Hermaphrodites and Society Essay

Individuals are given the gift of life when they are born into this world. Many agree that everyone is blessed and should not take their lives for granted. To be truly alive, individuals must be overjoyed and pursue happiness. However, others would describe their lives as a joke. To be precise, many would be ashamed of who they are. A very strong example of an ashamed soul would be Calliope, the main protagonist of Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. In the story, Eugenides tells the tale of Callie, who is supposedly a monster because she is a hermaphrodite. Being a hermaphrodite indicates that someone has the sex organs associated with both genders. By definition, Callie is an abnormal freak. Eugenides employs literary devices, such as tone, imagery, and personification, to express Callie’s shame and humiliation of being herself. Eugenides employs imagery to transport readers into Callie’s shoes and understand her shame of being a hermaphrodite. Callie describes herself as â€Å"being surrounded by illuminating faces bent over books, her hair covering the definition of herself. Normal individuals surround Callie, and she abruptly conceals the word monster to prevent anyone from realizing her true identity. In Callie’s point of view, normal individuals surround her, and she is in the center covering a secret that could ultimately ruin her reputation as a human. Callie is so frightened of being exposed to the world as a true monster. Callie makes a past reference of how she had experienced monster before. Callie addresses that â€Å"she was not looking at it in her bathroom stall. † She has the affirmation that someone had already known her as a monster, but she was too afraid to agree. Now, however, Callie is reminded of her past, and sadly acquaints past and present to reach the conclusion the she is indeed a monster. Callie also refers to herself as a â€Å"lumbering, shaggy creature pausing at the edge of the woods, as a humped convolvulus rearing its dragon’s head from an icy lake. † Callie truly visualizes herself as an actual monster, a freak of nature that is shunned by the world and lives in absolute seclusion. In her eyes, she is a grotesque beast that cannot even stand to stare at herself out of humiliation and shame. Callie is absolutely alone and is surrounded by others who look at her with disgust and wide eyes. Eugenides utilizes tone in the story to help readers develop sympathy and pity towards Callie. All throughout the passage, the tone of the story is serious. Callie acknowledges that â€Å"her mother was crying in the next room, and the doctors were working on Callie’s disease in secret. † The statements convey that Callie’s parents are also disappointed and ashamed of what their daughter has become. Callie understands that her mother sheds tears thinking what she has done to deserve a defected daughter. Callie’s parents are so ashamed and overwhelmed that they took Callie to New York to try and heal in secret instead of in the open. Callie’s parents do not want others to see what has happened to her out of concern for their daughter’s social life as a normal individual. The thoughts and emotions expressed give readers pity towards Callie and her condition. Callie muses that â€Å"she longed to be held, caressed, which was impossible. † Callie wishes to be comforted and surrounded by others that loved and understood her. Unfortunately, Callie views herself so much like a monster rather than an individual that she is too far long to be comforted by anyone. Readers infer that Callie is a freak with no friends, family, or loved ones. Eugenides also uses personification to display how Callie views the inhumane objects around her as also excluding her from humanity and pushing her towards being a monster. Callie enunciates that â€Å"fear is stabbing me. † Callie feels horrible about her discovery of being a hermaphrodite; she actually visualizes fear around her. Callie feels frightened and vulnerable to the thought of others singling her out and chanting the monster. Callie cannot even comprehend what she feels, but can only implore she is engulfed by fear and incapable of accepting her secret getting out. This also expresses Callie’s extreme shame of being who she is, as well as how others will view her as a non –human. Callie comments on the chain within the dictionary as â€Å"speaking of poverty, mistrust, inequality, and decadence as she held onto it. † Callie establishes a connection between herself and the chain as both being bound to the worst parts of human lives. Callie strongly grasps the word monster in her hand, as if she is bound to it like the chain is. Callie cannot detach herself because deep in her heart, she understands that she is a monster, no matter how much she wishes not to be. As Callie leaves the Reading Room, Callie also cannot release the word monster from herself. Callie appeals that â€Å"the Webster’s dictionary kept calling after her, Monster, Monster! † Callie is so attached and strongly understands herself as a monster that she hears the word everywhere she goes. No matter where Callie goes, the word monster will always haunt and pursue her, always reminding her of what she is. Callie interprets the chants of inanimate objects calling her monster, and she cannot help but feel ashamed and humiliated to be reminded of what she is. Calliope, all throughout the passage, is a hermaphrodite and a monster. A world of normal individuals surrounds Callie and do not understand what she is. Eugenides uses literary devices, such as imagery, tone, and personification to express Callie’s shame and humiliation of being herself. To be alive is truly a blessing, but is being abnormal in the eyes of peers a curse? Everywhere, there are individuals who are terrified and alone, and sometimes, no one comes to help them. Regardless of who they are, or whether they may be different, everyone belongs. No one is a monster.

