indicated that they did not favor the invasion which they did not see as justified. This would explain why the international community, the likes Russia, China and France failed to support the war, at the backdrop of the growing negative sentiment at home. The United States and the United Kingdom were alone in this war (Robert J. P. , 2005, 23). It is important though in the same light to analyze Presidents Bush’s fears over the possibility of Iraq harboring terrorists and the presence of weapons of mass destruction. As aforementioned, terrorism and the Gulf War of the early 1990 have had a significant impact on the structure of the current foreign policy towards Iraq. The United States during the Iran/Iraq was as history holds it, playing a crucial role in arming Iraq and probably turned a blind eye as Saddam Hussein stockpiled dangerous arsenals in readiness for an aggression with Iran. By then, the relations between the US and Iraq were what can be described as cordial with the United states hoping to use Iraq to contain the extremities characterizing Iran. Through this appeasement, Saddam Hussein was becoming dictatorial figure with little concern from the United States. The Kuwait invasion changed all this. With the search for weapons of mass destruction being in the fore several years after the Gulf War, President George W. Bush saw a perfect opportunity to invade Iraq citing the former’s reluctance to allow the search by the United Nations weapons inspectors. Since then, reference to the WMDs became an important tool in the formulation of foreign policy and in drumming up support for the war at home. The reluctance of the United Nations to sanction a strike against Iraq prompted the United States to near unilaterally take the matter into its own hands and wage war against Iraq. Capturing and hanging Saddam Hussein tragically ending decades’ long rule. The demise of Saddam and the fall of his regime would bring another key phase to the United States foreign policy, centering on how to contain the warning factors and maintain peace (Thomas E. Ricks, 2006, 54). Whether the terrorist attack by al Qaeda on September 11th prompted the renewed vigor in the foreign policy or it was a mere excuse to end Saddam’s rule is not clear. What is clear is that, the events of 911 prompted a radical shift in the policy of United States towards Iraq (Thomas G. et al, 2003, 86). The United States has been for long grappling with terrorism and maintains a huge list of suspected terrorist organization as well as nations that have links with such terrorist groups, either those that provide them with financial support or operation bases. The al Qaeda tops this list followed by other terrorist organizations from the Middle East. Indeed the nature of us foreign policy towards Middle East is structured in a way that insinuates that it regards the Middle East as the hot bed of terrorism. A visibly angry President Bush in the wake of the terror attacks warned that â€Å"states that harbor terrorists would be subject to military action† further warning the rogue states that in his Bush Doctrine, â€Å"either you are with us or you are with the terrorists† (Harvey W. , 2003,401). This was the vague link that was being used by Bush’s administration in the bid to garner domestic support for a war that proved afterwards to be grossly unpopular. Indeed, a huge portion of the Americas current foreign policy towards Iraq was influenced by this attack. President Bush exhibited an unrestrained impulse to install a new regime in Iraq and hence the excuse of the terror attack was a prefect opportunity. Bush’s administration had gained a lot of support both domestic and international in the war against terror especially directed towards al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan war commenced immediately after the 911 strike and was unanimously sanctioned by the congress. This was done in the belief that al Qaeda had formed a base in the mountainous region of Afghanistan. By extension, President George W. Bush believed that the existence of an unfriendly regime in Iraq would exacerbate the war against terror. The initial claims by the Bush administration that Saddam was harboring and aiding terrorists could not hold water. The reasons for the attack are still unclear, as Stefan H and Jonathan C (2005, 155) notes â€Å"weapons of mass destruction links with al-Qaeda, human rights abuses covered a wide and ever changing kaleidoscope†. This is because the claims on the presence of weapons of mass destruction â€Å"have been largely discredited and is retrospectively seen as a politically convenient pretext† (155) Indeed the general feeling is that the main reason for this war revolved around oil. It is worth noting that the United States foreign policy took a new turn after the toppling of Saddam Hussein. The United State had commenced a war without the proper authorization and sanctioning by the United States. With Saddam gone, the war had to be legitimized by installing a democratically elected government. Iraq conducted elections towards the beginning of 2005 under the watch of the United States military. Many argue however that such elections were used to disguise the huge discontent characterizing the Iraqis population with the hope of showing how united they were. History is rife with such examples where elections have been used to show national unity in the face of a brewing conflict underneath. With the rubberstamp of the United Nations, through the passage of resolution to oversee the elections, the United States had set the terms and conditions of the elections and was keen eyed to ensure that its candidate of choice emerged the winner. The Transitional Administrative Law which is playing a huge role in the governing process of the Iraq’s government, has given the United States a clear mandate, though defacto, to control Iraq. The post Iraq policy has been facing a number of challenges which mostly have been centering on the waging ethnicity in Iraq. Anna Mulrine (2008) identifies four challenges that are being encountered in the post war policy towards Iraq. The first one is the local militias. The United States has commenced a program that seeks to integrate the local militias into the police force to take advantage of their basic training and loyalty to the government especially the Sunni citizens. This fact however is exacerbated by the fact that these militias owe divided loyalty to both the government and to the insurgents. The rebuilding of Iraq is also hampered by the reduction of US forces in Iraq. There are plans to slash the number of US Army in Iraq due to the domestic opposition to surge at home. This creates a problem because the general feeling is that the Iraq police are too biased to be left to implement the reconstruction policies alone (Condoleeza R. , 2008, 52). The success of the United States foreign policy towards Iraq has not been largely seen by many especially in the knowledge that the war in Iraq had been largely criticized. Any success garnered so far is overshadowed by the intense criticism and the news of the numerous deaths and attacks suffered by the United States soldiers in a foreign land (Robert J. P. , 2005, 67). Most protagonists of war identify the toppling of Saddam and his consequent hanging as a major step towards democratization. In the words of President Bush, his toppling was a signal to all dictators that their numbers are numbered. The aim of the war was to make the world a safer place and secure American interests. This however is yet to be achieved as the war against terrorism is far from won. The recent elections and the setting up of a government however may be seen as a success to such policies but the war is yet to be over considering the huge insecurity charactering major towns in Iraq. United States soldiers are being killed daily and cases of suicide attacks are common, an indication that this war is far from over (Allawi, Ali, 2007, 46). The United States foreign policy has been largely criticized both domestically and internationally. Most of these criticism centers on the military intervention and the justification behind such intervention. Bush administration had misrepresented information on the urgency of the war due to the presence of weapons of mass destruction. This proved to be exercise in futility as the weapons were never found. The United States decided to take unilateral steps despite there being no evidence to indicate that indeed Iraq possessed WMDs. The links to terrorist could also not be established indicating that the evidence was largely manipulated. The fact that the US invaded Iraq without a proper mandate from the United Nations has also drawn criticism as it was in violation of the resolution 678 which was passed at the height of the Gulf War. Bush’s immense criticism was emanating from the public which led to the decline of the governments approval ratings to below thirty percent making president Bush the most unpopular president to be in office. International criticism centers on the unilateralism of America and also using democracy and terrorism as a disguise to the pursuits to secure oil resources in Iraq. It is apparent that the United States and Iraq have not been enjoying the best of relations in the past years. To Americans since the gulf war in the early 1990s, Iraq was the biggest threat to the world’s security as long as Saddam Hussein was on the driving seat. The United States foreign policy had been structured to reflect this. It is this suspicion that would lead the Bush administration to invade Iraq, topple and hang the despotic leader in the bid to install a democratic government in one of the most defiant nation in the Middle East. President Bush used lies and manipulation of evidence to initiate a war that has lead to the down fall of his presidency. The United States effort to install a democratic government and curb insecurity is yet to materialize as it is facing a myriad of challenges in addition to the growing criticism back at home. Crucial concern now to the United States foreign policy on Iraq is how to maintain peace and stability in a volatile country so as to implement the set program towards reconstruction. Bibliography Richard A. Falk, Howard Friel, 2004. The Record of the Paper: The New York Times on US Foreign Policy and International Law, 1954-2004. Verso. Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed, 2003. Behind the War on Terror: Western Secret Strategy and the Struggle for Iraq. CLAIRVIEW BOOKS. Harvey W. Kushner, 2003. Encyclopedia of Terrorism. SAGE. Anna Mulrine, September 16, 2008. Four Challenges Petraeus Leaves Behind for His Successor in Iraq. News World Report. Retrieved on 0ctober 15, 2008 from http://www. usnews. com/articles/news/iraq/2008/09/16/four-challenges-petraeus-leaves-behind-for-his-successor-in-iraq. html? PageNr=2 Stefan Halper, Jonathan Clarke, 2005. America Alone: The Neo-Conservatives and the Global Order. Cambridge University Press. Robert J. Pauly, 2005. US Foreign Policy and the Persian Gulf: Safeguarding American Interests Through Selective Multilateralism. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Robert J. Pauly, Tom Lansford, 2005. Strategic Preemption: U. S. Foreign Policy and the Second Iraq War. Ashgate Publishing Ltd. Thomas George Weiss, Margaret E. Crahan, John Goering, 2004. Wars on Terrorism and Iraq: Human Rights, Unilateralism, and U. S. Foreign Policy. Routledge Thomas E. Ricks, 2006. Fiasco, The American Military Adventure In Iraq. Penguin. Chollet, Derek and James Goldgeier, 2008. America Between the Wars. Public Affairs, Perseus Books Group Allawi, A. , 2007. The Occupation of Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the Peace, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Factors Which Are Affecting Health

