Allegiant Travel Company is a leisure travel company Essay

Allegiant Travel Company is a relaxation travel organization concentrated on giving travel administrations and items to occupants of little, underserved urban areas in the United States. The Company works a traveler carrier showcased fundamentally to relaxation travelers in little urban communities, permitting it to offer air transportation both on a stand-alone foundation and packaged with the offer of air-related and outsider administrations and items. Furthermore, it provides air transportation under altered charge flying courses of action. The Company provides planned air transportation on restricted recurrence tenacious flights between little city markets and relaxation goals. Since Allegiant offers fares that are low, strict costs controls tend to be mandatory to achieve the desired profit margins. One of the cost control measure used by Allegiant is the use of MD-80 jets. The MD-80 jets incline to be preferable to the airline is that, at a price of four million Dollars, they are cheap to buy as well as maintaining (Yenee, 2004). These plans tend to be cheaper in comparison to the acquisition of the newer planes such as the Boeing 737. Allegiant withal prefers the utilization of MD-80 because they are facile as well as frugal to refurbish. The MD-80 agreeably is a dependable plane but with the emergence of the relatively better airplanes such as the Boeing 737, the MD-80 is becoming outdated day after day which why it makes much sense for Allegiant Air to acquire the better plane such as the Boeing 737. One of the key reasons as to why the Boeing 737 is superior to the MD-80 is that, the MD-80 carries with it the many nuisances in flights assessments of safety at times when there is increased concern regarding aircraft maintenance (Vasigh, 2012). Back in the day when the McDonnell Douglas-80 came to be first used, it was fuel-efficient compared to other planes. Today, however, the MD-80 is considered a fuel hog airplane with regards to the developments that have emerged in fuel efficiency in the year 1980 when it was first built. In addition to this, companies that use the MD-80 airplanes such as Allegiant Air have to have the airplanes retrofitted to comply with the more modern noise rules as compared to the Boeing 737, which does not (Yenne, 2004). One major reason the MD-80’s need a replacement by the Boeing 737 is the fuel efficiency. Airlines such as Allegiant, which tend to use the MD-80, suffer losses in fuel consumption of 25%-35% in comparison to the newer models of planes such as the Boeing 737. As crude oil prices play around $112 per barrel, it is clearer that the future for the MD-80’s is very limited. The latter also being based on the number of passengers that both MD-80 and the Boeing 737 take. The Boeing 737 can carry more passengers than the MD-80 by around 17 passengers. The 737 can take up to 189 passengers whereas the MD-80 can only take up to 172 passengers (Vasigh, 2012). Operating economics is one of the major determiners of what type of plan is best used to increase the profit margins, but relatively hard to evaluate as it is in the case of the two airplanes in comparison here- The MD-80 and the Boeing 737. Some of the variables to look at including the potential that the airplanes in discussion have to give financially. The potential that it has in terms of revenue as well as the contribution towards profitability that the two planes have to give should also consider. Flights’ crew expenses as well as the costs of fuel present a significant portion of total operating costs. The 737 with a better fuel economy and passenger comfort is the better option over the MD-80 to affect exogenous variables such as the customer preference so as to increase the profit margins. One of the aspects that the Allegiant should consider is the aspect of shifting from buying one plane for $5 million to buy $40 million to save about 30%-40% fuel costs. Looking at this from a short run perspective, it might not look akin to a very good conception but calculating these from a long run viewpoint (Vasigh, 2012). It is clear that the 737 is a better option. The latter is based on the fact the savings on fuel in the end outshine the $35 million of purchasing a 737 over the MD-80. Other monetary reasons as to why the MD-80 should be traded for the Boeing 737 is that the counts of cycle on the MD-80 frame in terms of depreciation. The MD-80 depreciates more than the 737 and it has to pay higher landing fees due to its noisy JT8D engine. References Vasigh, B., Taleghani, R., & Jenkins, D. (2012).  Aircraft finance: Strategies for managing capital costs in a turbulent industry. Ft. Lauderdale, FL: J. Ross Pub. Yenne, B. (2004).  Classic American airliners. Osceola, Wis: MBI. Source document

Donne as a Distinctive Poet Essay

One of the most original and controversial poets in the history of English literature, John Donne (1572-1631) is best known for his metaphysical poetry on topics as diverse as the joys of lovemaking and humanity’s subservience to God. John Donne wrote energetic, rigorous but uneven lines characterized by complex, witty conceits—contrasts and paradoxes—startling extended metaphors, and striking imagery juxtaposing the earthly and the divine. Eighteenth-century critic Samuel Johnson noted that in Donne’s work, â€Å"The most heterogeneous ideas are yoked by violence together; nature and art are ransacked for illustrations, comparisons, and allusions. † The Age of John Donne The age of John Donne was an age of transition, standing midway between the age of Shakespeare and the Jacobean age (1572-1631). The age of Donne would effectively and substantially cover the first thirty years of the seventeenth century. This age stands midway between the age of Shakespeare-and the age of Milton. There is, however, some over-lapping which cannot be avoided because literary periods or ages cannot be separated chronologically. It was a period of remarkable literary activity, a sort of prolongation of the Elizabethan age. The revival of learning had influenced not only Italy and Germany but also England. The classics were studied minutely and from a new angle. The re-discovery of the literature and culture of the past-known as humanism-gave the writers a new outlook on life. Life was a gay game and not a sorry penance. The new ideal man was to be a perfect courtier, a perfect soldier, a perfect writer and, above all, a perfect gentleman. For this, he had to undergo comprehensive training and a rigorous discipline. Many changes in the political, social and economic domains were being effected. Colonial expansion and increase in industry and trade made people materialistic. The study of medieval literature developed the minds of the readers. Though education was not so widespread, the common man spared no opportunity of obtaining knowledge from any source. Medieval beliefs held their ground both in John Donne and his contemporaries. The Reformation was a direct challenge to Rome. Why should Pope be supreme in the matters of religion? Religion, after all, is a personal matter and no dictation should be tolerated from-outside. Nationalism in its wider connotation was responsible not only for a new literature, but also a new faith. The abuses and weaknesses of the Catholic religion were laid bare. The new Church of England came into being. Donne, like some of his contemporaries, felt within himself the conflict of faith. His scepticism, his humanism and his learning made him challenge the faith of his ancestors. The result was that after a good deal of heart-searching and vacillation, Donne embraced the Established Church of England by 1598. But it was not until he was ordained in 1615 that he became a confirmed Anglican. The heritage of Queen Elizabeth, who died in 1603, was one of peace and prosperity. It was also one of centralization. Although her monarchy had not been an absolute one, she delegated her authority wisely, and patriotism was loyalty to the Queen. Religion and politics were closely linked. Elizabeth, as the supreme head of the Church of England, maintained religious tolerance as the Puritan and Catholic minorities strengthened. James I, formerly James V of the Scotland, took over the English throne in 1603 at the death of Elizabeth. Though widely hailed at first, Englishmen rapidly became disillusioned with him. James did not understand the people he ruled, nor the nature of his office. He allowed his favourites and the Spanish government to influence him; his failure to recognize the rising power of Parliament, his reversion to rigid views of absolute monarchy, and the luxury and the corruption of his rule, and religious schisms widened and Puritanism and Roman Catholicism became more militant in their fight against the established Church of England. Political strife, intermingled with growing religious dissension, was brought to a head by his insistence on the oneness of Church and state. The conflict between Church and State led men o wonder which was superior, with the answer resting in man’s own conscience. The questioning of civil authority, of where true sovereignty should lie, made it possible to rebel against a king. The growth of the middle class, the rise of political parties, and the estrangement of the Puritans led to a long civil war. Charles I, who began his rule in 1629, following the death of his father, was beheaded in 1649, whereupon a Commonwealth was begun by the Puritans, leading to the eventual military dictatorship of Oliver Cromwell, who, nevertheless, brought some measure of peace and stability to a turbulent England. Yet the idea of a military dictatorship was abhorrent to Englishmen and upon Cromwell’s death in 1660, Parliament invited Charles II, in exile in France, to return to England and resume the rule of the Stuart kings. Life History John Donne was born in 1572 to a prosperous London family. His mother came from one of England’s most distinguished Catholic families. John Donne was the grandson of the dramatist John Heywood, the nephew of Jasper Heywood, who led the Jesuit mission to England in the 1580s, and a great-great-nephew of the Catholic martyr Sir Thomas More. After receiving his early education from the Jesuits, in 1584 Donne began study at Oxford. Oxford would award Donne his degree only if he renounced his Catholic faith, as was standard practice at the university at that time. Defiant, Donne left Oxford and pursued legal studies at the Inns of Court in London, where he was known both for his dandyism and his serious study of legal and religious issues. During this period Donne wrote many epigrams, satires, verse letters, and elegies which were shared among friends in his literary circle but remained unpublished during his lifetime. After completing his law degree in 1596, Donne accompanied the Earl of Essex on two naval expeditions against Spain, writing of his experiences in the poems â€Å"The Storm,† â€Å"The Calm,† and â€Å"The Burnt Ship. † Returning to England in 1597 Donne became secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton. Four years later Donne secretly wed Ann More, Egerton’s sixteen-year-old niece. Enraged, More’s father had Donne imprisoned until 1602. Donne left prison without a professional position, social standing, or much hope of a career. From 1602 to 1615 Donne was able to support Ann and heir growing family—which eventually included ten children—only through the generosity of friends and patrons. His letters from this period chronicle his struggles with depression and illness. Strong religious feelings, mixed with intellectual discontent, deep cynicism, and despair are evident in the Holy Sonnets,which Donne wrote but did not publish at this time. It was also during these years that he wrote his finest love poetry. Donne had been offered a position in the Anglican Church as early as 1607 but did not accept ordination until 1615, when it became clear that King James I would advance him through the Church. He became the King’s chaplain; and the next year he was made divinity reader at Lincoln’s Inn. Ann died in childbirth in 1617. In 1621, a mere six years following his entry into the priesthood, Donne became Dean of St. Paul’s, and his sermons became widely heard and admired. He stated that he was happy in the rejection of â€Å"the mistress of my youth, Poetry† for â€Å"the wife of mine age, Divinity. † Nevertheless, when he was struck with a fever in 1623 and thought he was dying, he wrote â€Å"Hymn to God the Father† and â€Å"Hymn to God My God, in My Sicknesse. † John Donne died in 1631.