Neighbourhood watch research study

Aim of study: Lethbridge, a small suburb has implemented a small neighborhood watch program. The study aims at examining the impact of the program on volumes of complaints about victimization, fear of crime, and deviant behavior or unsociable acts such as graffiti or disorderly behavior that cause annoyance in the local neighborhood Scope of Research study: The research study on Neighborhood watch will proceed along the following steps. Prompt attention to problems of the study. Personal contact with community leaders and police executives involved in study Data collection by survey, observation, inspection and examination Informal interviews with local residents Drafting questionnaire and schedules Pre-testing questionnaires and schedules Examination of results of pre-tests to detect and eliminate inconsistencies Drafting revised final questionnaires Outlining field interviews Analyzing collected data Drafting of final report Source of research design: This research design has been inspired by the Design used by Samuel Stouffer in his studies of the American Soldier. It is a routine design, which is at once practical for applied research as well as rigorous to scientific prescription. Progress of research- The problem under research was identified- whether the Neighborhood watch program has led to a decline in complaints of victimization and fear of crime, unsocial acts and suspicious behavior that may cause annoyance or alarm to the local residents. A systematic analysis of the problems involved study of crime figures and public perceptions of the sense of security before and after commencement of the program, evaluating the extent and application of community mobilization and sensitization, checking of documentation relating to actual implementation, assessment of the quality of collaboration among local residents and the integration of the beat police into the program. Neighborhood watch being one of the acknowledged strategies in community policing, the study would also consider if crime prevention and other objectives of the program could have been better achieved if neighborhood watch was combined with other strategies commonly adopted in the community policing paradigm. To make the study academically meaningful and empirically sound, community leaders and beat officers were interviewed to elicit important information like public perception of the sense of security in the local neighborhood and to collect figures of reported crime as well as victimization before and after program, extent of community participation, nature of crime prevention strategies such as target hardening by means of physical measures as well as by community mobilization to promote social cohesion, the employment of other location specific tactics if any etc Collection of Data on the fear of crime including a) complaints on crime, suspicious activities reported, deviant behavior b) Any Increase/decrease in complaints over a period d) No of people enrolled neighborhood watch scheme e) Partnerships with other resident associations Informal interview with people concerned- Interview with citizens will unfold information on the motivation, efficacy and success of the Neighborhood watch program. Particular emphasis on whether collaborative efforts to promote safety in the neighborhood has lead also to a sense of ownership of the neighborhood by all individual residents and the creation of a community of interests despite the heterogeneous nature of the community.   Also how community mobilization and cooperative crime prevention efforts promote social cohesion, which in turn brings about understanding local problems that ultimately lead to crime. A Questionnaire and Schedule can be designed and distributed in each target home. It will contain questions on fear of crime, the level of security enjoyed by them, on their awareness of psychological or other criminogenic factors that contribute to crime, deviance or antisocial tendencies among the young, shared values on the objectives and methodology of community crime prevention, perceptions on problems that confront the Neighboutrhood Watch program, any areas that need reform and community evaluation of the success of the program A pre-testing drive of questionnaires and schedules can be undertaken. The results of the Pretest can be examined and scrutinized to check for inconsistencies or errors. A thoroughly revised and final questionnaire can be devised and distributed. Results of field interviews may be outlined. Collected Data maybe analyzed. A final report is presented. The results should indicate positive impact of Neighborhood watch programs on reducing crime and the fear of crime in this area. Theoretical background of the Study: a) Effective crime prevention is achieved not by policing alone, but through the cooperative effort of the community based on a mature understanding of the causative factors of crime. The community in this context is the local neighborhood that has a commonality of interests in prevention of crime and in enhancing the sense of security of all local residents. If the community is properly mobilized and educated, it can evolve joint and collaborative strategies that can break the crime triangle- the victim, the offender and the location- at a suitable point. Neighborhood watch is one such strategy. b) The Study assumes that the best way to enlist Community collaboration in reducing crime is through two means-1) Physical Means- This is called as Target Hardening in which each home is assessed for its vulnerability to victimization and measures are designed to deter the offender from gaining easy access to the potential victim. This can be most effectively attempted at the stage of planning construction and if this has not been possible, then through suitable modification of existing structure. Target hardening can be more effective if, in addition to physical restructuring, the immediate neighbors undertake to keep a watch on the potential victim’s premises and access points in order to detect and report any suspicious activity to the police promptly. c) The Study further proceeds on the less obvious assumption hat that target hardening through physical measures can be most effectively supplemented by eliminating alienation and anonymity in the local neighborhood by means of community mobilization and social cohesion. This is because when local residents come together in a spirit of fraternity and mutual support, they are able to see more clearly criminogenic factors, whether on account of deviation or neighborhood decline and disorder. It is then possible to identify local problems of petty annoyance or disorderly behavior that when neglected ultimately lead to crime and to devise effective strategies to find suitable solutions through a process of constant consultation and consensus. d) The Study also assumes that today the idea gaining currency is that prevention of crime-especially crime involving neighborhoods is a responsibility that must be shared by the Police as well as the citizens in a spirit of partnership. The police has traditionally promoted the idea that they are exclusively responsible for crime control and that the community has no role whatever in the matter. The community on its part seldom understands or appreciates that factors that cause crime such as poverty or psychological aberration is beyond the capacity of the police to control. As a result crime prevention strategies in the past placed too much reliance on the police agency as crime fighters. Sociological research and field experiments conducted in the USA during the 1970s clearly brought out the fact that an increase in police presence hardly ever led to a decline in crime; stringent enforcement at best led to displacement. On the other hand, foot patrol, which brought the police and the community closer, did in fact have a positive impact in reducing crime and the fear of crime in the community. Neighborhood watch as an effective crime prevention strategy evolved from the important realization that the police alone cannot solve the problems of crime and disorder and that the community is the best resource for controlling crime. The community policing philosophy that has changed the profile of policing in many democratic countries has emerged from this realization of the role of community participation in policing efforts and its partnership with the police in identifying local problems that lead to crime and in devising effective solutions for local problems. e) The Study also takes note of the fact that field experiments conducted in many States and cities in the USA demonstrate that not only police effectiveness in controlling crime is enhanced by community policing strategies such as neighborhood watch, they also help the police to earn legitimacy from the community, that is qualitatively different from legitimacy accorded by law alone. The police also therefore stand to gain such strategies of crime prevention undertaken in partnership with the community. Findings and recommendations:   For crime control society has traditionally relied on formal police organizations and their time-honored practices of deterrence such as random patrol, fast response, strong armed enforcement represented by terms such as zero tolerance and investigation and prosecution of offenders. But police ineffectiveness and police inadequacy in dealing with crime have been sufficiently well documented. Community policing that has replaced the traditional enforcement style of policing is based on the assumption that the police need to develop positive relations with the community, involve the community in the quest for crime control and crime prevention and further pool their resources with those of the community to address the most pressing concerns of its members. The police strategy is adapted to fit the needs of particular neighborhoods and neighborhood watch happens to be one that suits most communities, once they have been properly mobilized and educated. The Study has been based on the assumptions of the community policing paradigm and has relied upon the responses of members of the community which is the local neighborhood in this case and empirical data collected through official police sources to develop a reliable understanding of the impact of neighborhood watch on important concerns of the community such as crime and the fear of crime and victimization, neighborhood decline and disorder and the lack of social cohesion that results from a fear of crime and distrust of others. Though the program alone will not be capable of eliminating crime and disorder entirely by itself, the Study amply demonstrates that in combination with other strategies of community policing it can go a long way in reducing crime and the fear of crime and additionally bring about greater social cohesion. The Study however shows that there are certain minimum conditions for mobilizing a local neighborhood for effective participation and collaboration in crime prevention work. First of all, people must understand the need to cooperate is vital from the point of common security. People must also come to believe that there are solutions to the problems of insecurity that they confront each day and solutions must be such that they can comprehend. People must also be able to develop faith in the efficacy of the new method. These are conditions that are not easy to fulfill, but if the proper police leadership takes up the challenge of mobilizing and educating the community, it should not be too difficult a task as several experiments have shown in many parts of the world. Neighborhood watch is moreover a very visible and demonstrable strategy that can earn trust and credibility if it is properly managed. The Study therefore shows that neighborhood watch is a program full of potential and promise if motivated leadership of the police and the local community initiates it REFERENCES- 1.Bucqueroux and Trojanowicz 1990 â€Å"Community Policing- A contemporary perspective† Anderson publishing Co. Cincinnati. 2. Bayley, David H.1998   â€Å" What works in Policing† Oxford University Press 3.FriedMann, Robert.R 1992   â€Å"Community Policing† Harvester wheat Sheaf. 4. Goldstein H.1977 â€Å" Policing a Free society â€Å" Ballinger publishing. 5. Manning K.1978† Policing- A view from the Street†- Goodyear Publishing co. 6.Rosenbaum Dennis P.1994 â€Å" The Challenge of community Policing† Sage.                        

Pros And Cons Of Ebooks In Comparison With Hardcover Books Essay

Pros And Cons Of Ebooks In Comparison With Hardcover Books - Essay Example Rather than true ownership, a majority of eBook purchases are more or fewer leases that have very few residual rights. The only way a buyer can ensure that they get continuous access and be able to store the content in the eBook is to download the entire material to a local storage device where rights to the content are not presided over by digital rights management (DRM) systems (Walters 85-95). The content of the e Boom is transferred from a hosted service on the World Wide Web, for instance from a cloud hosting service. The ‘buyer’ lacks control over the content, as Google Books attest; Google will stop serving the eBook content to the ‘buyer’ in the event that it (Google) loses the right to give the buyer any Digital content. While buying an eBook from an online repository, one is likely to encounter terms and conditions that read something akin to ‘you have limited, non-exclusive, personal, and revocable non-transferrable and not-assignable rights or license to use, view, and/ or play a single material copy or download a single copy on a single computer for non-commercial personal home use. Both institutions and individuals get statements of revocable rights to use material that they have ostensibly purchased and paid money for. The content publisher retains the right to change the terms of the sale at any time! It is akin to buying an operating system in which the vendor retains the right to change the sale terms at any time and the user has non-exclusive rights to use software they have paid for. Some publishers further add that they can withdraw their titles from resellers and vendors, including librarians if specific terms are flouted or not met. Mind you, these titles have already been sold to the respective vendors or librarians (Walters 85-95). Publishers also retain rights to change the contents of the eBook without any prior notice, a  concept that destroys the normal concept of selling a physical book.

Alcohol Drinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alcohol Drinking - Essay Example It makes one feel better after a hard day at office, in the playgrounds, at theatres, in shopping malls and even when standing before the teetotaler. There is nothing specifically that can happen in a neighborhood. Well, if this is the way you have been thinking on consuming liquor and avoiding academic statements, it is fine to the extent that you have been consuming liquor moderately and not more than 3-4 times a week (Who should not drink alcohol). Obviously irrespective of what scientists and doctors say, alcohol is a pleasant drink. Scientists have now veered to the view that drinking is all right as long as it is done within limits and the frequency maintained. There is no point in binge drinking during weekends and staying sober the rest of the week. This does more harm than good according to research conducted on drinking (Alcohol: Our Favourite Drug). However, moderate drinking which consists of consuming two to three drinks has health benefits. It stops heart attacks and improves blood circulation. It does the work of an appetizer inside the human body and it boosts digestion. On the other hand, people say that the benefits of alcohol are highly one sided. There may be some benefits to the heart. But it still leaves the kidneys and liver vulnerable to attacks by alcohol. So in spite of all the benefits discovered to be present in alcohol there is still the nagging doubt if the drink or two you consume every evening could be irreversibly problematic to your precious liver. There is nothing clear about the benefits or disadvantages of alcohol. Nowadays, scientists are quite clear that alcohol is beneficial to the heart. But it is silent when it comes to the kidneys and liver. Hence, we are back to square one where consuming alcohol is concerned. Therefore, the teetotaler is better off as he quietly battles the possibility of heart attacks by means other than alcohol. Thus, the debate rages on. On the one hand the teetotaler is happy that nothing is clear about the benefits of alcohol. On the other hand, those who consume alcohol moderately merrily point to the scientifically proved benefits of alcohol and agree that the teetotaler does not know the enjoyment that he is missing. Between the lines, those who are teetotalers are caught napping when they are told by the doctors their cholesterol level is high and they need to put in place dietary controls. And also those who consume alcohol are told by doctors that their cholesterol levels are high and they need to control their diets which include their beverages intake. In the circumstances, neither the teetotaler is at an advantage nor is the drinker in position to proclaim safety in his vaunted status. Why we should drink In the ultimate analysis, the drink is a substitute for medicine. We come across many medicines containing alcohol. There is some alcohol in cold syrups. There is alcohol in alternative medicines such as the ayurveda. Cutting across all the din and commotion about having or not having drinks, the alcohol has proved to be a booster for the heart. The liver and kidneys can be handled with enough diet and water consumption. There are people who have lived to over ninety years of age and continue merrily