Factors Which Are Affecting Health The social determinants of health consists of various factors that determine health and wellbeing, for instance, socio-economic factors, genders, cultures and education (McMurray, 2010). Some groups of people are healthier than others. There is a relation between income and health, as well as they are strong predictors of health. People with low economic status have poor education, unemployment, job insecurity bad working conditions and lower class jobs (Marmot, Foege, Mocumbi Satcher, 2008). It affects the access of healthy environments and appropriate medical care facilities (Dew Matheson, 2008). In New Zealand, there is a significant disparity in health between the Maori and non-Maori people of Aotearoa New Zealand. Maori people and pacific people are highly vulnerable to ill health and disabilities. Maori mortality rates are approximately double as compared with European New Zealanders rate (Dew Davis, 2005). However, many surveys found that Maori have similar or lower rates of hospitalization than other New Zealanders in spite of their higher demand of treatment. This shows that financial conditions affect not only production but also consumption of health care. (Ministry of Health, 2002). The poor health status of Maori may due to poor economic circumstances. Maori people aged between 45 years and 64 years are more likely to die than others in this same age in New Zealand (Dew Matheson, 2008). Inequality in life expectancy and the risk of death rate are significant health inequality. The gap in life expectancy between Maori and non-Maori increased to 10 years. The early death rate in Maori population is mainly related to occupational class. More Maori people are doing unskilled works than others and it can cause higher risk of early death (Dew Matheson, 2008). Nursing services should be organised according to demands of whanau rather than the needs of providers. Nurses must recognise, understand and remove financial, cultural, geographical, physical barriers for reducing inequalities in health. Economic barriers are unsafe working conditions with little jobs, unemployment, inadequate housing, crime, high disparities in income and wealth. Participation and encouraging them with proper support at all levels of the health and disability sector can improve their status. Maori participation should be ensured in planning, development and delivery of health and disability services (King Turia, 2002). Therefore, they must get appropriate and effective nursing care. Moreover, Maori should be ensured with development and workforce enhancement. Nursing services should be culturally appropriate. Maori health models should be used for caring Maori. Build and recognize values of Maori models of health and traditional healing, for example, massage, herb al remedies and spiritual care. They want services that reflect Maori cultural values. Nurses must provide workplace education, health promotion and clinical services to keep the work place and its employers safe and healthy. They need high levels of communication skills, understanding of interpersonal and government standards and legislation. Plunket nurses provide family parenting support in community (McMurry, 2010). Treaty of Waitangi protects the rights of responsibilities of Maori. Therefore, it reduces in equalities in health in New Zealand ( McMurray, 2010). The government introduces strategies to decrease inequality in health status. They are New Zealand Health Strategy as well as Health and Disability Strategy. This strategy makes sure accessible and appropriate care services for people from lower socio- economic group including Maori. It helps to identify and provide care according to their health needs. The Ministry of Health provides nutritional guidelines and policies for New Zealanders to address nutritional needs. Maori and Pacific people are the groups, who have the poorest health status in New Zealand. Improving the quality of health education programs focused at Maori can improve their status. Encourage the Maori health providers to participate in health section and organization of smoking cessation programs. Increase mental health services for Maori. People with poor health often find to get a good job. Health status determines socio-economic position. The main disability services are income support, disability allowance, acc idental compensation, antidiscrimination legislation as well as education and support services for people with disabilities, chronic illness and mental health illness living in the community (King Turia 2002).The government and the Ministry of Health provide key priority to reduce health disparity among Maori. Encourage Maori health providers to build Maori models of health. The New Zealand Disability Strategy pointed out the demand to remove the barriers like discrimination among Maori with disabilities. Improve the number of trained Maori clinicians, health professionals, managers, community and voluntary worker and researchers in order to strengthen the health and disability sector. Improving the skills of the Maori health and disability workforce can reduce inequality in health. Publicly funded hospitals and primary health care organisations have started to identify and meet the needs of Maori. Now many hospitals have Maori and whanau units, as a result they get better care and culturally safe treatment. District health boards are working with primary health care and it plays a significant role in reducing health inequalities (King, 2002). Smoking is significantly prevalent among Maori in New Zealand. Many Maori women die early due to smoking related to illness at greater than others. There is no decrease in the smoking percentage among Maori for the last five years. There are many psychological factors that are associated with smoking. Depression and anxiety are closely related with smoking. Depression can cause smoking, whereas, addiction of smoking can lead to depression. Parental influence is another causative factor for smoking. If parents are smokers, children will be more vulnerable to smoking. Researchers found that, these children have four fold risks than other children. Suicidal tendencies, low self esteem, poor body image, low socio-economic status, and lack of academic performance at school as well as poor quality of life are also influencing factors for smoking. The psycho-social conditions of adolescents and their behaviour decisions can cause depression and risk taking behaviours (McMurry, 2010). In New Zealand, 42% smokers are Maori. These indigenous people with low levels of education, employment and home ownership are more vulnerable to smoking. People who have prolonged mental stress are also having a high risk of smoking. Many youngsters start to smoke as an experiment. Finally they gets addicted to these substances. Smoking can cause severe health problems like lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, pneumonia and asthma. Passive smokers are also more vulnerable to lung cancer. When women smoke during pregnancy, it can lead to intra uterine death and deliver a baby with low birth weight (MOH, 2008). In conclusion, Maori have poorest health status in New Zealand. The socio- economic determinants of health are responsible for health equalities. Home ownership and property ownership are low in Maori than others. Therefore, salary is the main source of income for them. Labour market is a significant income for them. The low income negatively influences their health. The government introduced New Zealand Health Strategy to reduce inequality. This essay discussed about current nursing practice taking initiation to reduce this disparity. Moreover, Risk taking behaviour such as smoking causes many problems and psychological factors related with smoking.