Reading Response: Malcolm X Essay

1. Subject: This reading is about Malcolm X gaining inspiration to learn how to read and write during his time in prison and the many wonders of the world he learns of through reading. The topic is Malcolm X’s passion for learning and the main ideas are what he learns about which drives him to fight for the nonwhite man. The setting takes place in Charlestown Prison and Norfolk Prison Colony where Malcolm X was imprisoned in 1946-1953. Characters included in the reading are an inmate named Bimbi who inspired Malcolm X to learn, Elijah Muhammad, several authors, whites, and nonwhites. 2. Occasion: The author wrote this piece in 1965 to inform the readers of his imminent desire to learn how to read and write because he was embarrassed by his lack of knowledge and of the things he had learned about the white man’s actions to nonwhites. 3. Audience: The author is writing to the general audience. The audience might not know how Malcolm X became imprisoned or what he did immediately after his release but they do know that he would read all day, every day if he could. Malcolm X has a very appreciative tone when it comes to what he had learned and very curious. When he learns of certain history that applies to people just like him, however, he sounds very disappointed. 4. Purpose: The purpose of this piece was to inform readers of how Malcolm X learned to read and write and his strong passion for knowledge. There is some talk about how the white man has done evil deeds to nonwhites and Malcolm X does show his unfortunate dislike towards the white man because of history. Overall, Malcolm X focuses on how time has given him the opportunity to learn more than many people can ever hope to learn. 5. Speaker: The speaker is the author, Malcolm X. The whole reading is based off Malcolm X’s point of view since it is an autobiography. 6. Passage: On page 130, the 6th paragraph, â€Å"I copied into my tablet everything printed on that first page, down to the punctuation marks.† I especially like this line, because it shows Malcolm X’s determination and his true desire to learn. The reader can imagine him copying pages of a dictionary onto his tablet all day and it wouldn’t tire him out.

Low Visibility Operations in Dubai Airport Dissertation

Low Visibility Operations in Dubai Airport - Dissertation Example In the case of Indira Gandhi International Airport, the Airport Technology (2010) reports that the foggy weather condition â€Å"causes visibility to drop below 50m, (CAT III C conditions) lasting approximately ten hours, thus affecting airport operations.† The situation of low visibility is no different in the Dubai Airport. One reason why the problem of low visibility has become a topical issue of late is the inconvenience low visibility operations cause airline operators and customers. Apart from the fact that low visibility is commonly associated with flight diversions and delays, The Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology (2011) laments on issues of safety and efficiency saying â€Å"Weather alone is a significant cause of aircraft accidents and a contributing cause in many accidents with other main causes.† Happily, low visibility in airports and in aircraft operation is a problem that can be tackled. The problem statement for this dissertation therefor e is the issue of low visibility operations in Dubai Airport and how the problem can be solved to reduce flight diversions and delays. ... These objectives have been termed ‘specific objectives’ and outlined below. Specific Objectives The researcher hopes to achieve the following specific objectives in a bid to achieve the ultimate aim, which is to reduce the chances of the flights diversions and delays departing flights during low visibility operations at the Dubai Airport. The objectives are: 1. To explain the impact and effect of bad weather on aviation services with specific reference to low visibility caused as a result of foggy weather conditions. 2. To critically examine the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirements for airlines and how these requirements help in the daily operation of aircrafts 3. To outline the effects of bad weather and low visibility on aircraft operations 4. To find out how airside operations can be improved at the Dubai Airport 5. To examine the works and duties of air traffic services including air traffic controllers, air traffic engineers and meteorologis ts and how these duties impact on airline services. 6. To critically evaluate the training and qualification program of airport staff and how these training and qualification programs can be improved to better future airline operations. 7. To find workable strategies and models for equipping airports for low visibility operations Justification of the Research The United Arab Emirates is one of the World’s busiest air travel destinations. Specifically, Dubai is known to house a good number of people who travel to the emirate for trade and tourism purposes (Ankoma, 2010, p.18). This makes the Dubai Airport of the busiest Airports in the world. According to the Dubai Airport Media Centre (2011), â€Å"Aviation began in Dubai in 1937 when the first Imperial Airways

Customer Focus as a Prescription for Driving Innovatio Essay - 1

Customer Focus as a Prescription for Driving Innovatio - Essay Example This paper illustrates that Fred asserts that innovation is the root that firmly holds and gives strength, growth, and vitality of people, in an organization as well as the society. He illustrates further by outlining that innovation is creativity in action. It encompasses finding brilliant ideas and making them happen. When it is applied, it adds nutrients to life and organization. Apparently, we are in the information age. All the innovative ideas that were illuminated by earlier giants have either been improved or reinvented to greater heights. Innovation in broad perspective is a huge arena but can be described as creativity that consequently results into something new or better and add value to an individual(s) or a society (organization). For an instant, communication has completely been revolutionized. High powered communication devices with better upgrades are launched every day by competing firms with the aim of having a competitive edge over each other. However, there were individuals who provided the basics in earlier years that have been so advanced to the stratosphere. Besides, these innovations in communication ecological niche have contributed significantly to globalization. The use of Facebook, WhatsApp and other advanced sites of communications are as a result of individuals sweat their blood out to impact positively on the society. The roots of these ideas must have been so simple but various persons have advanced them. Fred uses Edison’s analogy of innovation as a way of doing thing better to impact positively on someone. Someone, in this case, refers to the customer(s). The customer can be a person, an organization or society whose needs are fulfilled by the innovation. Besides, the invention of social media responded to the customers’ desire. It is indeed true that some innovation has not only radically changed the world but also revolutionized it. For example, the invention of the wheel has had a tremendous impact on human li fe for centuries. At the initial stages when the wheels were invented, they were not highly appreciated as people were accustomed to they would move around.

Specifications of HP ProLiant DL380 G5 Storage Server Assignment

Specifications of HP ProLiant DL380 G5 Storage Server - Assignment Example Before one begins to start purchasing for a server, there are some procedures which need to be followed. The Rack height is the term used for the rackmount servers. They are in the dimension of 1U, 2U up to 7U whereby the U is the short word for the units. With the numbers, they represent the size of the rackmount. The height and width of a rackmount do not change but the depth changes. The best-required rackmount is 2U because it has the required size needed for the company and the type of services it will be carrying through. The rack can also depend on the power edge of the servers and the number of units to be used. The server needs only one processor that is fully configured because of the type of services to be offered. A processor is a machine that will be used by the company to process the office services and it needs to be connected to the server. A number of programs will run through the processor and be executed at the servers. The number of the applications to run on the processor will be determined by the capacity of the processor. If there are a lot of services and applications to be run on the processor, it needs to have a larger capacity. The capacity of the memory will be measured in numbers and for the right capacity of the company is to have two processors. The processor has a motherboard that is capable of holding the RAM. The RAM is the one that stores the information in the processor. For the company, it needs a maximum memory of 32 Gigabytes in order to store the information and data. The larger the memory, the information to be stored in the memory of the RAM in the processo r is also large in number making work at the office to be easier. The image below displays the RAM of the server. The ECC is the kind of technology protection that will monitor and support the Memory and Ram of the processor.

Theories of Teaching and Learning through Mentoring Essay

Theories of Teaching and Learning through Mentoring - Essay Example This can be within the context of education as a societal institution or more broadly as the process of human existential growth, i.e. how it is that our understanding of the world is continually transformed via physical, emotional, cognitive and transcendental experiences. Plato is the earliest important educational thinker. He saw education as the key to creating and sustaining his Republic. He advocated extreme methods: removing children from their mothers care and raising them as wards of the state, with great care being taken to differentiate children suitable to the various castes, the highest receiving the most education, so that they could act as guardians of the city and care for the less able. Education would be holistic, including facts, skills, physical discipline, and music and art, which he considered the highest form of endeavour. For Plato the individual was best served by being subordinated to a just society. Platos belief that talent was distributed non-genetically and thus must be found in children born to all classes moves us away from aristocracy, and Plato builds on this by insisting that those suitably gifted are to be trained by the state so that they may be qualified to assume the role of a ruling class. What this establishes i s essentially a system of selective public education premised on the assumption that an educated minority of the population are, by virtue of their education (and inborn educability), sufficient for healthy governance. Plato should be considered foundational for democratic philosophies of education both because later key thinkers treat him as such, and because, while Platos methods are autocratic and his motives meritocratic, he nonetheless prefigures much later democratic philosophy of education. This is different in degree rather than kind from most versions of, say, the American experiment with democratic education, which has usually assumed that only some students should be educated to the fullest, while