Eco-innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Eco-innovation - Essay Example Organizational change occurs when there is a company making a transition from its current state to some other desired future state. Managing the organizational change can be characterized as the process of planning and then implementing change in organizations in a way as to minimize the employee resistance and resulting cost to the organization while side by side maximizing the effectiveness of the innovation effort. Todays the business environment requires all companies to undergo changes almost more often if they wish to remain competitive. Some of the factors such as the globalization of markets and the rapidly evolving technology force the businesses to respond if they wish to survive. Such changes or innovation might be relatively minor , for instance in the case of installing a new software program or they could be even quite major, for instance as in the case of refocusing a complete marketing strategy, transforming a company in face of continual foreign competition or fighting off a hostile takeover. Online free dictionary defines construction industry as an industry that builds housing. Construction Industry is today one of the most booming industries worldwide. This industry covers mainly urban based areas who are concerned with preparation as well as the construction of real estate properties. Though, the repairing of existing building or even making certain alterations may also falls under Construction Industry. This industry usually categorized into three basic categories: All three types of construction project require unique teams to plan, design, construct along with maintain the project. At times the construction industry has to bear heavy maintenance cost that results in much losses for the industry. It is important that for such a big industry to properly plan its activities and utilize such measures that decrease the ever increasing maintenance cost. Mostly, the maintenance occurs after construction and therefore the

State of Maryland Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

State of Maryland - Research Paper Example This technology may play a great role in better treatment of a person. It has improve the worth, protection and competence of medical records. The EHR has eliminated the effects of illegible handwriting of the doctor or other staff. One does not have to face any difficulty while reviewing the patient’s record, because all the information is clear and to the point. To enter the data in the EHR the patient have to fill a form that is downloaded to the EHR. The patient’s record is updated with every visit he makes. The result of the laboratory tests any other related diagnosis are too updated with time. Also if the patient admitted in the hospital and its discharge summaries are also noted down in the record. One can also create graphs of the patient’s blood pressure level within specific time interval, its increase or decrease in weight, height, etc. (Leading EHR Solutions from Sentinel Health, 2013) This program can save so much time, as one doesn’t have to look all through the files and find a patient’s record; it’s just a click away. The patient’s whole medical history can be accessed through the computer in the hospital, within seconds. This can help the physician to study in detail the patient’s health care history, for their better treatment. Maryland was the first state to reward incentive to the health care institutions, who are effectively implementing the use Electronic Health Record. House bill 706 (electronic health records regulation and reimbursement) was passed, as the result of which â€Å"EHR incentive program† came into being. (Electronic Health Records , 2012). The EHR incentive program gives incentives to those hospitals and professionals, who understand, implement and exhibit the correct use of the EHR program. These incentives are distributed to encourage the use of EHR in the medical and professional field. (EHR incentive program, 2012). This incentive program is available for

Faith and Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Faith and Knowledge - Essay Example Deduction, induction, and abduction in relation to reason in the works of Charles Sanders Peirce are also valid in relation to faith. Gdel's Incompleteness Theorems and Ontological Proof of the Existence of God are also valid when it comes to understand the limitations and shortcomings of both reason and faith. At the end of the road we find the unconditional love of God, and this knowledge springs out of the inner being of faith. The most important point that we ought to keep in mind is the fact that faith and reason are two sides of the same coin. In the same way in which reason is a source of knowledge, faith has also a gnoseological component in the very core of its essence. In the next passage we can assume that Dr. Chong Ho Yu (1994) -when referring to Peirce's concepts- was speaking about faith instead of reason, and the resulting assertions would be completely valid in the realm of faith. Let's see: "The philosophical notions introduced by Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914) are helpful for researchers in understanding the nature of knowledge and reality. In Peircean logical system, the logic of abduction and deduction contribute to our conceptual understanding of a phenomenon, while the logic of induction adds quantitative details to our conceptual knowledge. Although Peirce justified the validity of induction as a self-corrective process, he asserted that neither induction nor deduction can help us to unveil the internal structure of meaning. As exploratory data analysis performs the function as a model builder for confirmatory data analysis, abduction plays a role of explorer of viable paths to further inquiry. Thus, the logic of abduction fits well into exploratory data analysis. At the stage of abduction, the goal is to explore the data, find a pattern, and suggest a plausible hypothesis; deduction is to refine the hypothesis based upon other plausible premises; and inducti on is the empirical substantiation." (Yu, 1994). Deduction, induction, and abduction are three interdependent facets of the same process of reasoning according to the insight of Charles Sanders Peirce. Those three elements give shape to faith too. Abduction is a form of guessing, and when we speak of "blind faith" we are indeed referring to the abductive aspect of faith. When we take a look at the Universe, and out its evident majesty we recognise the existence of God, we are using the deductive aspect of faith. In the same way, when we wake up any morning to go to work once again having faith in the idea that everything will work out right during the next 24-hour period, then we are exercising the inductive aspect of faith. And the process of living full of faith every second of our lives has a gnoseological content that makes us be better knowers in our experience of everyday relying and trusting, growing in faith. It doesn't matter if that faith is religious or secular. Faith is faith without any regards of the labels we put on it. As proof of the fact that faith and reason work together in the realm of knowledge, we can clearly see how faith and reason go hand in hand in the following passages from the Bible. Let's see: "Now faith is an assumption of what is being expected, a conviction concerning matters which are not

Article review of Can Hamas Be Tamed Research Paper

Article review of Can Hamas Be Tamed - Research Paper Example Author however, further argues that this may not be the case as those organizations which took part into the elections and actually changed their political philosophy has little correlation with Hamas and that the overall evidence is really weak. Author also presented a history of Hamas and how it gradually evolved over the period of time. Evolved as an off-shoot of Islamic Brotherhood, Hamas operates based on the political philosophy of confronting with Israel and use violent means to achieve the same. After the death of Arafat, Hamas rolled itself as a political party and took part in the elections and subsequently won the election also. This participation by Hamas was however, not welcomed by both Israel and US despite the fact that Hamas actually made a transition towards participating in the overall democratic process within the country. Author further argued about the possibility of changing in the overall political ideology of Hamas due to Oslo Peace Process. Analysis Author h as presented two views about the participation of organizations like Hamas in the overall political process within country. ... According to Author, the skeptical view may hold because given the overall history of Hamas and the history of those organizations which actually participated into the overall political process is relatively less. Those organizations which have already participated into the liberal process were radically different from what Hamas preaches. Traditional history of violent groups also suggests that they may arise as a result of the suppression from the regime. Middle Eastern regimes often used the means to suppress any opposition against themselves and as such movements like Hamas can therefore easily find recruits who can participate in their struggle to overthrow regimes which work against the general interest of the masses. Author has also presented an alternative view according to which the diverse political opinions and the concern to attract votes, illiberal parties can make a transition to liberal ideologies if they participate into the election process. This argument is theoreti cal in nature and advocate that evidence does suggest that those groups who actually participate into election process ultimately become liberal in their overall ideologies. As such parties like Hamas therefore are considered as the subjects who can make a transition to liberal ideologies if given the chance. Author however, also argues that the overall political participation of the groups like Hamas also largely depends upon the local political context also. Author argues that the presence of a vibrant and strong political system is necessary in order to help organizations like Hamas to make a move towards more liberal ideologies. Further, according to author, it takes time for liberal ideologies to take roots in parties like