Shirley Jacksons Symbolism in The Lottery :: Shirley Jackson Lottery Essays Papers

Shirley Jackson's Symbolism in The Lottery Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery', is a story that is filled with symbolism. The author uses symbolism to help her represent human nature as tainted, no matter how pure one thinks of himself or herself, or how pure their environment may seem to be. The story is very effective in raising many questions about the pointless nature of humanity regarding tradition and violence. 'The Lottery' clearly expresses Jackson's feelings concerning mankind?s evil nature hiding behind traditions and rituals. She shows how coldness and lack of compassion in people can exhibit in situations regarding tradition and values. Jackson presents the theme of this short story with a major use of symbolism. Symbolism shows throughout the setting of 'The Lottery,' the objects, the peoples actions, and even in the time and the names of the lucky contestants. The setting of the story helps to magnify its impact on the reader because it is set in a small town similar to the one many of us may know of, and that is symbolic of everything that we consider to be right in America. The story begins on a wonderful summer day in a small town. The author describes the day as very joyful but strikes a contrast between the surroundings of the town and the atmosphere of the people gathered in the square. The atmosphere is sober, where the adults ?stood together, away from the stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather then laughed."(268) This, in just the third paragraph, is a indication through symbolism of the townsfolk?s sober mood that something was amiss. The setting for the lottery also takes place in the same place as the square dances, the teen-age club, and the Halloween program.(268) This unifies our lives with those of the story sense we can relate to those types of events, and is symbolic in showing that even t hough this dastardly deed happens here that it is still the main place of celebration. Showing how easy it is for us, as human beings, to clean our conscientious by going back to a place that, on June 27, is a place of death and make it a place of delight. The black box is a good representation of the central idea to the story. The box is painted in black, which has always been a universal symbol for evil and death.

Cultural Relativism Essay -- Gender Roles, Female Genital Circumcision

In February 2007, the fourth annual conference of â€Å"Zero Tolerance Against Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting† was held. Their meeting brought together scholars and lay people alike, all whose main concern was the issue of Female Genital Cutting (FGC). However, this conference was unlike others in that the focus of discussion wasn’t how to eliminate this practice, but rather, whether it should be eliminated at all (Goldberg 121). When Fuambai Ahmadu, a Ph.D. fellow and first generation American from Sierra Leone, took the floor, everyone listened. Ahmadu was raised in America and as an adult, traveled back to Sierra Leone to take part in the ritual of Female Genital Cutting. She chose to participate in this â€Å"initiation† and what she feels is an important part of her social identity. While she defended her choice, and her position on FGC, many were outraged. They couldn’t understand how an African woman could defend this mutilation. Ahmadu responded â€Å"I may be different from you and I am excised, but I am not mutilated. Just like I will not accept anybody calling me by the ‘N’ word to define my racial identity, I will not have anybody call me by the ‘M’ word to define my social identity, my gender identity† (Goldberg 123). The subject of Female Genital Circumcision is one that has been hotly debated for decades. Those who oppose the practice cite its potential long-lasting consequences. They state numerous physical, emotional and sexual side-effects. Possibilities range from infection to, sepsis, infertility and death. Author Benita Shell-Duncan explains in an article on FGC that, in 1959 The United Nations adopted The Declaration of the Rights of the Child which states â€Å"that each child shall be given the opportunity ‘to develop phy... ...ry 100 circumcised males in the world there are 21 circumcised females. Routine circumcision is unethical to say the least, whether it's a girl, an older boy, or a baby. So before we all gasp in horror at what is going on overseas maybe we should look at what we are doing right here in our own country (Squires, par. 16). It is easy to condemn a practice that we do not understand. After closer analytical examination, one can see that there is no difference between the practice of female genital cutting and the practice of male circumcision. It is completely unfair and ethnocentric of the West to deem FGC inhumane, while Male circumcision runs rampant. Just because we are a developed, first-world nation with the ability to perform the procedure in state of the art hospitals, does not make it any less traumatizing. A rose by any other name is still a rose (Hammond).