Profile of a language group present in Los Angeles Essay

Profile of a language group present in Los Angeles - Essay Example The migration of this group can be categorized in three levels. The first group migrated from the war torn Vietnam in 1975. The group was made up of mainly high trained students, members of the civil servants undertaking white collar jobs and military executives. After 1980 there was established communist systems of government which show a second wave of Vietnamese migrate. These people used boats to cross over to the United States(Phinney& Jean, 135).From 1990 there was an operation program carried out by the United States Government duped ‘United States Humanitarian Program’. In this program, most of the Vietnamese migrated to the United States after making application for entry. This included former prisoners of war, members of Amerasian service men and members of Vietnamese Americans(Nguyen, Anne, Fay Shin &Krashen, 159). In the present time the Vietnamese Americans are distributed in the United States. This means that the majority of Federal States are inhabited by this group. According to the census carried out in the year 2000, Los Angeles County recorded approximately 78,000 Vietnamese Americans recording 7.06% of the whole population(Asian Population, 2013). There has been an outstanding performance in businesses in Los Angeles with a sizeable number of the enterprises owned by Vietnamese Americans. ... The images below show how Vietnamese language has been used to develop the hotel industry in Los Angeles county. The Vietnamese language has been embraced by the Los Angeles community members who have either developed an interest in the language and wish to use it as their main language. This move has mostly been undertaken by the nationals who wish to feature more in the hotel industries(Phinney& Jean, 135).Moreover, Asian children do continuously get enrolled in these institutions to indulge them in their culture. One of the schools offering this service is the Beverly Hills Lingual Institute offering important facilities. Moreover, the need to maintain the culture of the Vietnamese has necessitated California State University to launch a program to assist American born Vietnamese children be conversant with the language(Phinney& Jean, 135). This means that starting next year; the University will offer a bachelor’s degree in Vietnamese culture and language as well as offer t rains the tutor tutorials to equip the lecturers with the adequate knowledge to offer the training. More visits to the Los Angeles stores and supermarket will demonstrate how the Vietnamese language has been embraced to propel these chains of businesses(Nguyen, Anne, Fay Shin &Krashen, 159). The malls thathouse a collection of businesses contain Vietnamese language in their walls, booklets, signboards, catalogues and menus. The language has been used widely in churches in Los Angeles in spreading the gospel. The Vietnamese community at our lady of assumption our lady of Rosary is a catholic union that was established in 1979 to cater for the need of the Vietnamese Americans(Phinney& Jean, 135).William J Barry was the pastor who was ordained to

CARRIAGE OF GOODS BY SEA Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

CARRIAGE OF GOODS BY SEA - Coursework Example are founded on the application of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971 and the Hague/Visby Rules 1968. Contracts for the carriage of goods by sea which are described by a bill of lading are covered by the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971 which gives effect to the Hague-Visby Rules 1968.1 The 1971 Act and by extension the Hague/Visby Rules 1968a are only applicable to â€Å"outwards bills of lading† which essentially means bills of lading that are issued â€Å"from a British port† or a port in Northern Ireland so that the â€Å"port of destination is immaterial†.2 Specifically Article X of the Hague Visby Rules 1968 provide that: The provisions of these Rules shall apply to every bill of lading relating to the carriage of goods between ports in two different States if (a) The bill of lading is issued in contracting State, or (b) The carriage is form a port in a contracting State...3 The applicability of the Hague/Visby Rules to the contractual terms of the bill of lading between Bushey and Blanca is important in terms of establishing possible liability and claims. Pursuant to Article IV of the 1968 Rules, the carrier is only â€Å"liable for loss or damage arising or resulting from unseaworthiness† if such unseaworthiness is â€Å"caused by want of due diligence on the part of the carrier to make the ship seaworthy† and to ensure that the ship is â€Å"properly manned, equipped and supplied†, before and at the start of the voyage.4 On the facts of the case it is not revealed whether or not the hull to the MV Costanzia was damaged prior to the voyage or damaged at the beginning of the voyage. As it turns out the facts merely reveal that the damaged hull was discovered at the beginning of the voyage and thus it must be assumed that the carrier (Bushey) performed due diligence in ensuring that the ship was seaworthy at the beginning of the voyage as they immediately contacted Hadley (the shipowner) who in turn dispatched ASS a society to which Hadley belonged to survey the damages. ASS’s surveyor however, erroneously determined that the ship was seaworthy for the voyage to Canada after temporary repairs, but would have to have more thorough repairs conducted once the ship arrived in Canada. Based on the surveyor’s erroneous findings, the ship set sail once again, but subsequently sank with the result that its freight was lost. Assuming the hull was damaged prior to leaving the port at Southampton, the ship was not seaworthy rendering the carrier liable if the unseaworthiness is a result of the carrier’s own negligence.5 If the hull was damaged prior to leaving the port, it can be assumed that the carrier was negligent, and thus Article IV(2)(p) applies. Article IV(2)(p) provides that the ship owner and the carrier will only be exempt from â€Å"latent defects not discoverable by due diligence†.6 It can be argued that since the damage to the hull was discovered once the vo yage began, it was not a latent defect that could not have been discovered by due diligence. Based on the assumption that the damaged hull existed prior to the voyage and ultimately caused the damages and losses suffered by Blanca, both Bushey and Hadley as carrier and shipowner respectively are liable under Article IV(2)(p) of the Hague/Visby Rules, 1968. Even if the damages to the hull were not sustained until after the ship began its voyage, Bushey and/or Hadley will remain liable under the Hague/Visby R