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 18

Ethics - Essay Example I think the physician made a sound and ethical decision to order a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR), which was supported by the hospital’s Optimum Care Committee (OCC). This is despite the fact that Gilgunn had wanted every possible medical action taken. The duration Gilgunn had stayed in hospital was sufficient to inform the OCC that ordering a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) would not result in her meaningful survival. The extensive brain damage she had would leave her in a state of permanent loss of consciousness. Solving legal issues associated to advance directives has its complications. The key problem is the amount of information that had been given to the patient and the surrogate at the time the decision was being made (Menikoff, Sachs, & Siegler, 1992). Like in Gilgunn’s case, she might have wanted anything possible tried, but no one had informed her and her family of the futility of the resuscitation attempts and the state it could have left her in. At the time of her death, she was not in a capacity to be told or decide. In such cases surrogates will sue without enough medical information to enable them understand why doctors could not honor the advance directives (Menikoff, Sachs, & Siegler,

Saint Clare Essay Example for Free

Saint Clare Essay St. Clare was born on July 16, 1194 and died on August 11, 1253. She was the daughter of a count and countess. She heard St. Francis preach in the streets of Assisi and told him of her desire to give herself to God. They grew to be close friends. On Palm Sunday in the year 1212 the bishop of Assisi presented a palm to this noble maid of eighteen who was beautifully garbed. That same night she left her castle with one acquaintance and went to the church of Our Lady of the Angels, where she met Francis and his Brothers. At the altar of Our Lady, Francis cut off her hair and Clare gave her life to Christ. In an old house outside Assisi she began her Order of the Poor Clares. Later, her sister and mother and other noble ladies joined her. They lived a life of prayer, silence and fasting. One day, enemies of the Church were about to attack the convent. The saint had the Blessed Sacrament placed in a monstrance above the gate of the convent and, kneeling before it, she prayed for help. Abruptly the enemy fled. During her illness of 28 years the Holy Eucharist was her strength. She died in 1253. She is the patroness of, eye disease, goldsmiths, laundry, embroiderers, gilders, good weather, needle workers, Santa Clara Pueblo, telephones, telegraphs, and television. Pope Pius XII selected her as the patron saint of television in 1958, on the basis that when she was too ill to be present at Mass, she had reportedly been able to see and hear it on the wall of her room. Her remains were entombed at the chapel of San Giorgio while a church to hold her remains was being built. On August 15, 1255, Pope Alexander IV canonized Clare as Saint Clare of Assisi. Construction of the Basilica of Saint Clare was completed in 1260, and on October 3 of that year Clares remains were moved to the recently completed basilica where they were buried under the high altar. In further acknowledgment of the saint, Pope Urban IV officially altered the name of the Order of Poor Ladies to the Order of Saint Clare in 1263. About 600 years later in 1872, Saint Clares remains were transferred to a newly constructed memorial in the crypt of the Basilica of Saint Clare where they can still be seen now.