Dementia: Forgotten Memories Essay -- Dementia Condition and Symptoms

While the average life expectancy of the world’s population has increased, the number of detected dementia cases has commensurately risen to astonishing levels. Along with improved discovery of this disorder, new causes and treatments have been found, from which many innovative techniques have been developed towards the prevention of future incidences and reduction of the effects of this condition; however, the quest for these solutions have raised more questions than it has answered. Why do some develop this disorder, while others do not? Can early detection be achieved to reverse the processes or limit its effects? Further specifics on these topics have been categorized into three main sections, which include: 1. Dementia – Condition and Symptoms 2. Causes of this Disorder 3. Treatments and Cures Dementia – Condition and Symptoms â€Å"Dementia is the progressive deterioration in cognitive function - the ability to process thought† (Nordqvist, 2009, para. 1) and can be separated into two main categories: cortical and subcortical, physically speaking; for example, Alzheimer’s disease is a type of cordical dimentia, while Parkinson’s disease is classified as subcortical in nature. Many of the people suffering from these afflictions, which are usually middle-aged and older, appear to lose the ability to recall particular events, time of day, or in more advanced stages, the identity of their friends and family. Other symptoms of this condition have been reported as difficulty with speech, depression, balance issues and general disorientation. Causes of this Disorder Although Alzheimer’s disease appears to be the most common cause of dementia, â€Å"more than 50 conditions are associated with dementia, including degenerative ... ...g conditions that mimic the outward signatures of dementia, which were thought to be reserved for Alzheimer’s disease, or other mind altering conditioned patients. It has been shown that depression, while treatable and not directly related to dementia, can exhibit the very same signs and should be carefully examined and studied before rushing to judgement. References Michaels, A. (2007, April 22). Drug Treatment for Dementia Sufferers. Article Directory. Retrieved October 19, 2008, from Articlesbase database. Nordqvist, C. (2009, March 19). What is Dementia? What Causes Dementia? Symptoms of Dementia. Medical News Today. Retrieved June 16, 2010, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/142214.php Swirzewski, S. (2000, Jan 02). Dementia Causes. Neurology Channel. Retrieved June 17, 2010, from http://www.neurologychannel.com/dementia/causes.shtml

Description of a Religious Festival Essay

Write an essay describing a religious festival you celebrated, mentioning what you saw and did in the festival Religion is a â€Å"collective conscience†, a shared outlook created by ceremonies. Most common religion in India is Hinduism. Hindus celebrate thousands of events every year and each in a similar manner, including chanting prayers to the gods and making sweets. Ram Navmi is also one of the event celebrated Hindus. This occasion has great momentousness therefore it’s a nationwide holiday. It is celebrated two days after the seven navratras. Navratras are the days of ‘pooja’ in which Goddess Durga is worshipped by the people for bringing peace and prosperity in their life. People especially ladies keep fast for the first eight days and open on the ninth day. Goddess Durga have nine different incarnations, worshipped one each day. Havans are done, which is also believed by the people that it’s smoke purify the homes. On the ninth day a bigger ‘havan’ is done and then ladies in the family prepare meals for seven young girls and one boy. These girls are treated with respect as they are considered the different forms of Goddess Durga. They are also given offerings in the form of cash. We also celebrate Ram Navmi and so my mother kept a fast for two days. We could not do havan on the first eight days due to lack of space but on the ninth day we had a ‘pandal’ built, made up of tent cloth which was all red in colour which was to give the event its effect supported by thin logs. A pandit was called to conduct the rights and rituals and my mother prepared food for the girls. The eighth day was hectic for me bit I enjoyed it . my sister and I prepared the invitations cards for the children. They had a silver colored fringe with text in golden and a picture of Lord Ganesha with red background. I went to each one’s house to invite them. I also went to buy eight gifts and keeping in mind their ages I found all the appropriate gifts. Then came the ninth day, I was woke up from my sleep by the ‘shank’ sound. I took my bath and got ready for the function. The ‘havan’ started and gradually the girls also came and there was deluge of tasks poured upon me. I had to bring the bucket full of water to wash the ‘kanyas’ feet. Then I went to help the pandit with ‘ghee’,’yoghurt’, etc.

Human genome online assignment Essay

1) If genetic manipulation does become a reality, I think allowing non-disease characteristics to be altered would have serious ethical and social implications. Screening for diseases and treating or eradicating them totally would be a huge benefit to mankind, but to use genetic technology to produce â€Å"designer babies† will most likely lead to a social divide similar to that portrayed in the movie â€Å"Gattaca† (De Vito and Niccol, 1997). Such technology would most likely be expensive and only those who can afford it will benefit and gain undue advantage over those not fortunate enough to have the financial means to avail of the technology, leading to a social system where you have the genetically-enhanced superior class and the â€Å"inferior† citizens conceived the natural way. 2) I don’t think life insurance companies should have access to a person’s genetic information. As it is, I believe insurance policies already hold a lot of stipulations that policy holders more often than not, end up receiving the short end of the bargain. If insurance companies find out that a person has a predisposition to a disease, they could easily refuse to provide that person with insurance and that I think, would be unfair since they would be depriving that person of his need to secure financial aid in case he does get sick. In the interest of fairly sharing risks though, insurance companies may be allowed limited access to genetic information. Limited, because I believe the welfare of policy holders should still be of topmost priority and any form of discrimination against individuals should not be allowed. 3) Yes, I believe that the information from the Human Genome Project (HGP) will bring tremendous benefits to a lot of people in the next 20 years. Technology develops at a very fast pace and it is not impossible that Collins’ predictions may very well come true. Already, the underlying genetic problems responsible for certain diseases have already been identified and with the genetic map from the HGP, the causes of a lot of other afflictions will be identified and from there, therapies can and will be developed. Even though custom-made therapies will most likely be more difficult to develop and perfect, the identification of disease genes will still greatly benefit the general population (Nova Online, 2001). 4) I think we are not that prepared for the implications that will result from the applications of these information. Right now, our society is already struggling with various other ethical issues in other biotechnological fields like stem cell research and it would be too naive to ignore the present and potential issues that may arise due to the far-reaching consequences of the HGP. 5) I don’t think employers should have access to an individual’s genetic information since there is the danger that a person may be discriminated on the basis of his genetic profile. As of present, I think discrimination may be viewed as singling out an individual for what he is (e. g. his race, gender, etc. ), but to discriminate someone based on his genetic profile would also mean discriminating him for what he could be. A person can be at risk for a certain disease but that’s just it – it’s a probability, not a guarantee. Besides, it would also mean discounting a person’s capabilities in spite of whatever genetic condition he may have. There have been countless stories of people overcoming their disabilities so there is no reason that one should be discriminated or favored based on his genetic makeup. 6) I don’t think it is that surprising, especially if I consider that like me, these lower organisms are alive, so it’s really just logical that we do share something in common. Considering though how much more complex we seem to be compared to these organisms, then yes, it is surprising that we don’t seem to be that genetically different from them. 7) I believe that testing of unborn children should be confined to deleterious genes, i. e. those that have serious and possibly life-threatening consequences such as that with diseases. I believe it’s a matter of putting things in perspective. Traits and disabilities like homosexuality or color blindness may be undesirable but they really seem trivial compared to serious afflictions that may mean life or death for the child. 8) If it’s a curable or preventable disease, then I would probably be in favor of being tested so that I can take the necessary steps to prevent or prepare myself in case I do get sick. However, I can’t say that decision would be as simple in the case of non-treatable diseases, because as with the woman who tested positive for a BRCA mutation (Nova Online, 2001), knowing that I am at risk for a disease that has no cure will probably mean that I will be living my life everyday with a sword hanging over my head and it would be very hard to live life that way. 9) Yes, I would want my mate and I to be tested if we were carriers for a disease prior to having children. I wouldn’t want to take the risk of bearing a child only to have him/her suffer from the disease that we carry when we could’ve spared him/her from that difficult life. I believe that I owe it to my future child to have myself and my partner tested. 10) I don’t think genes or genomic material should be patented because as Lander has observed, apprehensions over whether a particular gene or part of the genome has already been patented has become a limiting factor in that drug companies usually wouldn’t want to take the risk of working on treatments that might already be protected by a patent (Nova Online, 2001). I believe that there are several ways that scientists can approach a disease and develop a treatment for it, so why patent genes or genomic material? Why not just let everybody have access to such information so that not only one drug company can work at a specific disease but rather several, so that there’s a better chance that one of them will be able to develop a treatment which they would then have all the right to patent? Let’s take for example the case of cystic fibrosis. The gene responsible for this disease was discovered way back in 1989 and yet no cure has been discovered up to now (Nova Online, 2001). It only goes to show that identifying the gene responsible for the disease does not automatically mean that the cure would also be discovered consequently, so why allow the burden of further limitations brought on by patents? References: De Vito, D. (Producer), & Niccol, A. (Director). (1997). Gattaca [Motion Picture]. USA: Sony Pictures. NOVA Online. (2001). Cracking the code of life. Retrieved May 30, 2007, from http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/nova/genome/program. html.