Death, Tragedy and Community at Wartime Essay Example for Free

Death, Tragedy and Community at Wartime Essay Dying in War: Implications for the family, the community and the social worker Death is a phenomenon that evokes mixed reactions and views from a community. For some, it a blessed release from the trials and problems of life. To others, it may very well be the end of the world when they lose a loved one. What remains constant however is the grief, bereavement and loneliness experienced by those left behind. Even more so when death was sudden and unexpected as like what happens in times of war, disaster, and terrorist attacks. Grief goes through many stages, each stage more difficult that the last. While most people generally manage to cope with time, some experience more difficulties and tend to develop psychological and emotional problems. During the First and Second World Wars, the knock of the postman was a thing of dread. They either brought telegrams summoning the sons and fathers of families for the draft or telegrams announcing the death or loss of loved one. An estimated 8 million military personnel in 14 European countries were killed in World War I, and 14. 4 million military personnel in 17 European countries were killed in World War II (Aiken, 2001, p. 111). Parents who suddenly lose their children such as what happened to most wartime mothers with adult sons usually have a harder time coming to terms with the death of their child (Gilbert, 2005, p. 6). The loss and feelings of helplessness and anger can be intense. There is a common belief that something is wrong when a parent buries his/her child. Most parents who have experienced this report that they feel dissociation with life and everything just felt so unreal (p. 6). That it is not right that parents should survive their children is often the thought that haunts bereaved parents. What role do social workers play in times of war and terror? Social problems are defined as the challenges that face and exist in communities (Hardcastle, Powers Wenocur, 2004, p. 62). It is the social workers job to help the community and its members formulate and implement solutions to these problems. Social workers usually work with problems related to economic disadvantages, illness and disability, crime and delinquency, abuse and maltreatment, service provision to special parts of the population and mental illness. All these problems call for leadership attention and trained intervention (p. 62). No situation can put all these things together more than times of war. What may be the biggest challenge to a social worker though is the task of helping a family and community deal with the sudden losses of loved ones in combat. In addition to this, they should also be prepared to cope with the rehabilitation of those who have been able to come back home but exist with scars that are not only physical but also mental and emotional. The events of September 11, 2001, though technically not a part of any formal war except the one on terror, had an impact that was not dissimilar to armed conflicts. There was confusion, anger, anxiety and above all, people who in an instant lost their loved ones. As with wartime, sudden death can only be viewed as unfair and untimely (Clements, Deranieri, Vigil Benasutti, 2004) For example, the September 11, 2001 terror attacks left behind families and children who have lost moms and dads in that instant. Even adults and children who were indirectly affected by the attacks have grown to suffer feelings of anxiety and shattered security in their personal and familial safety (Smith Reynolds, 2002). Besides the inevitable feelings of grief, children especially were left behind and often had to contend with nightmares and morbid pictures of the traumatic deaths their loved ones experienced as well as the stress and difficulty of trying to picture lives without mom or dad. It is also important to remember that the effects of trauma are not limited to those who suffer it directly (Sims, Hayden, Palmer Hutchins, 2000, p. 41) The ubiquity of television also afforded children at home not only news of the attacks but also vivid pictures and descriptions of the tragedy and all its violence. This made it even more problematic for children and people who have lost loved ones in the Twin Towers and the plane crashes as coverage of each horrific scene gave them fodder for the imagination and subsequent nightmares. The case of a 7-year old boy named Johnny is cited in the study (2002) by Smith and Reynolds. : Following the 9/11 attacks, Johnny developed a constant fear of his parents leaving home and getting killed by bad men. He also developed a phobia of elevators and would throw tantrums whenever his parents tried to make him use one. Johnny admitted to his therapist that his fear of elevator stemmed from a story he heard of how people in the Twin Towers were trapped and killed while riding in the elevators. (Smith Reynolds, 2002) Neither Johnny nor his family were directly involved or affected in the terror attack. The mental and emotional strain suffered by survivors and those affected by this very high profile event led to the American Psychiatric Associations setting up of counseling services focusing on grief, acute stress and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Smith Reynolds, 2002). The difficulty that most surviving relatives meet is in the un-timeliness of death. While conventional wisdom holds that sons and fathers who go to war may not come back again, more often than not, there is a strong hope that they will be able to come home. Despite the knowledge of all the possibilities, the sudden and traumatic nature of death often creates problems among surviving relatives. They become victims in their own right. Muller and Thompson believe that the manner of death plays a vital role in determining the reaction of the survivors (Muller Thompson, 2003). If its bad enough for people to suddenly lose their loved ones, how much more would it be for children to live and go through an environment of war and death? In his article in the Journal of Multi-cultural Counseling and Development in 2004, Clinical psychologist and Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) Gargi Roysircar relates the case of 20-year old Yugoslavian emigre Stephen, who at the age of 10 witnessed the height of the civil war between Christians and Muslims in Kosovo in 1990. In interviews with his counselor, Stephen recalls witnessing about 80% of his classmates get killed by bombs, sniper shots and gunfire as they walked to and from school. At age 14, Stephen was taken by his father to the frontlines for training in combat to fight with the Serbian army. The next two years wold take Stephen all over the Balkans and would expose him to all kinds of death, privation and war atrocities. Eventually migrating as political refugees in the United States, in 1999, Stephen demonstrated difficulty in acculturation and adjustment. The constant displacement he experienced in war along with the mistrust bred by his past and cultural paranoia fostered by the Croatian community they lived with made it difficult for Stephen to acclimatize to peacetime setting. Roysircar describes Stephen as having recurrent thoughts and images of his violent experience in the Balkans. He experienced nightmares, hostility and a profound sense of a lack of belonging. Stephen also often recounted the difficulties he experienced including hiding in a basement and eating rats especially when angry. He also displays a deep-seated hatred for the Muslims and believes the Middle East should be wiped off the face of the Earth (Roysircar, 2004). While there may be models detailing stages of grief and recovery, social workers must be prepared for instances that do not adhere to such models. In Stephens case while he did not directly lose any of his close family members, he was exposed at an early age to violence and death. He has also experienced being the cause of another human beings death as he and his father fought on the Serbian army. This is no different from the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder exhibited by American soldiers returning from Vietnam or any other area where they fought in combat. A person does not have to lose anyone in order to feel grief, bereavement and suffer any disorder that may result from it as evidenced by the little boy Johnnie and Stephen. Death in wartime is not limited to just the loss of a loved one. In a community where all able bodied men are called to arms, anybody can lose husbands, brothers, fathers and sons at any day. Families left behind are left to their own devices and imaginings of what horrors their loved ones are facing. Those who do lose family members are haunted by the manner by which their loved one died. There is also the unfortunate circumstance in war where death is an ambiguous issue. In the Vietnam War, many people were reported missing in action. The families of such people were left at an awkward and horrible position of not knowing whether they should be mourning or holding out hope for their loved ones return (Worden, 2003, p. 40). In some cases, some families do accept the reality that their loved one may be dead and go through the entire process of mourning and recovery only to be told later that their husbands and sons were simply prisoners of war and has since been released. While ordinarily this may sound like a fairy tale ending, there may come unbridgeable gaps and tension that can only ruin relationships and lives (p. 85). On the other hand, some families may keep clinging to the hope that their loved ones are alive and therefore refuse to give way to grief and acceptance. Stacy Bannerman (2007) is one of the many army wives whose marriage was broken up by war. In her article that appeared in The Progressive, she relates how her once happy marriage with one of the militarys mortar platoon commanders started heading downhill with every death he caused and witnessed during his stint in Iraq. She decries the insensitivity and lack of support for military families from the National Guard. She further cites how there was an absolute lack of prompt attention to the mental and emotional needs of returning military men who more often than not suffered from PTSD like her husband, Lorin did. Because of this, there have been military men who have survived their tour of duty only to succumb to mental and emotional anguish and end up committing suicide on American soil (Bannerman, 2007). It is the soldiers, their families, and the people of Iraq that pay the human costs. The tab so far: more than 3,000 dead U. S. troops, tens of thousands of wounded, over half a million Iraqi casualties, roughly 250,000 American servicemen and women struggling with PTSD, and almost 60,000 military marriages that have been broken by this war (Bannerman, 2007). The problem here is that most of those left behind are left to cope with their own fears without the support of anybody else except family and members who are also wrapped up in their own concerns. In this case, social workers must be able to take the lead in establishing outreach and community groups so people do not have to cope and suffer in isolation. Carpenter (2002) states that the psychological well-being of the members of a community is one of the jobs of a social worker. While it is true that the trauma brought on by exposure to violence and death may be an individual process, healing and recovery needs societal support and strong relationships (Carpenter, 2002). This may become a challenge to families and communities who are dealing with their anxiety and grief. However, Carpenter reminds social workers that one of the primary goals of social work is to help empower the oppressed. Oppression in itself can take on many definitions and forms. In this particular case, it is the trauma and grief that is debilitating and oppressing the individual and the community. Social workers must also be prepared to look for signs of repressed grief. Some individuals choose to withhold and fail to express grief and therefore develop problems later in life often developing manias, paranoia and demonstrate abuse towards other people. At times, the feelings of grief or multiple losses of loved ones may lead to a grief overload that would cause an individual to delay grief (Worden, 2003, p. 91) The community as a social system can provide a network of support. Given the right leadership, empathy and sensitivity, it can also become a safe place where people can come to terms with their grief and slowly move on toward recovery. In the cases of Johnnie and Stephen, it took time before they were able to face and admit their anger, anxiety and grief at the bad things that they experienced and fear. Sometimes, self-reflection and a ready ear is all thats necessary. As clinically trained counselors and diagnosticians, social workers are tasked with the duty of helping people recognize and understand what problems they may have. Community-wise, social workers should have enough knowledge of the communitys demographics in order to unify and create a solid network of safety and interaction that may assist troubled and grieving individuals particularly in conflict filled times such as war. Death at wartime comes in many forms. It could be the actual death of a loved one, anxiety at the possible death, loss at whether somebody is dead or not, or even those who continue to physically live but have broken spirits and permanent disabilities as a result of war wounds. Much as death is a big thing that affects not only the family but also the community as a whole, war brings with it so much more problems and issues that will undoubtedly challenge most social workers. Undertaking social work means one must be in sync with the community. By in sync, it covers everything from issues, key people, and resources that may be mobilized in times of need. War is a time of immense crisis and tragedy that the social worker must be prepared to face head on and ably lead and facilitate the processes by which the community may be transformed into a supportive societal system that each member may be able to depend on. This does not mean however that social workers cannot be affected or lose their sense of self in dealing with all these tragedies. Tsui and Cheung (2003) recommend a self-reflection on the part of the social worker in order to understand and come to terms with their own reactions and feelings to tragedies they both witness and hear about from their clients before attempting to deal further with the grief of others. They also stress that once social workers attend to their duties, they should do so intellectually yet with empathy and focus on assessing and addressing the needs of the community rather than ones own (Tsui Cheung, 2003) References Aiken, L. R. (2001). Dying, Death, and Bereavement (4th ed. ). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=22091057 Bannerman, S. (2007, March). Broken by This War. The Progressive, 71, 26+. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5021139792 Carpenter, J. (2002). Mental Health Recovery Paradigm: Implications for Social Work. Health and Social Work, 27(2), 86+. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5000778618 Gilbert, K. R. (2005). 1 When a Couple Loses a Child. In Family Stressors: Interventions for Stress and Trauma, Catherall, D. R. (Ed. ) (pp. 5-30). New York: Brunner Routledge. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=109184971 Catherall, D. R. (Ed. ). (2005). Family Stressors: Interventions for Stress and Trauma. New York: Brunner Routledge. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=109184958 Clements, P. T. , Deranieri, J. T. , Vigil, G. J. , Benasutti, K. M. (2004). Life after Death: Grief Therapy after the Sudden Traumatic Death of a Family Member. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 40(4), 149+. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5008586582 Hardcastle, D. A. , Powers, P. R. , Wenocur, S. (2004). Community Practice: Theories and Skills for Social Workers. New York: Oxford University Press. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=104722138 Roysircar, G. (2004). Child Survivor of War: A Case Study. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 32(3), 168+. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5012181947 Sims, M. , Hayden, J. , Palmer, G. , Hutchins, T. (2000). Working in Early Childhood Settings with Children Who Have Experienced Refugee or War-Related Trauma. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 25(4), 41. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5001127890 Smith, S. , Reynolds, C. (2002). Innocent Lost: The Impact of 9-11 on the Development of Children. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association, 5(5), 12+. Retrieved November 21, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5002560442 Tsui, M. , Cheung, F. C. (2003). Dealing with Terrorism: What Social Workers Should and Can Do. Social Work, 48(4), 556+. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5002045024 Worden, J. W. (2003). Grief Counselling and Grief Therapy: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner. Hove, England: Brunner-Routledge. Retrieved November 28, 2007, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=108479290

Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle through Food

Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle through Food The Scope As part of the Occupational Health and Safety programme at my place of work (a public service small medium enterprise), I have discussed and come to an agreement with the management to deliver a workshop on the importance of eating healthy in order to prevent obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, (2013) illustrate that workplace health programs are of great potential benefit to both employers and employees. Such educational and awareness programs or strategies enable both worker and the organisation to achieve a holistic lifestyle for better healthy living. These health programs could potentially save costs on absenteeism among employees. They may also reduce the cost of overtime to replace absent employees, as well the costs to train replacements. The scope behind this program is to give employees guidance on how to choose local fresh produce, rather than the imported or preserved food. This initiative will also raise the awareness about which food to choose and the importance to read the nutritional facts label. It is scientifically proven that fresh products are more beneficial to our health than the imported or preserved ones, both in taste and in vitamin content, because they arrive at our shops soon after being harvested and thus fresher. Yates (2009) supports this theory by quoting that scientifically, meat, fruits and vegetables are more nutritious when eaten as fresh as possible. Malta has a high rate of obesity according to surveys done by the European Commission. Eurostat (2011) reports that Maltese men occupy the top position of the European obesity rankings while Maltese women placed themselves second. In their ‘Paediatric Obesity’ journal, Fox and Jago (2011) who are both established researchers in pa ediatric studies, claim that Maltese children are the second fattest on the globe. Plan of Action The presentation is aimed mainly for both employees who cook at home and those who buy their snacks from vending machines or take away snack shops making them aware of how to choose healthy options, such as choosing baked not fried food, brown bread instead of white bread, fresh instead of processed or preserved food products. The employee age bracket varies from 18 to 50+ years of age. The workshop would be planned with the human resources department and it will be held in the training room of the company. Employees will be notified by means of a letter distributed internally for at least two weeks before. The workshop would take place during working hours, one in the morning and one in the afternoon in order to give the opportunity for everyone to attend at their preferred time. The workshop will be delivered by a qualified person in the matter and illustrated with charts and pictures accompanied with some motivational quotes. To support this strategy, the vending machines will be supplied with more genuine healthy choices rather than the usual junk food as per agreement with the supplier. Another initiative is that the company will supply a service of surveillance scheme by launching free optional medical check-ups every 12 months sponsored by the company. Information and facts about eating Years of research studies were carried out to come out with the result on what is contributing to the development of cardiovascular diseases. The WHO (2013) reported that a lifestyle based on high saturated fats, dairy products rich in fats and processed meat is the main cause for obesity and cancer reported. There is no doubt that all the food that we consume can have an important effect on our health and well being. Nestle and Nesheim (2012) reports that the daily average calories consumed by men must be not more 2,500 calories while women must consume 2,000 calories supported with some physical exercise. To lose weight, one must either consume fewer calories than needed or burn calories through physical activity. The combination of both is the ideal way to obtain fat loss while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Anyone who eats more calories than he/she burns will put on weight as the extra calories are stored as fat by the body. Therefore, with the right diet and by controlling eating habits and with a routine of physical activity, any person can lose weight. The benefits of eating healthily are; having more energy, self-confidence, a healthier heart, respiratory and circulatory system (Hunter, 2003). Nowadays, the best method to of determining the ideal body weight is by measurement kn own as Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI can be calculated by dividing the body weight in kilograms by the square of body height in meters (Kg/(m)2) and the ideal BMI reading should be 20 to 22. If it is more than 30 there would be the need for a change in lifestyle and to eat healthy and exercise more often. Ideally, this needs to be a way life and not a short term quick fix. During the presentation information and guide tips will be given to the employees on how to choose the right food and drink wisely. This presentation will also explain how the body works and how important it is to eat the right food and take smaller portions regularly. Carbohydrates are the main energy source for the human body. Carbohydrates are found in a wide array of foods such as wheat, potatoes and pasta. Food rich in carbohydrates is ideal to be taken in the morning since carbohydrates are what give energy to the body. Some popular diets project carbohydrates as the source that generates body fat and obesity build up. However, the truth is that we do need carbohydrates in our diet, but not exceeding the required amount and not those containing unhealthy fats. For instance, wholegrain carbohydrates are the best choice since they contain vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that are essential for good health. Lack of carbohydrates will make you feel weak and without drive, so one should not cut them completely but choosing healthy options. â€Å"Protein is found throughout the body, in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or tissue† (Harvard School of Public Health, 2014). Protein builds up, maintains, and replaces the muscle tissues in our body. The human body is made up of at least 10,000 proteins. However, the body functioning system does not store amino acids. On the other hand, it does store carbohydrates and fat. Therefore a daily intake of amino acids is needed to build new protein. Best protein sources with law saturated fat is found in lean beef, chicken or turkey breast, liver, fish, eggs, dairy products such as cottage cheese, nuts (almonds and hazelnuts), seeds, beans and lentils. It is highly important to choose the right protein in your food choices since some protein is rich in saturated fats. Beans, vegetables, and whole grains, are the best choice, as they are rich in healthy fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Almonds and hazelnuts are rich in healthy fats. Fish, chicken bre ast and beef liver are considered as the best animal protein and if you go for red meat try to choose the leanest cuts and try to avoid pork, lamb and processed meat such as burgers, sausages, breaded fish/poultry since the latter contain high amount of fats. If someone decides to dine out, as starter one could avoid high carbohydrates foods such as pasta and instead have an antipasto involving salmon, which is rich in protein and vitamin D and Omega 3. Apart from the calories and carbohydrates pasta contains, the sauces that go with it are mostly fat laden and therefore as a starter it would already be too filling. One can also opt for chicken salad, soup or skip the starter altogether. As a dressing, one can go for squeezed lemon, olive oil or balsamic vinegar instead of mayonnaise. As main course, one could opt for fish steak, lean fillet, or chicken breast and avoid processed or fried food. Instead of fries one can choose baked potatoes and try to cut down the bread intake. As a dessert, instead of indulging in a high calorie cake rich in sugars and fats one can opt to fruit salad which at least contains natural fructose and vitamins. In this manner, one can be enjoying food which is still tasty but is healthier. As a drink, it will b e ideally that one will opt to drink water or a glass of dry wine rather than soft drinks which contain a large amount of calories and sugars. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are non-beneficial to the human body. It is understood that these beverages are contributing to diabetes and heart disease. Harvard School of Public Health (2014), argue that by cutting down sugar-sweetened beverage intake will reduce the risk of obesity-related illnesses and that such statement is backed up with sufficient scientific evidence. A snapshot of the presentation’s content: Avoiding illness through the food we eat By the end of 1945, the Life Expectancy (LE) of EU citizens started to increase. There were improvements in the sanitary system, more epidemiological data and more quality improvements in medical cure. Furthermore, statistics estimate issued by the Malta Statistics Office reveal that the LE of a person born in Malta in 2013 is 82.2 for females and 78.0 for men (NSO, 2013). The World Health Organisation (WHO) has long since been promoting healthy eating patterns. As much as humans need clean air and access to water, food is a vital necessity for human health but it has to be healthy. Our health is particularly affected by agriculture and the other sectors involved with food supply. Therefore, to promote a healthy way of living there must be ongoing publicity to instruct the public the benefit of eating healthy food (Danzon, 2000). Nevertheless, although life expectancy in Malta has increased, statistics still show that the average Maltese person spends 7.1 years (9% of LE) with illnes s, due to lack of adequate knowledge about health (WHO, 2005). Hunter (2003) argued that by being obese, one is subject to high probability risk to serious health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, reproductive disorders, gallstones, osteoarthritis and certain type of cancer. Moreover, the WHO (2005) issued a report about non-communicable diseases (NCD) in Malta and such illnesses accounted for about 84%. NCD vary from heart disease, stroke (cerebrovascular accident), cancer disease, chronic lung disease and diabetes. Food produced locally Healthy eating campaigns promote the intake of small portions of healthy food every three hours to prevent weight increase, whilst related research studies acknowledge that the lack of combined healthy nutrients increases the risk of non-communicable diseases (WHO, 2000). Moreover, locally produced vegetables and fruits are fresher, with high source of nutrients content than the stored produce that are imported. Imports have the disadvantage of long distance travelling until they reach our market. During transportation, the source of nutrients is highly likely to be reduced while repetitive exposure to oxygen may quicken the deterioration process as oxidation may change its composition. The Food Revolution (2014) argue that since the food system is dominated by a few producers, when there is no other option for healthy food, the industrial food production methods (un-healthy) are determining our well-being. WHO (2000) stretches out that by having at hand the availability and the acce ssibility of fresh produce, there will be less need to buy long shelf-life products, with lack of vitamins and minerals and abounding in high calories, preservatives, salt and sugars. Farming and fishing is part of the Maltese heritage, so promoting healthy and fresh produce contributes to the local market, a good economy and a healthy lifestyle. Expected outcome Through this information awareness workshop, I hope that the targeted audience will choose to eat healthier, to buy more fresh local produce and to start preparing their food for their working day cooked in their kitchen, rather than buying junk food from the vending machines or take away shops. Due to family commitments, responsibilities, and other social obligations, for the majority of people engaged in a full time job, the maintenance of their individual well-being is often seen as a difficult task to meet with all the day demands. The adoption ofhealthy behaviourswill reduce risks for life threatening diseases from developing, it will reduce their associated costs and moreover it will improve the quality of life (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013).This will hopefully help out in today’s fast paced world and also help to minimise the consumption of ready-made and fast foods which are contributing to ill-health, obesity and disease. This is costing the govern ment and employers millions in treatments and in sick pay and medical support. Moreover, it is hoped that following these guidelines will help to extend a good quality of life and reaching WHO-Europe’s aims and goals. Such targets are that by the year 2015, our society will adapt to healthy patterns of living by having good quality of air, access to water and a lifestyle based on healthy eating and physical activity.