Heavenly Resort Business Plan

Heavenly Resort Business Plan The Heavenly Resort, Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines is a boutique hotel within Palawan Island. Heavenly Resort is boutique hotel offering  32 exclusive rooms. The Heavenly Resort  property is convenient and strategic location within the city. Also with the high level of personal service guests receive, create a memorable experience and the extensive range of comprehensive business facilities  available in  unique settings. The Heavenly Resort has 32 exclusive rooms with a pool on the roof top and is targeting corporate guests with a two to three night stay requirement.Foreign retiree guest with a three to six months stay, foreign and local tourist with a one to two weeks stay requirement and family, scuba divers, backpackers, trekkers, bird watchers, spelunkers, explorers and even honeymooners. Differentiating the type of business service offered, and sustainable green innovation from that of the competition, will assist not only in building the Heavenly Resort brand as a whole, but will attract frequent touristtravellers, who require a higher level  of personal service and recognition than they can receive at competitive boutique hotel in Palawan. This will provide the Heavenly Resort with an opportunity to leverage its core competencies as regards servicing the tourist traveller in a unique and innovative environment. Description of the business concept The first Exclusive Business Boutique Hotel/Resort with restaurant is wholly managed with five teams. The team  specializes in occupying strategic, inner city locations and serving primarily corporate clients, foreign and local tourist. Market Needs Palawan Island is one of biggest city in Philippines and the famous holiday destinations for foreign and local. Due to the influx of tourist in the area, there is lack of accommodation with little competition for a boutique hotel. The Heavenly Resort offers value and benefits to our clients, over and above the standard of our facilities and affordable rates. We seek to provide our guests with an exemplary  personal service, and level of recognition that they have come to rely upon. We provide our guest with a relaxed environment which they cannot find at larger, more impersonal competitors. Our guests need to know that they can develop a relationship with the hotel that will ensure efficiency, value for their  money and reliability in supplying them with the support they need, when they needed it. The Heavenly Resort operates in a city with a very strong sense of community, and we want to stay an integral part of that community. The Target Market The Heavenly Resort is a boutique hotel comprising 32 guest rooms, a pool,and restaurantand specializing in servicing corporate guest, foreign and local with the family. Our key clients are originating from both international and domestic  markets from Scuba divers, backpackers, trekkers, bird watchers, spelunkers, explorersand yes, even honeymooners. The strategic location of the property is the key to its success in these areas due to the proximity of the nearby white sand beaches and resorts where guests can take a plunge or bathe in the sun and beautiful scenery. Key to our business success is the level of customer loyalty and repeat  business. We offer our guests unique ambience amenities,when styled in a boutique manner both inside the rooms and within the hotels conference facilities. Our guests feel that they can conduct their business from within a less austere atmosphere than can be experienced in our competitive properties, where there is less personal recognition. They appreciate being called by name when they arrive, and having staff remember their specific requirements, time and again. This is the key in developing the relationship beyond an initial stay and evidences our added value in relation to competitive properties in the vicinity. The Competitive Advantages (Innovativeness)(Arvind) The Team (April Chris) Market Research and Analysis Market Analysis Table 1:   Tourist Volume in Major Destinations, January-May 2010/2009   Destinations 2010 2009 Growth Rate Metro Manila 848,518 724,572 17.11% Cebu 734,531 703,965 4.34% Boracay Island 378,694 337,664 12.15% Camarines Sur* 348,139 344,459 1.07% Baguio City 318,677 373,820 -14.75% Davao City 275,658 273,492 0.79% Zambales 159,025 157,591 0.91% Bohol 143,276 139,162 2.96% Camiguin Island 105,262 90,269 16.61% Negros Oriental 102,394 98,738 3.70% Cagayan 83,822 80,739 3.82% IlocosNorte 81,724 88,366 -7.52% Puerto Princesa City* 73,986 54,754 35.12% Total 3,653,706 3,467,591 5.37% * January-March data only.   No data provided for April and May Source of Data:   DOT Regional Offices/Local Tourism Offices/Accommodation Establishment. Market Demographics Market Geographics: Puerto Princesa, Philippines is a city centre in Palawan Island, with a population of 157,144. Overall Island population is 640,486. Market Demographics: The community in Palawan are migrants from other regions in the Philippines and Foreigners who create business activities. Market Psychographics: There is a strong small business ethic in the community, and many family-run enterprises have been prospering for generations.   There is also a strong sense of community and a high level of awareness as regards to caring for the environment. Market Behaviours: Businesses in the area choose to support one another wherever possible, be remaining loyal to long standing relationships with customers and suppliers. This acts as a means of investing in, and supporting the community structure. Market Trends Market trends can be categorized as follows: Foreign and Domestic tourist. Puerto Princesa City tourist traffic grew by 21% with foreign and domestic visitors increasing at double digit level of 23% and 21%, respectively.   The upgrading of Puerto Princesa Airport paved the way to increase flight frequencies from Manila and other island destinations in Central Philippines.   Likewise, the efforts of the City Government of Puerto Princesa to develop new tourist products attracted more visitors and enabled prolonged stays.   By year 2010, total tourist traffic in the top destinations is forecast to grow by 15% as domestic travel movement continues to increase and international tourist markets recover from economic slack. Market Growth The growth rate of the target markets has been increasing over the past five years. The foreign tourist has grown at an average of 12.81%, and the domestic tourist has grown at an average of 2.12%. Puerto Princesa City has 117,000 visitors annually. 41.78% are foreign and 35.4% are domestic. The tourist volume in 2009 is 54,754 and in 2010 are 73,986. The overall growth rate is 35.12% which is the highest among other tourist destination in Philippines. The Company The Heavenly Resort, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan Philippines, is a Boutique Hotel and Restaurant. Offering 32 exclusive rooms with complementary breakfast,and offer an affordable signature cuisine local and continental. Mission The Heavenly Resort is dedicated to providing its guests with the highest quality of service and creates a memorable experience. We seek to deliver on our promise of value and quality above all else. We value our place in the community and will work to develop those relationships and to respect and protect our environment. We will continue to strive to create value for both owners and shareholders whilst honouring our brand values and encouraging our personnel to develop themselves in an environment of trust, loyalty and encouragement. Service Offering Service: high-quality facilities accompanied by exemplary personalised service, differentiated from competition in line with the overall brand strategy has proven to be a successful approach generating high levels of repeat business. Positioning The Heavenly Resort is positioned as a unique boutique hotel, foreign and localtravellers strategically located and offering a high level of personalised service. Ourfocus is on offering our guests value added  and differentiating ourselves in our levels of personalised service. We provide a  quality hotel memorable experience where guests are valued, respected, delighted and their business is truly appreciated. SWOT Summary The following analysis highlights the internal strengths and weaknesses of our organization and the opportunities and threats facing the company in our external environment. We must work to improve our areas of weakness. Organizational strengths must be leveraged in order to capitalize on external opportunities as they arise, and contingency plans formulated in order to deal with threats presented by the environment. Strengths Strategy: strong differentiation strategy. Skills: diverse range of service skills within management and staff. Style: strong, participative culture. Staff: specialized and experienced staff that is motivated and highly skilled. A well trained team who are proud of their hotel and  respect and promote the brand values. Shared Values: clear and well communicated. Brand Strength: brand values well represented engendering brand loyalty amongst existing and new guests. Reputation: a strong reputation within the local market and corporate and travel trade markets for reliability, exemplary service and quality. Weaknesses Strategy: differentiation strategy needs to be more clearly communicated externally, within local and national markets. Systems: formal systems result from the detail oriented work and environment. Interdepartmental communications could be improved. Staff: seasonal turnover requires ongoing training and orientation of new staff. Facilities: certain rooms require renovation and upgrade as regards technical equipment, such as high speed Internet access and laptop links. Opportunities Market: high growth since a huge influx of tourist. Competitors: no direct competition exists at present, in terms of the boutique business property niche. Suppliers: strong, long-term relationships  established with suppliers. Guest Dependency: repeat corporate clients based on personalised service and quality, in a small but unique and innovative environment. Threats Market Entry: potential for a competitive, global brand to enter the market with a similar product. Substitutes: fully furnished and serviced business apartments offering lower daily rates. Economy: recovery from slight recession may take time. Competition Although no direct competition exists, in terms of the boutique-style property, other five star hotels and serviced apartments, chalets do compete for the same business sector. Growth and Share (Adam please produce a graph for this) Competitor Price Growth Rate Market Share Casa Puerte (BB) $60 Legend Hotel (3star) $150 Asturias Hotel (4star) $200 Heavenly Resort $75 Average Total Competitive Analysis #1 #2 #3 #4 Competitor Legend Asturias Casa Puerte Heavenly Product and/or Service Legend Asturias Casa Puerte Heavenly Quality 6 7 4 8 Selection 5 7 5 6 Price 6 6 6 6 Other 0 0 0 0 Location and Physical Appearance Legend Asturias Casa Puerte Heavenly Traffic 4 5 7 7 Appearance 4 7 6 8 Visibility 7 6 7 9 Convenience Factors 7 6 6 8 Other 0 0 0 0 Added Value Factors Legend Asturias Casa Puerte Heavenly Pre and Post Sales Service 3 5 4 7 Experience 7 8 6 9 Expertise 6 7 5 8 Reputation 5 9 6 8 Image 6 9 4 8 Stability 6 8 4 9 Strategic Alliances 0 0 0 0 Other 0 0 0 0 Other Marketing Activities Legend Asturias Casa Puerte Heavenly Established Sales Channels 0 0 0 0 Advertising 0 0 0 0 Post-purchase Support 0 0 0 0 Incentives 0 0 0 0 Loyalty Components 0 0 0 0 Other 0 0 0 0 Total 72 90 70 101 Marketing Plan Marketing Strategy Our marketing strategys objective is to communicate the unique set of services that we offer to discern hotel guests. We attempt to direct the focus of our guests to the issues of quality and value for the  money as opposed to simply the bottom line costs associated with their stay. Our marketing strategy will allow us to communicate our brand values, develop close working relationships with our customers and suppliers and to identify the needs of our guests in an effective manner. Continued differentiation and growth are two goals we have set for ourselves. Growth will take place by targeting Foreign and local tourist. Value Proposition Heavenly Resort offers the best, most personalized service for the corporate traveller, foreign and local. We provide good ambience facilities in very room. We include creative design in every room, such as a unique amenity according their culture and nationalities. Critical Issues We have much strength including our differentiation strategy, and highly skilled and well trained staff. Our weaknesses involve the need to communicate our strategy more clearly in the external environment, our high staff turnover and training requirements due to seasonal fluctuations. Although there is a low to medium threat of a competitive brand entering the market, there are also opportunities as regards the high level of dependency of our guests for our particular service and our strong position within the community with both customers and suppliers. Critical issues for the Heavenly Resort include: Continuing to differentiate from our competition and offering added value to our guests. Retaining our current levels of repeat business and developing further customer loyalty in a competitive market. Nevertheless, smart boutique hotels must continue to adapt to the incessantly changing needs, tastes, preferences, and fashions in order to remain competitive in the flourishing boutique hotel market. Financial Objectives Increase overall room revenue. Accomplish growth within the given budget. Increase corporate contracted rates to reflect the return of confidence in the tourist travel market. Keep payroll expenses  down  and reduce the level of overtime within the workforce. Marketing Objectives To continue to communicate our strategic objectives to our target markets effectively. To provide a positive hotel memorable experience to all our guests. To accomplish our growth targets within the given time and budget. Expand our markets and identify new markets for our product and services. Messaging It is critical to the success of the Heavenly Resort to make sure that the hotel is kept up to the highest level in order to keep the high quality service that Heavenly Resort properties are known for. Our messaging will reflect this high standard that we want to be associated with. We need to print brochures from the recycled material to retain our green environment in front of our customers Branding The Heavenly Resort, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan Philippines, is first boutique hotel in Palawan.Heavenly Resort is boutique properties, offering 32 exclusive rooms. The Heavenly Resort  property is convenient and easy access locations within the city. Also synonymous with the brand are the high level of personalised service guests receive, with its unique architecture and design of every rooms.   Strategy Pyramids Our marketing strategy is to focus customers attention on the high quality of the services we offer. Within this strategy are three main points aimed at different market segments. We will provide: The Best and affordable facilities Personalized Services Unique and innovative Amenities Marketing Mix Place: product and service information  are sold to the guest via personal selling, direct marketing, advertising  and the Internet. Delivery channels include travel agents and international  reservations systems. Product Marketing Product: green innovation with high quality ambience facilities accompanied by exemplary personalised service, differentiated from competition quality with the overall brand strategy to be a successful approach generating high levels of repeat business. Pricing Pricing strategy has been consistent with the differentiation objective, to provide added value for a reasonable rate as opposed to discounting and de valuing our products and services. Room rates quoted are net of tax and service, are per night, per room with local and continental breakfast included: Single $65.00; Double $75.00; Family $75++; Deluxe $ 95.00; Suite $125 (maximum occupancy 2 persons). Promotion Promotion: primary focus will remain on mass communication via print ads in trade publications and on the Internet. Direct mail campaigns to existing and prospective clients will increase as a cost effective means of targeted campaigning. Personal selling in the local market will remain an important element of the mix in order to continue to build long-term relationships within the local region and generate  high levels of corporate activity. Public relations activities will continue to play an important role in the marketing mix, presenting the hotel as a supportive member of the community and  participating in significant local events. Advertising Direct Marketing Our direct marketing will be handled by our PR agency. We will buy select targeted list of corporate companies and send them information about Heavenly Resort. We know that we are no experts in direct marketing so it will be important that our PR agency handles every aspect of direct marketing for us. Web Plan Needed: New home page design and navigation Online reservations  capability Printable brochure Website Goals Our website needs to be able to do the following: Convey our messaging of high quality, unique and innovative accommodations Be indexed on major travel websites so that people find us Be able to take reservations online and make changes to reservations online Website Marketing Strategy Our main website marketing strategy hinges upon making sure all major travel sites such as Expedia.com, Orbitz.com, and Hotels.com list our hotel when customers search for hotels in our area. Development Requirements To attain the level of interactivity we want in our design, we need to increase the features allowed (security for  reservations and credit-card processing, daily back-ups, and real-time database linking) and service-level of our hosting service. This will slightly increase our monthly hosting fee. Service Our hotel provides guests with an alternative to the impersonal, boutique hotel properties in the city. Strategically located, our property enables our guests to be at the heart of the city and yet in an environment of calm, serene and professionalism. We seek to differentiate our product and services in the following areas: Personal recognition of our frequent travellers who return time and again. Unique rooms that offer a sense of relaxing and memorable experience. Staff that have a strong customer-service ethic. Green Innovation amenities second to none in town. Sales Plan Our sales plan hinges upon our sales strategy, sales process and, prospecting plan. As long as we follow the plans laid below we should be in good shape. Sales Strategy Riverview Hotels sales strategy hinges upon repeat visits by key corporate accounts. We need to develop a relationship with the companies listed in our Sales Account Plan, as well as actively generate new accounts by soliciting first time corporate, foreign and local visitors. It will be important to remain competitive on price, as well as amenities. The corporate accounting department wants to make sure they limit the amount of money spent per night per employee on a business trip, but the foreign/local traveller will be able to express preference. If the price is right, and the foreign/local traveller knows that they will have all amenities they need while at the Heavenly Resort, we will be assured of keeping and attracting key accounts. Sales Process We will be sure to mail out corporate packets every 6 months to our key accounts, as well as any new accounts we acquire. The packets will have information about corporate pricing and discounts, as well as information about rooms and amenities for the companies to share with business travellers. The biggest piece of our sales process will depend on personal relationships. We will need to make every foreign/local traveller feel like we remember them and we know their likes and dislikes. We also need to cultivate good relationships with the person at the company who makes travel arrangements. Prospecting Plan Whenever a new customer stays at our boutique hotel we need to be able to determine whether it is for leisure or business. If it is for business we need to make sure to get the customers business name and address so that we can send a corporate packet to the company letting them know about corporate pricing and special business amenities. Management Team Controls Our marketing plan is structured to enable us to achieve the strategic goals we have set for  ourselves, in terms of increasing overall revenue as a result of differentiating our products and services from the competition. Our marketing team will ensure that the plan is implemented to the best of their ability and with the highest levels of efficiency and accuracy. Implementation All figures will be monitored on an ongoing basis in relation to projections versus actuals, and the ongoing plan will be altered or manipulated as necessary in order to react to and, wherever possible, anticipate external changes to the environment. Annual results will be evaluated at the Region General Managers meeting where the structure of the plan for the approaching year will also be established. Keys to Success Continue to develop ongoing relationships with frequent and new guests. Continue to develop and implement a strong communications plan in both national and international markets. Leverage our strength in the local market as a member of the community by supporting local events. Identify new markets for our services such as University-based target groups. Continue ongoing staff training and skill development to ensure the highest standards of service. Contingency Planning Contingency plans have been made for the following unexpected developments: A slower recovery from the recession than public opinion: this has been  reflected in the  moderate increase in  levels of corporate business expected. The entry into the market of a competitively aligned hotel: differentiation would continue to be the strategic approach with the development of added value and benefits to leverage long standing relationships and repeat business based on familiarity and personal attention to detail. Marketing Organization Our marketing director, April Huang, leads our PR and marketing team of  four in all advertising, promotional and public relations related activities. April works closely with the members of the team, to implement and monitor the effectiveness of the marketing plan and evaluate results. Design and Development Plans (Grace) Risks Management(Grace) Risk reduction(grace) Exit strategy(Grace) Financials (Sample Only for Adam) Our annual marketing budget is $100,000. Sales are anticipated to achieve revenue of $1,172,925. Our marketing expenses will equate to approximately 8.5% of the overall revenue. Break-even Analysis Fixed Costs Cost Rent or Lease $0 Professional Services $1,000 Payroll $10,000 Interest Payments $2,000 Utilities Telephone $5,000 Non-discretionary marketing expenses $0 Other $0 Total Fixed Costs $18,000 Break-even Analysis Monthly Units Break-even 145 Monthly Revenue Break-even $19,929 Assumptions: Average Per-Unit Revenue $137.14 Average Per-Unit Variable Cost $13.28 Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost $18,000 Sales Forecast Room revenue for this year is based on an average growth rate of 10%. This is based on the number of pre-contracted corporate rooms, and an anticipated return to business levels projected. Sales Forecast FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 Unit Sales Corporate Single 1,925 2,118 2,118 Corporate Double 3,665 4,032 4,032 Corporate Deluxe 2,695 2,965 2,965 Corporate Suite 268 294 294 Total Unit Sales 8,553 9,409 9,408 Unit Prices FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 Corporate Single $95.00 $95.00 $99.00 Corporate Double $125.00 $125.00 $135.00 Corporate Deluxe $175.00 $175.00 $195.00 Corporate Suite $225.00 $225.00 $240.00 Sales Corporate Single $182,875 $201,210 $209,633 Corporate Double $458,125 $504,000 $544,253 Corporate Deluxe $471,625 $518,875 $578,175 Corporate Suite $60,300 $66,150 $70,560 Total Sales $1,172,925 $1,290,235 $1,402,620 Direct Unit Costs FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 Corporate Single $7.86 $11.00 $11.00 Corporate Double $13.92 $13.50 $13.50 Corporate Deluxe $17.50 $18.50 $18.50 Corporate Suite $0.84 $0.00 $0.00 Direct Cost of Sales Corporate Single $15,138 $23,298 $23,293 Corporate Double $51,033 $54,432 $54,425 Corporate Deluxe $47,163 $54,853 $54,853 Corporate Suite $225 $0 $0 Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales $113,558 $132,583 $132,570 Expense Forecast Marketing expenses are projected to be approximately 8.5% of overall annual revenue. The breakdown of  expenditures is as follows: Marketing Expense Budget FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 Print Advertising $10,600 $11,600 $12,826 Internet Advertising $21,000 $23,100 $25,410 Public Relations $6,000 $6,600 $7,260 Other $21,000 $23,100 $25,410 Total Sales and Marketing Expenses $58,600 $64,400 $70,906 Percent of Sales 5.00%