Illegal Immigration and enforcement of laws Essay

America, as we know it today, is a melting pot of many nationalities, cultures, races, ethnic backgrounds, and religious pursuits. This is the result of the early massive immigration to American shores from countries across the globe seeking a new life inside the borders of the United States. This dream has not waned despite the march of time, with individuals coming from all walks of life, striving to fulfill their dreams of starting a new life for themselves and their families in the United States, or to send them financial support to alleviate the living conditions of their loved ones abroad. But recent times and events have turned the once open gates for these immigrants to closing windows of opportunity as the United States enforces some of the harshest laws primed to keep illegal immigrants from ever setting foot on American soil. The latest battleground for the enforcement of laws regarding the entry and stay of illegal immigrants in the United States is in the state of Arizona. Arizona Senate Bill 1070, the new debatable statute that empowers the police in the state to demand for the papers of any individual that they believe to have illegally entered the United States. Some of the law’s main advocates include the chief of the Maricopa police department, Joe Arpaio and Russell Pearce, the chief sponsor of the bill in the state Senate. Pearce has a personal angle to work for the strict enactment of the bill-Pearce’s son was shot to death by an illegal immigrant (Nathan Thornburgh). As Arizona Governor Jan Brewer affixed his signature to the controversial bill, enacting the same into law within the borders of the state, critics and opponents of the measure guaranteed that the measure’s passage into law will be met with stiff opposition. Many of the opponents of the bill promised stiff legal sanctions and economic boycotts poised to train their guns at Arizona, an event that the state can ill afford as the state is still in the morass of the housing sector collapse that has buffeted the economy of the United States. In the moments before the bill was signed, protesters and police clashed in a rally that has led to minor clashes with authorities, with more than 1,500 people chanting, praying, criticizing or praising Brewer as he began to enact the law. Four of the protesters were taken into custody, after engaging police in a bottle throwing battle, with authorities clad in riot gear (Craig Harris, Alia Beard Rau and Glen Creno). The Republican governor is faced with a vigorous challenge in the primaries and will need the support of the Conservative bloc to hold on to her office, averred that the new statute is one of the new instruments that the state will use in addressing the crisis that they were not responsible in creating, and stated that the Federal government has refused to address this issue at their level. The new legislation has put Arizona squarely in the national spotlight, with no less than United States President weighing in on the matter and CNN broadcasting the signing of the law by Brewer live (Harris, Rau and Creno). In the opinion of Dr. George Weissinger, Ph. D. , the problem with the illegal immigrants coming through the widely porous border regions of the United States with its southern neighbor is a dilemma that is not confined to the problem with U. S. -Mexico immigration problems, and opines that the enforcement of the present set of immigration laws by the United States government only contributes to the ever-increasing illegal immigrant population of the United States. Weissinger (2003) argues that much of the societal perceptions of the illegal alien in the United States vary from the sympathetic to the bigoted. With this type of confusion on the response of the society to the true plight of the illegal immigrants entering the United States, the responses as mentioned above are to be expected (Weissinger). What is considered to be a prime catalyst in the formation of the opinions of the society against or for the illegal immigrants is the media; the media usually characterizes the illegal alien as one who crosses over the border of his own country to the next, with nothing more spurring him/her on than the possibility of being able to find a means of employment that will allow them to fend for their families back in their own native lands. But with the events that occurred that tragic day on the 11th of September, 2001, the image of the illegal alien has radically been transformed. The media is a powerful conveyor of the way that the illegal immigrant is portrayed in American or any other society. When the news broadcast images of immigrant day laborers, this image will serve as the standard by which society deems what it defines to be the image of the illegal aliens in the society (Weissinger). Many of these characterizations are more inclined on the aesthetics rather than the economic, health or issues that deal with conflicts with the law. Many residents in the area that illegal immigrant congregate usually fear a decrease in their property values, or even some have the notion that the illegal immigrants might become a hindrance to their business activities. These illegal immigrants flock to many locations in the United States where they hope that potential employers will hire them for the day, thus allowing them to send some financial aid to their families back home. But even without the Arizona and California laws, there is ample laws provided to the Federal government to deal with the problem of illegal immigrants (Weissinger). The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), under Title 8 USC Section 1357, has appointed officers and other personnel to implement the law on illegal immigrants, allowing them the mandate to question suspected illegal immigrants with regards to their continued stay in the United States, even without the benefit and requirement of a warrant. But unfortunately, the agency has been remiss in this duty to address this problem even before the enactment of the controversial Arizona statute. In the operating policy of the INS, now officially known as the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE), the target of the body is not the illegal immigrants themselves, but the employers who hire these illegal immigrants, removing the demand, and not the supply, in an effort to discourage illegal immigrants from coming to the United States to find employment. These operating policies developed as a result of the implementation of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (Weissinger). But Arizona is not alone among the states of the Union trying to address their problems with regards to the burgeoning number of illegal aliens in their states. The Washington Times, known as a conservative publication, has recently reported that the illegal immigrant statute in California is akin to the one being enacted and implemented in Arizona. The Post reports that in the Penal Code of California, section 834b, states that California law enforcement units should fully cooperate with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) with regards to any individual that is taken into custody if the person is allegedly in the United States under the premise on infringing existing United States immigration laws. Advocates of the Arizona law aver that the basis of the law in the state simply follows the gist of existing Federal statutes regarding illegal immigrants. Laws that have been implemented by the Federal government for the past seven decades. The text of the California section reads as follows: With respect to any such person who is arrested, and suspected of being present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws, every law enforcement agency shall do the following: (1) Attempt to verify the legal status of such person as a citizen of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted as a permanent resident, an alien lawfully admitted for a temporary period of time or as an alien who is present in the United States in violation of immigration laws. The verification process may include, but shall not be limited to, questioning the