Legalization of Marijuana Debate

Legalization of Marijuana Debate What if one of Americas most illegal plants was also one of the worlds most beneficial plants? Marijuana has a wide variety of different applications in society, but remains illegal by federal law.  Some states have decriminalized cannabis, but federal law does not recognize state law.  Suppose that by federal law, cannabis were a decriminalized or legal substance.  An entire new world of research could arise and each of its uses would become definitive.  Perceptions concerning the use of marijuana would likely be altered.  The decriminalization or legalization of marijuana would presumably cause many economical, industrial, and medical adaptations focused towards the benefit of the United States of America. Being an activist plays a key role in the decriminalization of marijuana. Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede or direct social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activists for the legalization of marijuana have made great strides in 20 states to date based upon the supporters of its medical uses. Although Congress classified marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance (a category of drugs not considered legitimate for medical use) in 1970, instantly making it the most widely used drug in the U.S. Many disagree with this and the fight (in the media, courts, and on the streets) raises ethical issues, such as whether or not the government should be allowed to govern what people do in their own homes. In fact, up until the government started imposing restrictions in 1930, physicians still widely prescribed marijuana to their patients for a variety of reasons that are similar to the reasons people use it today (Bostwick, 2012). Marijuana, as most people commonly know it, is actually a plant called hemp, or cannabis sativa. Hemp is any durable plant used since prehistory for many purposes, such as rope, paper, and clothing. The cannabis plant also produces three very important products that other plants do not (in usable form): seed, pulp, and medicine. The cannabis sativa plant grows as weed and cultivated plant all over the world in a variety of climates and soils (Legalizing Hemp 2). Marijuana has been used throughout history; in 6000 B.C. cannabis seeds were used as food in China; in 4000 B.C. the Chinese used textiles made of hemp; the first recorded use of cannabis as medicine in China was in 2727 B.C.; and in 1500 B.C. the Chinese cultivated Cannabis for food and fiber (Legalizing Hemp 2). MEDICAL USES Paul  Armentano, Deputy Director of the NORML (The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) Foundation, stated at the beginning of this year that scientists are investigating cannabinoids ability to moderate the pain associated with disorders such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as the cannabinoids role in the treatment of several neurological disorders including Alzheimers disease and Lou Gehrigs disease (par.  3).  The cannabinoids contained in marijuana have the potential to provide therapeutic relief for a multitude of diseases.  The potential therapeutic uses of medical marijuana include relief from clinical conditions like gliomas, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimers, ALS, fibromyalgia, tourettes syndrome, dystonia, HIV, hepatitis c, hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, gastrointestinal disorders, pruritis, incontinence, osteoporosis, and rheumatoid arthritis (Armentano, par.  8).à ƒâ€šÃ‚  Armentano  also stated in his report in the  Recent Research on Medical Marijuana:  Investigators are currently studying the anti-cancer properties of cannabinoids.  A growing body of preclinical and clinical data concludes that cannabinoids can reduce the spread of specific cancer cells via apoptosis (programmed cell death) and by the inhibition of angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels).  Arguably, these latter trends represent far broader and more significant applications for cannabinoid therapeutics than researchers could have imagined some thirty or even twenty years ago (par.  4) If cannabis were to be decriminalized, an entirely new domain of medicinal research could possibly be unlocked.  The medicinal properties of marijuana including the transient as well as therapeutic relief to a broad list of clinical conditions could be further researched and bestowed upon society.  Allen F.  St.  P ierre states in his article  About Marijuana: Modern research suggests that cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications.  These include pain relief particularly of neuropathic pain (pain from nerve damage) nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders. Marijuana is also a powerful appetite stimulant specifically for patients suffering from HIV, the AIDS wasting syndrome, or dementia.  Emerging research suggests that marijuanas medicinal properties may protect the body against some types of malignant tumors and are neuroprotective.  (par.  10) Newer and healthier methods of the application of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) could be researched in order to prevent any negative effects that inhaling the combusted material of cannabis may have on your respiratory system. New branches of research dedicated to showing the positive aspects of marijuana could be possible decriminalization were set in motion. Canada has already benefited tremendously from their nation-wide legalization of marijuana. Andrew D.  Hathaway and Kate Rossiter state in their article on Canadas society involving medical marijuana that In 2001, Canada announced it would be the first country to legalize cannabis for therapeutic purposes and earmarked funding for clinical trials.  By June, 2007, legal access had been granted to about 1,800 patients with terminal illnesses and serious medical conditions (1). Not only does cannabis have the potential to provide the United States with an extremely broad range of medical application, but this plant also has the potential to provide various industrial applications. INDUSTRIAL USES Hemps uses include but are certainly not limited to: fuel; food (hemp seeds provide an incredible source of protein-not only for people but for birds who seek out hemp seeds which have been mixed with other seeds); paper; textiles, (i.e. canvas, paper, cloth, rope); paint; detergent; varnish; oil; medicine; and building materials. Almost any product that can be made from wood, cotton, or petroleum (including plastics) can be made from hemp. Every year the United States government spends billions of dollars to fund the war on drugs, which is conducted mainly by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). More specifically, the extremely well funded Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCESP) is the portion of the DEA that specifically deals with the enforcement of cannabis laws. In the last 25 years, the enforcement of cannabis prohibition has grown stricter. Despite this, marijuana production in the U.S. has increased ten-fold since 1982 (Crop Report 17). Along with this increased production and DEA enforcement, the cost of the war on marijuana has increased greatly in the last few decades. For example, in 2002 roughly 730,000 people were arrested for state marijuana charges meaning they did not possess enough to get charged federally. The total criminal justice  cost of these marijuana arrests was about $7.6 billion, which equates to roughly $10,400 per arrest (NORML 131). The legalization of marijuana would eliminate the need for all these arrests which would result in an economic boost, not to mention save the money required to incarcerate someone for said offense. In addition to reducing the amount of money spent keeping marijuana illegal, the legalization of marijuana would free up much needed space in our already overcrowded jails. U.S. citizens account for about 5% of the worlds population, yet U.S. prison inmates account for 25% of the worlds prisoners (Eitzen 368). By eliminating the need for marijuana related arrests, a great burden would be lifted off of our police force. Our police would be able to focus their energy on the real criminals in our nation as opposed to wasting money charging citizens with minor marijuana offenses. Most importantly, the legalization of marijuana would eliminate all of the crime involved with marijuana such as sale, possession, paraphernalia, and cultivation.   The Author of Social Problems, Stanley Eitzen explains the concept behind why the legalization of marijuana would do so:  organized crime, which now acquires most of its income from providing illegal goods and services, would no longer be able to hide its investments and profits. Thus, laws against victimless crimes are indirectly responsible for maintaining organized crime (Social Problems 352).   By making marijuana legal, it makes it impossible for criminals to conduct crimes involving marijuana. However, the prohibitive laws regarding marijuana provide organized criminals with one of their most lucrative source of income: the sale of illegal marijuana. Legislation against marijuana does not eliminate the demand for it amongst society either. Due to marijuana being illegal, the price of marijuana is much higher than what it would be if legal. This unintended result of the prohibitive laws against marijuana has caused a slight increase in crime revolved around the purchase of the herb. New crimes are being committed to produce money so that users can afford the high prices; though not as severe as a crime directly related to the sale and cultivation of marijuana, any crime eliminated because of legalization helps. The eradication of crime associated with marijuana and the corresponding money earned as a result will only become possible through the regulation and production of marijuana by the U.S. government. These would not be the only benefits legalization would have to offer either; the government could generate substantial contributions to the economy through the taxation and sale of marijuana within our borders. Ultimately, the war on marijuana has failed. Marijuana use and production continue to increase from year to year despite the increased efforts against marijuana. New regulatory policies need to be researched and tried if the government ever wants to have control over one of the  biggest issues in the war on drugs. ECONOMIC BENEFITS Today marijuana is the number one cash crop in America, generating over $35 billion in dirty money each year (Crop Report 14). That is $18 billion more than second most generated crop corn. Although the prices of marijuana would decline if legalized, the government could still make enormous amounts of money through the taxation, production and sale of marijuana. Marijuana is the fourth most widely used psychoactive drug in the U.S., following caffeine, nicotine and alcohol (Eitzen 385). Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, are all legal, regulated by the government and all contribute greatly to our economy. Why not do so with cannabis? Tobacco addiction resulting from cigarette smoking kills more Americans than alcohol, cocaine, crack, heroin, homicide, suicide, fires, car accidents, and AIDS combined (Eitzen 389). Yet the government encourages and regulates the sale of cigarettes, this is because the tobacco industry is a major contributor to the U.S. economy. Roughly $158 billion are ge nerated each year by the tobacco industry (Eitzen 389). Aside from the sale of cigarettes, tobacco companies spent $21.2 million professional lobbying firms in 2003, which amounts to more than $127,000 for every day Congress was in session (Eitzen 390). Government intervention in the theoretical cannabis industry could produce monetary gains similar to that of the tobacco industry through essentially the same means. Alcohol, the third most used drug in America, is another example of how government regulation of a drug can be successful. Each year, the government makes billions off of the regulation and sale of alcohol. In addition to the revenues that could be generated through the sale of marijuana, the government could institute a marijuana tax, which would only increase revenues. POLITICAL ASPECT In California On November 2, 2010, Proposition 19 failed at the polls. If it passed, marijuana would have been decriminalized, and the government would have been allowed to regulate and penalize marijuana use and distribution to generate additional revenue (Viswanthan 1). Small groups have risen throughout the United States, primarily in California, advocating for marijuana legalization. One of the most well known groups and Californias largest medical group, the California Medical Association, has also endorsed the legalization of marijuana. But if a similar proposition is proposed, President Barack Obama will not support it. In a press conference in Colombia, Obama said he would engage in a debate regarding legalizing drugs, but elaborated that his administration will not support any bill to legalize them (2). With elections approaching, his stance from 4 years ago has shifted greatly. Presidential  GOP  candidate Mitt Romney has explicitly expressed his dissension around medicinal marijuana in his campaign. After hearing from an individual with muscular dystrophy about his need for medicinal marijuana to survive, Romney repeated fervently that he was not in favor of legalizing medicinal marijuana. The young man with the degenerative illness expressed his worries to the candidate and showed genuine concern for his survival. Five different doctors had recommended the use of medicinal marijuana for this patient, yet the federal government continues to impose fear by prosecuting those who use and prescribe such treatment. Romney continued to ignore his pleas and ended the conversation by walking away from the wheelchair-bound man (CNN). Potential third party candidates such as Ron Paul and Gary Johnson have voiced their support concerning the legalization of marijuana, and have clearly made it known that if they are elected, they will take measures to legalize the drug nationwide (Viswanthan 2). During his 30 years in the House of Representatives, Paul has authored and co-authored multiple marijuana-friendly bills. Hes proposed laws to  decriminalize marijuana, permit industrial hemp farming, and constitutionally delegate to states how to enforce extant medical marijuana (Camia 1).   