The United States, the United Nations, and Global Human Rights Essay

The United States Positioning as a World Superpower: Its Subsequent Influence in the United Nations and Views Regarding Human Rights â€Å"America stands at this moment at the summit of the world.† -Winston Churchill, 1945 As World War II came to a close, a new need for an international peacekeeping organization became apparent in order to maintain peaceful relations among nations in the post-World War II era. The United Nations (UN) came into effect on October 24, 1945 for this very purpose and also â€Å"to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small†. One of the leading organs of the UN, the Security Council (UNSC), was given â€Å"primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security† and held its first session on January 17, 1946. The United States was overwhelming supportive and instrumental in the construction of the UNSC as compared to their post-WWI refusal to support the League of Nations, an organization similar in structure to that of the UNSC. The United States decision to reject the League of Nations after WWI was seen as a contro versial move to the rest of the world. It reinstated the U.S.’s isolationist foreign policy when the world was seeking for their cooperation in the maintenance of post-WWI peace. However by rejecting the League in 1919, the United States conversely benefited as it led them to be more influential in the creation and administration of the United Nations Security Council. The United Nations and its Security Council worked cooperatively with the U.S. post-WWII. However, in the last few decades, it can be seen that the values of the United States have grow... ...edia.org/wiki/Henry_Cabot_ Lodge> Hiscocks, Richard. The Security Council: A Study in Adolescence. London: Longman Group Limited, 1973. Luck, Edward C. Mixed messages: American politics and international organization, 1919-1999. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 1999. Nicol, Davidson. The United Nations Security Council: Towards Greater Effectiveness. New York: UNITAR, 1982. â€Å"Rules of Procedure,† The UN Security Council. functions.html> Schlesinger, Stephen C. Act of creation: the founding of the United Nations: a story of superpowers, secret agents, wartime allies and enemies, and their quest for a peaceful world. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2003. The Covenant of the League of Nations. The Avalon Project at Yale Law School. May 24, 2005. The United States, the United Nations, and Global Human Rights Essay The United States Positioning as a World Superpower: Its Subsequent Influence in the United Nations and Views Regarding Human Rights â€Å"America stands at this moment at the summit of the world.† -Winston Churchill, 1945 As World War II came to a close, a new need for an international peacekeeping organization became apparent in order to maintain peaceful relations among nations in the post-World War II era. The United Nations (UN) came into effect on October 24, 1945 for this very purpose and also â€Å"to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small†. One of the leading organs of the UN, the Security Council (UNSC), was given â€Å"primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security† and held its first session on January 17, 1946. The United States was overwhelming supportive and instrumental in the construction of the UNSC as compared to their post-WWI refusal to support the League of Nations, an organization similar in structure to that of the UNSC. The United States decision to reject the League of Nations after WWI was seen as a contro versial move to the rest of the world. It reinstated the U.S.’s isolationist foreign policy when the world was seeking for their cooperation in the maintenance of post-WWI peace. However by rejecting the League in 1919, the United States conversely benefited as it led them to be more influential in the creation and administration of the United Nations Security Council. The United Nations and its Security Council worked cooperatively with the U.S. post-WWII. However, in the last few decades, it can be seen that the values of the United States have grow... ...edia.org/wiki/Henry_Cabot_ Lodge> Hiscocks, Richard. The Security Council: A Study in Adolescence. London: Longman Group Limited, 1973. Luck, Edward C. Mixed messages: American politics and international organization, 1919-1999. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 1999. Nicol, Davidson. The United Nations Security Council: Towards Greater Effectiveness. New York: UNITAR, 1982. â€Å"Rules of Procedure,† The UN Security Council. functions.html> Schlesinger, Stephen C. Act of creation: the founding of the United Nations: a story of superpowers, secret agents, wartime allies and enemies, and their quest for a peaceful world. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2003. The Covenant of the League of Nations. The Avalon Project at Yale Law School. May 24, 2005.