person regarding his or her date and place of birth, and entry into the United States, and demanding documentation to indicate his or her legal status (Dennis Romero). George Orwell, author of such works as â€Å"Animal Farm† and â€Å"1984†, states that one of the great tragedies in crafting such important legislation, is that thousands of dollars in taxpayer’s money are wasted in crafting these laws. Many eagerly anticipate for the passage of the law, then downgrade the importance of actually enforcing the law itself. In the time that the debate on the need of the law in the first place, the very thing that the law was crafted for in the first place remains and grows, becoming part and parcel of the life of the society. Until such time that the issue has become too damaging to the society, it is only in that time that the law will be once again resurrected to address the problem, which could have been addressed if the law was enforced earlier (Arizona Immigration Laws). The law that empowered the INS/BICE to enforce the laws on immigration was originally crafted by the United States Congress, with both houses giving unanimous support to the immigration bills, as the laws were enacted in the early years of the 20th century. The laws against illegal immigration were rendered to the hands of the President of the United States, with the belief that the Executive branch will be able to faithfully execute the tenets of the law. The enforcement of the laws went smoothly until the 1960’s, when the implementation of the civil rights laws in the United States and the rigorous enforcement of the laws regulating Hispanic immigration into America found themselves at loggerheads in the political circle. Unfortunately, the law against the entry of illegal immigrants coming from the southern American neighbors, particularly Hispanic immigrants, was overthrown to accommodate the caprices of United States Democrat senators, caring more for the support of the affluent farmers in their constituencies than assuring that the laws against the entry of illegal immigrants into the United States was conscientiously enforced (Arizona). But are immigrants actually those that are in violation of United States immigration laws? According to Dr. Weissinger (2003), those that violate immigration laws are not considered as immigrants. In his opinion, there is a wide degree of differentiation against those that willingly infringe on the laws of the United States, and those immigrants that apply for residency in the United States, faithfully complying with the many requirements needed to gain legal citizenship in the United States. The confusion between the two contributes to the illogical responses and connotations attached to the illegal issue and picturing these two as equal issues is the result of dubious logic (Weissinger). The emphasis of the current administration on the strict, unyielding enforcement of the immigration laws has given way to a increased number of deportations by the BICE. In the statement of ICE assistant secretary John Morton, ICE is expected to acquire the needed resources and logistics that will allow the agency to deport more than 400,000 illegal immigrants in 2010. This figure, according to Morton, is an increase of 10 percent over the figures posted the previous year. In addition, increasing numbers of raids on companies and businesses that are allegedly contracting the services of illegal immigrants have registered an increase of nearly four times than the entire administration of former President George W. Bush. In the statement of the ICE, the priority of the agency is the location, arrest and eventual deportation of convicted criminals and other lawless elements in the United States illegally (Jurist Legal News and Research Services, Inc. ). The Department of Homeland Security is also fine tuning its resources intended to enforce Federal immigration laws, revising its 287g program, that gave a mandate to local police authorities to implement immigration statutes, which is considered one of the more disputable aspects of American border policy. But critics of the program aver that the program, originally intended to determine the identity of criminals in the United States in violation of immigration laws, has led to racial profiling by the police authorities in the areas where immigrants abound. They aver that the law gave the power to law enforcement authorities to arrest illegal immigrants even om such minor citations as a broken tail light. But many of the supporters aver the efficaciousness of the program, saying the program has become an effective tool in addressing the problem of illegal immigration (Miriam Jordan). In the new policy to be released by the DHS, the powers of the police to interrogate and arrest illegal immigrants, with the intent of preventing sheriff and police personnel to accost suspected illegal immigrants on the premise that they have violated some fictitious infarction as a means of initiating deportation proceedings against the individual. In the last two years, according to the data released by the Homeland Security Department, approximately 120,000 alleged illegal immigrants were identified with the use of the program, with the majority of the cases ending in deportation of the suspected illegal immigrant. Arpaio, one of the staunchest supporters of the Arizona illegal immigrants law, is also considered one of the most active enforcers of the program on the local level. But the Maricopa sheriff is under investigation by no less than the United States Department of Justice, investigating claims that Maricopa sheriff deputies have utilized skin color as a front to detain Hispanics that they believe are illegal immigrants (Jordan). With approximately 10. 8 million illegal immigrants in the United States, the issue of immigration is considered to be one of the most heavily debated issues in the United States. The Arizona statute, regarded as the harshest measure enacted by a state in recent history against the problem of illegal immigrants, requires that local police establish the fact that a person is an illegal immigrant, that they have logical basis to do so, and to place under police custody those individuals who fail to prove or to present documents that they are in the United States legally. Under the law, the acts of transporting an illegal immigrant and to hire day laborers are also penalized. In the opinion of Senator Pearce, he believes that handcuffs, used on the ‘right’ individuals, can be considered as an effective crime fighting tool (Tim Gaynor, David Schwartz). At present, there is a large number of undocumented illegal immigrants in the United States. Spread across such states as California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas, the number of illegal immigrants, those that are here to find work and also those who are in America for more nefarious ends, continues to expand due to the reluctance of the Federal government to adequately and faithfully enforce United States laws on illegal immigration. As such, they are becoming burdensome on the systems of the United States; health care, welfare, education, employment and other programs of the Federal government, resources that should have been used for those that are in the United States legally and for its citizens (Arizona). Works Cited Arizona Immigration Law. â€Å"The Dilemma of Illegal Immigrtion: Enforcment of Current Federal/ State Laws versus Reform. † Gaynor, Tim, Schwartz, David. â€Å"Arizona passes tough illegal immigration law†. Harris, Craig, Rau, Alia Beard, Creno, Glen, â€Å"Arizona govenor signs immigration law; foes promise fight†. Arizona Republic. 24 April 2010. Jordan, Miriam. â€Å"New Curbs Set on Arrests of Illegal Immigrants†. Wall Street Journal 11 July 2009. Jurist Legal News and Research Services, Inc. â€Å"US government increasing enforcement of immigration laws: report†. Romero, Dennis. â€Å"California’s Illegal-Immigration Enforcement Law is Tougher than Arizona’s†. Thornburgh, Nathan. â€Å"Arizona Police Split on Immigration Crackdown†. Time Magazine 30 April 2010. Weissinger, George, Ph. D. â€Å"The Illegal Alien Problem: Enforcing the Immigration Laws†.