For those who favor the legalization of marijuana, the ideology revolving around the subject is conveyed perfectly by  Thomas Szasz, a libertarian,   I favor free trade in drugs for the same reason the Founding Fathers favored free trade in ideas. In an open society, it is none of the governments business what idea a man puts into his mind; likewise, it should be none of the governments business what drug he puts into his body (74). Though the federal government did not adopt this ideology, there are other valid reasons that the legalization and regulation of marijuana in the U.S. would provide our nation with significant benefits. The taxation and sale of marijuana alone would provide immense economic contributions. The ending of the war against marijuana would save billions of dollars spent each year hunting down and incarcerating marijuana offenders. The potential that marijuana has to offer as a medicine are all possible results of the legalization of marijuana in the United States. OPPOSING VIEWS Scientific studies may have conflicting results, but overall they link smoking marijuana to heart and lung disease, throat cancer, and a decreased memory capacity. Making marijuana legal would increase the number of people being affected by these diseases. Others point to the staggering amount of drugs that have been seized coming into the United States. They point to how drug use is strongly linked to criminal activity, and predict that legalizing marijuana would lead to an increase in violence and crime (Two Sides of the Conflict Anti-Marijuana). The federal government, which overall is working to keep marijuana illegal, agrees that there is no real benefit to legalizing marijuana. Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy wrote As a former police chief, I recognize we are not going to arrest our way out of the problem. We also recognize that legalizing marijuana would not provide the answer to any of the health, social, youth education, criminal justice, and community quality of life challenges associated with drug use.(Gane-McCalla) SOLUTIONS One of the main reasons that cannabis has not been legalized in the U.S. is the perceived danger that smoking it presents to its user; the perception that getting high is harmful. Yes, smoking cannabis is bad for you, but smoking anything is bad for you. Most of the negative health effects that cannabis users experience are a result of the act of inhaling smoke into their lungs, not the actual THC present. Cannabis can be consumed in ways that do not involve combustion, such as edibles or the use of a vaporizer. Through healthier consumption, marijuana can be used medically to relieve certain patients of pain and other ailments as well as serve as a basis for newer, more effective cannabinoid drug development. The legalization of marijuana would help capitalize on the medicinal benefits that THC and other  cannabinoids  present in marijuana have to offer. Though large amounts of THC have been found to disrupt short-term memory and impair motor skills, THC has also been proven to help relieve symptoms of many common health problems (Joy 51). In particular, medical marijuana has had the most significant effect on patients suffering from symptoms such as chronic pain, nausea, appetite loss, muscle spasms, insomnia, and glaucoma (Joy 51). There are plenty of legally prescribed drugs that are often used to treat symptoms like those mentioned above; however many of them can be expensive, cause undesirable side effects, and in several cases can become addictive. For example, Xanax and Vicitin are two of the most widely distributed prescription painkillers on the market today despite their high cost and high risk of dependence. In addition, they are most frequently prescribed to patients experiencing symptoms that THC has been found to alleviate. Not to say that medical marijuana, or THC, will always be better than Xanax or Vicitin or any other prescription drug because there are extreme cases where medical marijuana would not suffice. However, medical marijuana would offer a cheap alternative to expensive prescription drugs without the negative side effects or risk of addiction. Despite popular belief, marijuana has not been proven to be physically addictive. Studies indicate that day-to-day marijuana users will develop a minor physiological addiction to the drug, but no evidence was present of a physical addiction one might face with cocaine, heroin or even caffeine abuse (Joy 92). This trait of THC is but another reason that the developmen t of more advanced cannabinoid based drugs should be looked into if marijuana were legalized. The idea of synthetic THC or a pill form of THC is not a new one. Scientists developed Marinol, the only cannabinoid approved for marketing in the U.S., was introduced in 1985. Although Marinol was not a huge success and is rarely used today, it did lead to the discovery of the neuroprotective qualities  cannabinoids  possess. Janet Joy, author of Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base, explains neuroprotection: One of the most prominent new applications of  cannabinoids  is for neuroprotection, the rescue of neurons from cell death associated with trauma, ischemia, and neurological diseases (202). This quality of  cannabinoids  could prove to be valuable in the development of medicines designed to slow the deterioration of the brain, such as certain types of brain damage and other illnesses causing brain damage. If the use of medical marijuana were legal, people would be provided with a cheaper, and if consumed properly, sometimes healthier alternative to certain ailments they may be experienci ng. Along with the numerous medical uses marijuana already has to offer, the legalization of marijuana would enable scientists to develop state of the art medicines involving  cannabinoids.  Investigators are currently studying the anti-cancer properties of cannabinoids.  A growing body of preclinical and clinical data concludes that cannabinoids can reduce the spread of specific cancer cells via apoptosis (programmed cell death) and by the inhibition of angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels).  Arguably, these latter trends represent far broader and more significant applications for cannabinoid therapeutics than researchers could have imagined some thirty or even twenty years ago (par.  4) . If cannabis were to be decriminalized, an entirely new domain of medicinal research could possibly be unlocked.  The medicinal properties of marijuana including the transient as well as therapeutic relief to a broad list of clinical conditions could be further researched and bestowed upon society.  Allen F.  St.  Pierre states in his article  About Marijuana: Modern research suggests that cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications.  These include pain relief particularly of neuropathic pain (pain from nerve damage) nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders. Marijuana is also a powerful appetite stimulant specifically for patients suffering from HIV, the AIDS wasting syndrome, or dementia.  Emerging research suggests that marijuanas medicinal properties may protect the body against some types of malignant tumors and are neuroprotective.  (par.  10) DISCUSSION There are laws in place making it illegal for anyone under the age of eighteen (in most states) to purchase Nicotine products, and twenty one to purchase alcohol products. Thoughts are that at eighteen/twenty one, one is old enough to have been properly educated and understand what it is they are doing when they purchase these products. Why cant we do this with the legalization of marijuana?    Maybe we should look to European countries for the answer to marijuana legality. Many have made their laws less strict or repealed them entirely, which were fashioned after laws made here in the United States, in favor of the legalization of marijuana. Commander Brain Paddock in a neighborhood of London called Brixton ran a small experiment. Over a six month period, he instructed his officers to warn those caught with small amounts of marijuana rather than arrest them. At the end of those six months, Scotland Yard issued a report that stated more than 2500 hours of manpower was saved by giving warnings (Katz). Not making arrests meant not spending valuable time transporting prisoners and filling out paper work, not to mention court time and costs saved prosecuting those arrested. That time could then be spent on investigating and enforcing other more serious criminal activities. Marijuana use is legal or otherwise overlooked, in many European areas such as Holland. In an article called Europe Loosens Its Pot Laws, written for Rolling Stone Magazine, Gregory Katz wrote that Senior Drug Policy Advisor to the Dutch Minister of Health, Bob Krizer, has said marijuana consumption in Holland has been consistently lower over the past twenty-five years than it has in the United States. During those same twenty-five years, the United States had been waging the War on Drugs, while Holland had been embracing a more liberal policy. Mr. Krizer also states that their rate of harder drug addicts is largely lower than many other countries that have stricter drug policies (Katz). If true, this goes a long way towards proving education is a much better way to get a message across than making laws and arresting people. CONCLUSION Marijuana has the potential to be one of the most useful substances in the world. Even though cannabis prevails as possibly one of the most useful plants on the face of the Earth, it still remains illegal in the United States. With countless uses, whether they be industrial, medical, or economical, it is hard to believe that marijuana still remains a regulated and prohibited substance. It seems as if this harmless flower is considered illegal for no other reason than to be considered illegal. Cannabis is a possible nationwide head start towards the economys stability and withholds the potential to assist in the addressing of some of the United States most pressing issues.  The decriminalization of cannabis has the potential to become one of the greatest economical advances in the history of the United States of America. If people took action and the government legalized it today, we will immediately see benefits from this decision. People suffering from illnesses ranging from manic depression to Multiple Sclerosis would be able to experience relief. The government could make billions of dollars off of the taxes it could impose on its sale, and its implementation into the industrial world would create thousands of new jobs for the economy. Also, because of its role in paper making, the rain forests of South America can be saved from their current fate of extinction. No recorded deaths have ever occurred as a result of marijuana use, it is not physically addictive like alcohol or tobacco, and most doctors will agree it is safer to use than those substances. A quote by Abraham Lincoln describes the situation perfectly. Prohibitiongoes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a mans appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded. Marijuana being illegal has no validity at all. Due to all the positive aspects of marijua na it should be legalized in the United States.  