The Discovery of Ardipithecus Kadabba, the Oldest Hominid :: Anthropology Essays Paleontology Papers

The Discovery of Ardipithecus Kadabba, the Oldest Hominid During an excavation in the middle Awash Region of Ethiopia, Haille- Sellaise unearthed six hominid teeth. These were at first thought to be the fossilized teeth of Ardipithecus Ramidus. The teeth have now been determined to be from the late Miocene, and those of Ardipithecus Kadabba. These are the oldest hominid remains found, to date. Upon earlier digs in this region between 1997 and 2000, Haille- Sellasie discovered an earlier tooth and fragments of an arm bone. These remains were first thought to be those belonging to â€Å"Ardipithecus Ramidus Kadabba, a subspecies of a younger hominid† (Science Daily). However, after the further recent teeth discoveries it has been decidedly evident that these belong to Ardipithecus Ramidus. The hominid has enough evidence to be its own species rather than a subspecies of Ardipithecus Ramidus Kadabba, as earlier thought. This could possibly mean that â€Å"The new fossils show the most primitive canines ever found among hominids† (Science Daily). Much can be told about the lifestyle of an animal through the wear and acquired shape of their teeth. In the case of Ardipithecus Kadabba this implicates that this species may be the first divergence from the chimpanzee line. â€Å"In the apes, the upper canine is continually honed against the lower third premolar to keep it sharp. Human canines lack this function† (Sanders). What is gathered from this information is that the teeth of Ardipithecus Kadabba may be that of the oldest known hominids, and the first to branch off from chimpanzees. Also an implication may be that â€Å"the newly evolved hominids were living in radically different, less competitive social structure than seen in modern chimps† (Sanders). The sharp canine would probably be used to injure, and in fights between males in hopes to impress females. In today’s chimps the fact that Ardipithecus Kadabba (as closely related to chimpanzees as it is) lacks this feature is an indicator of this . The Ardipithecus Kadabba is thought to be a bipedal hominid. â€Å"Bipediality involves a large and complex set of anatomical traits and is not a dichotomous character† (Haille- Selassie, Suwa, White). The fact that these hominids began to walk on two feet may be attributed to an increasing male role in carrying off spring as well as collecting food.

life and career :: essays research papers

Life and Career The known facts of Chaucer's life are fragmentary and are based almost entirely on official records. He was born in London between 1340 and 1344, the son of John Chaucer, a vintner. In 1357 he was a page in the household of Prince Lionel, later duke of Clarence, whom he served for many years. In 1359–60 he was with the army of Edward III in France, where he was captured by the French but ransomed. By 1366 he had married Philippa Roet, who was probably the sister of John of Gaunt's third wife; she was a lady-in-waiting to Edward III's queen. During the years 1370 to 1378, Chaucer was frequently employed on diplomatic missions to the Continent, visiting Italy in 1372–73 and in 1378. From 1374 on he held a number of official positions, among them comptroller of customs on furs, skins, and hides for the port of London (1374–86) and clerk of the king's works (1389–91). The official date of Chaucer's death is Oct. 25, 1400. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0857256.html Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London, the son of a successful wine merchant. After probably spending many of his childhood days in London's Vintry, his father did not send him to apprenticeship school, but rather to the aristocratic house of the countess of Ulster. There he trained as a page and learned the mannerisms and skills of the ruling class. He continued to be engaged in English politics, serving people such as King Edward III and the county of Kent. He was involved in many diplomatic assignments to Spain, France and Italy. Works by Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch affected much of Chaucer's writings. In addition to these famous writers, Chaucer was influenced by other French, Italian, and Latin writers as well as philosophy, comedy, religion, astrology and other sciences. Chaucer used a variety of genres, styles, tones, and subject matters in this poems and his prose. He addressed

How Government Intervention Affects People and the Economy

New Deal When Franklin Delano Roosevelt was inaugurated president, he promised a â€Å"†New Deal†Ã¢â‚¬  for the American people who had been suffering under the Great Depression. â€Å"It is common sense,† Roosevelt said, â€Å"to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another, but above all, try something. † The relief, recovery, and reform programs of the â€Å"New Deal† were Roosevelt’s attempt to try something. Some of the programs were unsuccessful, but others are still in place today.Examining the â€Å"New Deal† programs can help one understand how government intervention affects people and the economy. Franklin Delano Roosevelt has tons of ideas that he thought would benefit everyone and possibly take us out of the depression. Not everyone agreed with his ideas and supported him but his ideas did help extremely. Roosevelt made the federal deposit insurance corporation and civil works administration for the first new deal and then the social security act and the Fair labor standards act in the second new deal that was later to come.Although there were many more acts and things that he did to get American back to normal, these four I believe made a huge change and are still used today in our everyday life. The federal deposit insurance corporation was basically insurance for banks up to 100,000 dollars! During the depression banks were starting to close down because they were loaning money out before the depression that they did really have, so when everything went wrong and everyone decided to get their money out of the bank the banks didn’t have all the money that the people believed was rightfully theirs!Roosevelt made sure that wouldn’t happen again by giving the banks insurance. Another part of the new deal was the civil works administration, which employed thousands of public workers. Now that the depression was happening tons of people didn’t have jobs, n o one had money and no one knew what to do next. Roosevelt decided to give these people jobs not only to benefit those people it can also benefit the community! That was only part one of the new deal. The social security act was thought about and passed and is still used today!Basically gave funds to disabled workers, elderly, widows and children. Which helped out a lot for the people that just didn’t have it. Last but not lease there was and the Fair labor standards act. Which set minimum wage at 40 cents an hour and a minimum amount of work hours, which was 40 hours a week, also banned child labor. All of these deals helped American a ton and still do today. Everything started to get on track after a little. Without Roosevelt’s ideas America would be a total different place today! He made changes that we needed and still do.