Hotel Rwanda Essay

The movie â€Å"Hotel Rwanda† is a pathetic story of perhaps the most recent large-scale genocide that should act as a constant reminder to humanity. The atrocities of the Hutu tribesmen relentlessly wiping out the alien Tutsi tribe impress anyone with a heart for human suffering. However, the film is also a tale of human courage and will, in particular the qualities demonstrated by the hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina. This character skilfully portrayed by Don Cheadle leaves an indelible impression on the viewers, showing them how a person can transform from an ordinary selfless man into a leader capable of protecting people from the terror reigning outside. Paul Rusesabagina starts out with the desire to protect his family. He remains sympathetic but passive when he sees a neighbour taken by the Hutu police just because he is a Tutsi. However, with his own wife being of the Tutsi ethnicity, he can no longer remain aside from what is going on in the nation. The Hutu police clamp down on Tutsis, chasing and killing them throughout the country. In days, there are corpses all around and the nation is reverberating with horror. Faced with this terror, Paul is also confronted with the challenge of a thousand of Tutsi refugees in his luxurious hotel. The most upscale hotel in the nation becomes home to a thousand of helpless poor people unable to protect themselves. A different man could have driven them out, but Paul is not the one: he risks incurring the displeasure of the Hutu police. When things get wrong, and the Hutus are raiding his hotel, he hangs on to the only link to survival he has, the phone connection to Belgium. Through what seems almost a miracle, the danger retreats, and Paul and his â€Å"guests† remain in the same suspended position. In this little accident, he acts like a real leader. His leadership does not arise from a commanding posture; instead, he leads people with his vision and ability to be human. Paul clearly shows that he is ready to endanger his personal fate to save others, and people are even more encouraged to trust. This is a very courageous step as, being a Hutu and the manager of a top-notch hotel, he could have been able to save not only himself, but perhaps also his wife and kids. This would become even more realistic if he had kept a low profile. This is not what he was going to do when his hotel housed numerous Tutsis desperately clinging to him as their only way to salvation. This realisation that people depend on him has led him to give up the opportunity to rescue when the UN contingent was taking people to planes and out of the hotel. At the very last moment, Paul screams to his wife that he was not going to join the rest as they were going on their way to salvation. Paul is also the one to house the survivors when it turns out that they cannot make it to the planes. Paul, with his courage and will to counteract the terror that reigns outside, remains the only support for his â€Å"dependents†. The world including the NATO peacekeeping force refuses to interfere. The Colonel of the â€Å"Blue Helmets† feels shamed and dismayed telling Paul that they have abandoned him. Yet Paul does not give up, nor does he flee; he stays in his place, attending to the daunting task of harbouring the people. He even has the wisdom to tell his people that they should call all the influential people they know all over the world and create the pathetic image as if they are holding their hand. Letting this hand loose would mean that Rwandans die – and this could act as inspiration for these important people to act for the sake of the remote African country. Paul Rusesabagina acts like a strong man whose strength stems from his love of people. His appreciation of human life, its intrinsic value, and humane character make him an outstanding example of the art of being human. Displaying unwavering courage and will power in the face of life-threatening savages, the manager of Hotel Rwanda has won himself fame of a selfless and powerful man. Bibliography Hotel Rwanda. Dir. Terry George. With Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo. WGA, 2004. Hotel Rwanda. Official Website. 11 Mar. 06 .

Explaining my scheme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Explaining my scheme - Essay Example In this chapter, an overview is given in Section 4.2. Then, Section 4.3 illustrates how the initial labels are allocated and how the different relationships are determined. Section 4.4 describes how insertions are handled and how different relationships are preserved. A validation of the relationships using algebra is shown in Section 4.5. Finally, in Section 4.6, the chapter ends with a general conclusion that leads to the following chapter which discusses the scheme from the point of view of implementation. The proposed scheme is based on the parent-child grouping to facilitate the identification of parent-child and sibling relationships faster, based on a simple comparison. Parent-child grouping was also selected due to the high number of xml documents that come with this type of relationship (Goldman & Widom, 1997). Again, parent-child and sibling grouping facilitate smother insertions of new nodes, given the fact that in this form of grouping only a simple tree structure will be dealt with rather than the whole tree (Cohen, Kaplan & Milo, 2002). The advantage of allowing smoother insertion builds on the prefix GroupID labelling scheme but does not determine a fixed number of nodes to be inserted. Gusfield (1997) also observed that when dealing with parent-child groupings, labelling can be thought of as being easier, faster and more accurate as it deals with a simple tree structure. The simple structure has to do with a root node and its direct children nodes. Another critical characteristic of the scheme is that it uses two labels for each node in order to facilitate the processing nodes within the same group that uses their simple local labels. This is in contrast with multiplication-based scheme where the global label is used to connect a group to the whole tree which helps in identifying relationships between nodes belong to different group (Milo & Suciu, 1999). Based on existing schemes such