George Orwell Essay -- History Biography Biographies Essays

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair was born in 1903 at Motihari in British-occupied India. While growing up, he attended private schools in Sussex, Wellington and Eaton. He worked at the Imperial Indian Police until 1927 when he went to London to study the poverty stricken. He then moved to Paris where he wrote two lost novels. After he moved back to England he wrote Down and Out in Paris and London, Burmese Days, A Clergyman’s Daughter and Keep the Apidistra Flying. He published all four under the pseudonym George Orwell. He then married Eileen O’Shaughnessy and wrote The Road to Wigan Pier. Orwell then joined the Army and fought in the Spanish Civil War. He became a socialist revolutionary and wrote Homage to Catalina, Coming Up for Air, and in 1943, he wrote Animal Farm. It’s success ended Orwell’s financial troubles forever. In 1947 and 48 despite Tuberculosis, he wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four. He died in 1950 (Williams 7-15). This essay will show and prove to you that George Orwell’s life has influenced modern society a great deal. Biography In 1903, Eric Arthur Blair was born. Living in India until he was four, Blair and his family then moved to England and settled at Henley. At the age of eight, Blair was sent to a private school in Sussex, and he lived there, except on holidays, until he was thirteen. He went to two private secondary schools: Wellington(for one term) and Eaton (for four and a half years). After Eaton, Blair joined the Imperial Indian Police and was trained in Burma. He served there for nearly five years and then in 1927, while home on a leave, decided not to return. He later wrote that he had come to understand and reject the imperialism he was serving. He was stuck...between hatred of the empire and rage against the native people who opposed it, and made his immediate job more difficult. Blair, on his first six months of release, traveled to the East End to research the English poor. In Spring of 1928, he took a room in a working-class district of Paris. He wrote two novels, which have been lost, as well as publishing a number of articles in French and English, and later became ill with pneumonia. He then worked ten weeks as a dishwasher and kitchen porter, and later returned to England at the end of 1929. He used his parents’ home in Suffolk for writing and earned money from occasional articles and teaching. Bl... ...o is never swept away by his imagination.† Of Nineteen Eighty-Four, Fredric Warburg comments, â€Å"This is amongst the most terrifying books I have ever read†. â€Å"Mr. Orwell’s latest book, Nineteen Eighty-Four, can be approached either as a political argument or as an indictment of materialism cast in fictional form,† writes Harold Nicolson. â€Å"Mr. Orwell is in every way similar to Huxley, especially in his contempt for people, in his aim of slandering man,† reports Isaac Anisimov for the Pravda. CONCLUSION As you can see, George Orwell is one of the most beloved and respected authors in history. His works speak out against money, hypocrisy, poverty and injustice. His style has influenced many modern authors and will, most definitely, influence many more authors to come. WORKS CITED Calder, Jenni. Animal Farm & Nineteen Eighty-Four. Philadelphia:Milton Keynes, 1986. Meyers, Jeffery. George Orwell: The Critical Hertige. Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1975. Orwell, George. Animal Farm. Orlando: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1982 Williams, Raymond. Orwell. London: Raymond Williams, 1991 Wykes, David. A Preface to Orwell. New York: Longman, Inc., 1987. George Orwell Essay -- History Biography Biographies Essays George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair was born in 1903 at Motihari in British-occupied India. While growing up, he attended private schools in Sussex, Wellington and Eaton. He worked at the Imperial Indian Police until 1927 when he went to London to study the poverty stricken. He then moved to Paris where he wrote two lost novels. After he moved back to England he wrote Down and Out in Paris and London, Burmese Days, A Clergyman’s Daughter and Keep the Apidistra Flying. He published all four under the pseudonym George Orwell. He then married Eileen O’Shaughnessy and wrote The Road to Wigan Pier. Orwell then joined the Army and fought in the Spanish Civil War. He became a socialist revolutionary and wrote Homage to Catalina, Coming Up for Air, and in 1943, he wrote Animal Farm. It’s success ended Orwell’s financial troubles forever. In 1947 and 48 despite Tuberculosis, he wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four. He died in 1950 (Williams 7-15). This essay will show and prove to you that George Orwell’s life has influenced modern society a great deal. Biography In 1903, Eric Arthur Blair was born. Living in India until he was four, Blair and his family then moved to England and settled at Henley. At the age of eight, Blair was sent to a private school in Sussex, and he lived there, except on holidays, until he was thirteen. He went to two private secondary schools: Wellington(for one term) and Eaton (for four and a half years). After Eaton, Blair joined the Imperial Indian Police and was trained in Burma. He served there for nearly five years and then in 1927, while home on a leave, decided not to return. He later wrote that he had come to understand and reject the imperialism he was serving. He was stuck...between hatred of the empire and rage against the native people who opposed it, and made his immediate job more difficult. Blair, on his first six months of release, traveled to the East End to research the English poor. In Spring of 1928, he took a room in a working-class district of Paris. He wrote two novels, which have been lost, as well as publishing a number of articles in French and English, and later became ill with pneumonia. He then worked ten weeks as a dishwasher and kitchen porter, and later returned to England at the end of 1929. He used his parents’ home in Suffolk for writing and earned money from occasional articles and teaching. Bl... ...o is never swept away by his imagination.† Of Nineteen Eighty-Four, Fredric Warburg comments, â€Å"This is amongst the most terrifying books I have ever read†. â€Å"Mr. Orwell’s latest book, Nineteen Eighty-Four, can be approached either as a political argument or as an indictment of materialism cast in fictional form,† writes Harold Nicolson. â€Å"Mr. Orwell is in every way similar to Huxley, especially in his contempt for people, in his aim of slandering man,† reports Isaac Anisimov for the Pravda. CONCLUSION As you can see, George Orwell is one of the most beloved and respected authors in history. His works speak out against money, hypocrisy, poverty and injustice. His style has influenced many modern authors and will, most definitely, influence many more authors to come. WORKS CITED Calder, Jenni. Animal Farm & Nineteen Eighty-Four. Philadelphia:Milton Keynes, 1986. Meyers, Jeffery. George Orwell: The Critical Hertige. Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1975. Orwell, George. Animal Farm. Orlando: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1982 Williams, Raymond. Orwell. London: Raymond Williams, 1991 Wykes, David. A Preface to Orwell. New York: Longman, Inc., 1987.

Boston Massacre :: essays research papers

The town of Boston was a very uneasy city throughout the 1760's. This uneasiness quickly turned to belligerence in the early part of 1770. Tensions had been mounting from the beginning of the year with various clashes between British sympathizers and colonists. However, in early March the tensions erupted into bloodshed. On March 5, 1770 a small group of colonists were up to their usual sport of tormenting British soldiers. By many accounts there was a great deal of taunting that eventually lead to an escalation of hostilities. The sentry in front of the Custom House eventually lashed out at the colonists which brought more colonists to the scene. In fact, someone began ringing the church bells which usually signified a fire. The sentry called for help, setting up the clash which we now call the Boston Massacre. A group of soldiers led by Captain Thomas Preston came to the rescue of the lone sentry. Captain Preston and his detachment of seven or eight men were quickly surrounded. All attempts to calm the crowd proved useless. At this point, the accounts of the event vary drastically. Apparently, a soldier fired a musket into the crowd, immediately followed by more shots. This action left several wounded and five dead including an African-American named Crispus Attucks. The crowd quickly dispersed, and the soldiers went back to their barracks. These are the facts we do know. However, many uncertainties surround this important historical event: Did the soldiers fire with provocation? Did they fire on their own? Was Captain Prescott guilty of ordering his men to fire into a crowd of civilians?

My Lobotomy Essay

There wasn’t many answers to the medical society and anything that seemed to be working, was probably the greatest invention ever back then. I believe once they noticed that people started to change to behaviors, they thought they might have found a cure. With that hope, thats why they probably continued with the procedure. There were a lot of people with medical conditions that were being force to living in terriable conditions, so with this precedure, they probably thought this can help with that problem and hopefully get them to normal behavior so they may go back home. Do you think that Howard Dully may have had a childhood onset disorder such as ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, or Conduct Disorder, or some combination of these disorders? Support your conclusions about this with examples from the memoir. Also discuss why the narrative and its various angles make it difficult to determine, retrospectively, whether or not he had any type of diagnosis. Howard Dully might of had Oppositional Defiant Disorder as a child and the stepmother might of not understand what was happening to his stepson. O. D. D is a pattern of disobedient, hostile, and defiant behavior toward authority figures. According to his step mother, the behavior seems to be a personal issue towards the step mom. When one’s mother dies at a young age, a new stepmother may cause the child to dislike them thus cause inapproiate behavior towards the new mother. Howard seemed like many 12 years boys out there but the stepmother just instantly disliked the child. Howard was just put in a bad situation and this was the â€Å"cure† for any disorder at the time and of course the mother was all for it because it would alter his personality. I believe that if Howard was just raised from a different mother, he was of been a normal teenager. Why do you think Freeman fabricated the diagnosis of schizophrenia for Dully? Do you think this was merely justification to perform the lobotomy or do you think this actually reflects misconceptions about schizophrenia during the time Dully was growing up? I believe Freeman probably did it for both reasons. Freeman, during the time, was probably wanting the fame of the lobotomy, by performing the lobotomy on a twelve year old, and trying to show the world that lobotomy precedures can even be performed on young ages. Dully’s mom didn’t help either. Explaining symptoms that could be perceived as schizophrenia, even though they really didn’t seem like they were behaviors of schizophrenia, could be enough reason for a man that wants to prove his precedure works. What are the effects on Dully of accessing records from before his lobotomy, including notes on dialogue between Dr. Freeman and his stepmother? Also, do you think he gains any peace of mind by questioning his father about his role in the â€Å"treatment† despite the fact that his father shows no remorse and accepts no blame whatsoever for the lobotomy or the effects it has on his son’s life? Dully is offended on how terrible his step mother is. He noticed that he was told to get a lobotomy on his birthday and his mother didn’t hestistate. He couldn’t believe that she was lieing to Dr. Freeman and actually continue trying to get Dr. Freeman to understand that he should get a lobotomy due to some behaviors. When he read about his brother getting attacked from him, he basically was in shock because in his heart, he knows he would never hurt his brother. I think he does gave some peace questioning his father because, even though it took both spouses approval to do the opearation, he know that his step mother was deciever and a liar. If his father can say such things about her, I believe he has a better understanding of what type of person she is and that his life could have been different if it wasn’t for her. I believe in the text, he states that even though his father is not taking blame, it was still the happinest he has been. Explain why good families and parents (i. e. think about Lizzie Simon and her statement about her family versus the harsh world), unlike the cold, unloving parents of Howard Dully, would have allowed Freeman to perform lobotomies on truly mentally ill family members? Base your answer on the PBS excerpt from American Experience: The Lobotomist. Also, describe a real life situation where extreme measures of treatment might be (or actually have been) sought by the family or caretakers of a person with a severe disorder. I believe most families were just looking for answers to their problems. There were families that watched their mother, sister, brother, father, grandmas, or even grandfathers go through changes for the worst and they were just looking for a way out. With all the hype of a possible cure, who wouldn’t blame those family members that were really trying to help their families out. When they made the trans-orbital precedure, it also seemed like a cheaper, quicker fix so many people probably jump on the wagon because of being that way. There are plenty of situations in which family might need to step in and do what is necessary for their family members to be healthy. One example is when a child is going through Anorexia and has the mind set that she will not eat anything because she believes she is overweight. If this child rejects and refuses to listen to their parents, school therapist, and even friends, the parents need to step in. They might need to force their child into a clinic to help them with their problems. They would get professional help and thus, hopefully getting rid of that thought of looking extremely thin is ok.