The Logic and Evidental Problem of Evil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Logic and Evidental Problem of Evil - Essay Example All materials presented in this paper will come from class notes and a secondary source. Logical Problem of Evil Atheist J.L Mackie presented this argument where he argued that there is a contradiction between the existence of God and the existence of evil (Kelly 218). Mackie formulated his argument that there seems to be an evident contradiction between four main premises. One of them is that God is an omnipotent (Kelly 219). This premise translates that God is all-powerful, meaning that he is supposed to have the power of eliminating all evil that exists in this world (Meister 132). The second premise is that God is an omniscient. This second premise translates that God is all-knowing, meaning that he could have the ability to detect the occurrence and existence of evil in order to prevent or eliminate it. The third premise according to Mackie is that God is Omni-benevolent (Meister 132). This argument translates that God is all-good, meaning he would have the will to prevent all t he evils from happening in this world (Meister 132). The fourth premise indicates that evil and suffering exists in this world (Meister 132). This premise translates that there is evidence of moral and natural evil existence in this world. Reflecting on all of the above four premises Mackie concluded that God does not exist. The above four premises leads to a contradiction between the existence if evil and God. This derives to a point that God does not exist. For example, it is easy to reject the premise that God is omnipotent. This is because if God is not able to stop evil and most importantly know before it occurs in order to do something to stop it, then probably there is no God. There is also a possibility to reject the second premise; God is omniscient, by stating that if God is really all knowing, he could have the ability to stop evil. The above information indicates that no one is able to know what individuals can do even God himself. Moreover, this means that if God does e xist, evil occurs and surprises even him. It is also possible to reject the third premise indicating that God is Omni-benevolent. This is because if God is perfect good, he ought to have the ability of knowing when evil might occur and then have the power to stop it. However, it seems that God does not care about evil and possible he does not have the ability to stop it. Rejecting the first three premises translates into the fourth one, evil and suffering exists, and therefore giving a possible conclusion that there is no God. The Evidential Argument One of the well-known individuals who have firmly supported the evidential argument is William Rowe (Kelly 220). Through the evidential argument, Rowe and many other philosophers argue that much of the evils that people experiences in this world seem to be pointless. Rowe presented his arguments on four main statements. One of the statements indicated â€Å"E†, is an evil that no one established its justifier. However, many peopl e especially philosophers have been trying to find the justifier without any success. The second statement according to Rowe shows there is a high probability â€Å"E† has no justifier. The third statement indicates that if there are some evil that depict to have no justifier, then all the facts presented on theism about God depicts to be false (Meister 135). The fourth statement as presented by Rowe then concludes there is a high probability that theism is false. According the above statements

Jury System of UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Jury System of UK - Essay Example But considering the complexity of many trials today - especially with the advances made in forensic science and the complexity of many civil trials, severe doubts regarding the efficacy of the jury system have been made. First of all, it is correct to consider whether a jury can in fact be "objective", especially when there has been a lot of pretrial publicity. Many studies have documented adverse effects of pre-trial publicity on juror decision making (Linz & Penrod, 1992; Otto, Penrod & Dexter, 1994; Ogloff & Vidmar, 1994; Studebaker & Penrod, 1997). These studies point out that jurors do not exist in a vacuum and are likely to have some opinion of a well-known case before they enter the courtroom. In many ways this can be linked to the ideas of groupthink. Just as the jury may be influenced by what the public outside supposedly 'thinks' regarding a case - usually influenced by the media - so as a whole they may come to conclusions based upon a kind of consensus feeling rather than rational thought. This type of situation has been called "groupthink". Janis Irving has created a perhaps more sober definition in which she describes groupthink as "a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members' strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action" (Irving, 1972). There are various interpretations and analyses of the practical results of groupthink that have occurred over the years. In the original article in which the term groupthink was postulated, Whyte described group think in the following way: We are not talking about mere instinctive conformity - it is, after all, a perennial failing of all mankind. What we are talking about is a rationalized conformity - an open, articulate philosophy which holds that group values are not only expedient but right and good as well. (Whyte, 1952) (emphasis added) One way of improving jury decisions, and thus making them more reliable, would be to actively educate juries on the dangers of groupthink before a trial starts. Just as their knowledge of the case, predisposition towards certain verdicts, experience of this type of crime/action are often tested through the process of voir-dire, so juries could be taught in a short workshop on the problems of groupthink and how to avoid them before the trial begins. There are various interpretations and analyses of the practical results of groupthink that have occurred over the years. Some, such as McCauley (1987) have concentrated on some of the more ominous sides of the tendency in which individuals may be swayed into ways of behaving that they would not otherwise consider. For example, extreme cases of groupthink can often be found within various religious cults, sometimes leading to disastrous and tragic consequences such as the mass suicides at Jonestown or of the Heaven's Gate group. These are thankfully rare examples of an extreme example of groupthink in which what may be a powerful good is turned into a destructive negativity because of the pathological nature of those who are leading the groupthink. Other cases of groupthink have been found within organizations of some of the most intellectual and highly educated people (who would not be expected to be easy 'followers' as were the mostly uneducated

Argument for Right for Gays to Adopt in Virginia Essay

Argument for Right for Gays to Adopt in Virginia - Essay Example In today’s society, there are more than 500,000 foster children waiting to be placed in stable, caring homes (Ruggeri, 29). There is a shortage of people who fit the broader social norm, this being the heterosexual individual or couple, to assist in the adopting process. Because of different political and social division that is present in society, many homosexuals are not given the opportunity to adopt these foster children or any other youths that have been put into the adoption system. Homosexuals, whether coupled or living in individual households, often face pressure from defiant ethical supporters and their social peers because of their lifestyles. When coupled with laws designed to prevent them from attaining equal status, offering themselves as potential parents for awaiting children becomes a significant uphill battle. The division that exists in society about the validity of homosexuals’ claims that they can be stable parents can be witnessed in the many different laws designed to prevent adoption by this social group. For example, a 2006 constitutional amendment banned same-sex marriage in Colorado with similar constraints in Indiana (Padgett, 51). In more progressive states, such as Connecticut and New Jersey, civil unions are allowed under law but are given considerable limitations compared to their heterosexual counterparts (Padgett). These laws, and many others which ban civil unions act as the foundation for why homosexuals are not considered qualified or capable parents for volumes of children looking for support and stability. In homosexual households consisting of two partners, it has been argued by many that extending same-sex marriage rights would tend to normalize the household for potential adopted children.