Persuasive Bullying Speech Essay

Are you tired of being bullied in school or at work? Are you angry or frustrated because of being bullied, or have you been accused of bullying? Bullying became a personal issue for me about two years ago. My oldest daughter came home from school in tears. The children that had been her closest friends and playmates turned on her while she spent time in the hospital undergoing testing for her epilepsy. They told her that they killed a beloved pet, cut its head off and ran it up a flagpole. Next, they wrote in the bathroom â€Å"We hate you and want you gone†, and signed their names. She had belongings destroyed, and was treated horribly. She also received text messages from the kids who were bullying her, the first two seemed innocent, â€Å"hello†, â€Å"are you Rebecca†, then came â€Å"are we going out tonight†, and â€Å"are you my f†¦ lover. † The school did nothing, using the excuse â€Å"Kids will be kids†, and the police department refused to enforce anti bullying laws. The officer that we spoke to was the same officer that had given a cyber-bullying lecture to the kids just the week before. He told them to come to him anytime with this problem and he would help them, yet when our daughter spoke with him, his response (as well as the Juvenile Prosecutors office) was what do you want us to do. see more:anti bullying speech Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon scenario in today’s schools. According to Lexlee’s Kids. com statics show that every 7 minutes a child is bullied, and 85% of the time no one intervenes. I would like to take a few minutes of your time to speak about anti bullying laws and some of their flaws, the definition and types of bullying, and what drives some children to commit suicide because of the problem and some resources where you can get support on bullying. It is time that we all take a stand, and protect our children. First, anti-bullying legislation has been in the forefront since 1999 beginning with the massacre in Columbine which killed 13 people, wounded 24, and the suicide of the two shooters, yet it is only getting worse. A year later the US Secret Service released an analysis showing that in 37 premeditated school shootings bullying that reached â€Å"torment† was the root cause. They estimate that 60-80 percent of children are bullied at school. Also 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyber threats. Over 25 percent adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through cell phones and internet, and over half of these young people do not tell their parents and one in 5 is reported to the police. According to the United States Dept of Justice, it is reaching â€Å"Pandemic† levels. 49 states have anti bullying laws, with Montana being the only one not having passed legislation. One of the problems is that there are too many gaps in the laws, and the laws are not clear. In Georgia, a boy named Jaheem was being bullied in school, and he committed suicide. The authorities refused to act because in Georgia, anti-bullying laws are only for children in grades 6-12, the reason, Jaheem was in 5th grade. In the Tyler Clementi suicide case in New Jersey the people who bullied him were charged with 15 offences including intimidation and bias, making this a hate crime against a gay man. According to campusprogress. org New Jersey has introduced legislation named in honor of Tyler that prohibits harassment of students for such reasons as race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, ect, and makes cyber-bullying a form of harassment. Second, according to bullyonline. com bullying is the persistent unwelcome behavior, mostly using unwarranted or invalid criticism, nitpicking, fault finding, exclusion, isolation, being singled out and treated differently, being shouted at, humiliated, excessive monitoring, verbal and written warnings imposed, or in the workplace distorted allegations of underperformance. Bullying can come in many shapes and forms, from name calling, physical contact, gang, road rage, cell phones, text messages, email, and social websites. We can all agree that bullying is wrong, and that we all know someone who it has happened to. However, what have you done to help someone who is being bullied? If the answer is nothing, then you are just as guilty as the person/ people actually committing the act. What is the solution to stop this growing epidemic? States can pass laws, but it will take courage from both the victims and bystanders to make sure that the laws are enforced. After all isn’t a student’s safety just as important as test scores?

Film Noir to Neo Noir

Murphy 1 Rachel Murphy Professor Charlotte E. Howell Film 2700 12 November 2012 Word Count: 1411 Film Noir to Neo-Noir: A Shift in Cultural Tides Film noir of the 1940s captivated audiences through its distinct form of storytelling. Strongly influenced by German Expressionism, these films have a definitive look and style that still resonates with modern audiences today. Like other classical Hollywood genres, film noir sought to bring to light tensions felt within society, namely those that affected men following World War II.Neo-noir films pay a great deal less attention to social commentary. Like film noir of the past, neo-noir elevates style over narrative; however, the genre has seen significant changes in regards to narrative, the disappearance of the femme fatale, and the prevalence of onscreen violence due to shifting cultural tides. In observing examples of film noir and its contemporary version, neo-noir, it is clear several elements in regards to the style and overall  "feel† of these films have virtually remained the same throughout the years.In Nicolas Winding Refn’s neo-noir, Drive, a sense of otherworldliness is portrayed through several night scenes, intense shadows, and an overall dark rather downtrodden mood to the film. The scenes in the film take place at night and invariably in an urban setting. All of these elements are Murphy 2 extremely typical of classic film noir as well as German Expressionism. Drive’s narrative unfolds with surprisingly little dialogue. Instead Refn focused scenes on the mood, further strengthening the style of the film. Similarly, Curtis Hanson’s L. A.Confidential keeps with traditional film noir in elevating the style of the movie above its narrative. This is done through the heavy emphasis of the urban cityscape. As the title suggests, Los Angeles, is a major component within the film. The peppy, orange-filled paradise portrayal of L. A. in the film’s opening scene sharply cont rasts the corrupt, crime-ridden town shown throughout the rest of the film. In addition, voice-overs and flashbacks, typical elements of film noir, are extensively used. The genre has seen great changes in regards to its social commentary, however.Noir films of the 1940s strongly reflected the social climate of the time. In several respects, film noir can be seen as the male equivalent to melodrama. Just as women dealt with the crisis of femininity in post-war years, men also struggled with their masculinity as well as adjusting to their new roles in an ever-changing society. After World War II, many Americans, especially men who had experienced the atrocities of war firsthand, took on a more cynical outlook on the world. Film noir of the 1940s sought to bring these feelings of isolation and changing attitudes to light.Like many men returning from the war, the heroes were disenchanted and often very isolated. In many respects, their fate is predetermined. In Tay Garnett’s The Postman Always Rings Twice, the audience gains a sense that John Garfield’s character, Frank’s, fate is already sealed as soon as he first plots, and eventually carries out the murder of Cora’s husband. This action clearly serves as a marker in the downward spiral of Frank’s life. Similarly, in Billy Wilder’s Murphy 3 Double Indemnity, Fred MacMurray’s character, Walter, irrevocably alters the course of his life when he gives in to Phyllis’s pleas to murder her husband.In both of these instances, the motivation behind this clearly immoral acts is lust. Both protagonists seem somewhat helpless against these forces. Both films also end with little doubt as to the fate of the protagonists. In The Postman Always Rings Twice, the film ends with Frank awaiting his punishment on death row. Similarly, Wilder’s Double Indemnity ends with Walter, critically injured from a gunshot wound inflicted by Phyllis, confessing his role in her hu sband’s murder. This clearly reflects upon the attitudes of males during the 1940s as helpless against the imposing forces of an oppressive society.Neo-noir films differ from their film noir counterparts because they are no longer reflective on social and cultural tensions. This is simply because the tension is not as widespread or heavily felt in today’s society. In the ending of Refn’s Drive, the nameless driver, though stabbed in the abdomen, clearly lives. It left up to the viewer to decide what kind of life he will lead in the future. In Hanson’s L. A. Confidential, the future of the city is somewhat unclear, but both protagonists in the film are met with at least somewhat happy endings.The male protagonists in neo-noir films are also much more strong-willed. Their actions, though at times extreme, are seen as justified to the viewer and made by the protagonist alone. Unlike earlier noir films, the protagonists are at least somewhat in control of the ir future. This turn within the genre clearly reflects changing attitudes within society, as the helplessness and isolation men felt after the war is no longer felt on such a large scale. Murphy 4 The influence of culture on the content of noir films is especially evident in the disappearance of femme fatale in neo-noir films.The 1940s marked a major shift in gender roles with the start of World War II. As men left for war, women took up jobs in the workforce and in factories in order to help with the war effort. This brought about a new sense of independence for women. When men returned home from the war, however, this shift was not necessarily seen in a positive light. The emergence of the femme fatale in film noir clearly reflects that in the eyes of men, women’s changing roles in society often presented a threat to perceived masculinity as well as established gender roles of the day.The femme fatale of noir films is invariably portrayed in a negative light. She is in most cases seen as the major driving force behind the protagonist’s tragic end. Furthermore, the protagonist is usually helpless against the advances of these women. Femme fatales, such as Cora in The Postman Always Rings Twice and Phyllis in Double Indemnity, are almost always met with an end even more bleak than that of the protagonist. In these two films, the femme fatales are both killed with little thought. Neo-noir films, however, approach female characters in a much more favorable light.The relationships between protagonists and these women are based on love, rather than mere lust. Thus, the actions of the protagonists appear often more justified. This can be accredited to the changing cultural tides since the 1940s. Women’s independence is generally no longer seen as a threat to male masculinity and thus is virtually extinct thematically in neo noir films. This is especially evident in Drive as well. The nameless driver’s love interest, Irene, is characteriz ed by her innocence rather than her sexuality. Murphy 5 Even in L. A.Confidential, Lynn, a prostitute, has a relationship with one of the protagonists, however, the relationship is based on love rather than lust. Film noir arguably would not translate well to modern audiences if not for its integration of onscreen violence. Like German Expressionism, 1940s film noir drew a definitive reaction of discomfort and psychological unease from its audiences. In Double Indemnity, the scene in which Phyllis’s husband is murdered is brief and little is shown. The audience is shown only Phyllis’s cold, detached expression while her husband is murdered next to her in the passenger seat.In the 1940s, filmmakers didn’t necessarily need to show Phyllis’s husband being murdered in order to elicit a strong psychological reaction from audiences. With the abrogation of the Hay’s Code, however, audiences have become somewhat desensitized to the mere implication of viol ence. L. A. Confidential and Drive both use violence as a means of eliciting this same reaction. Perhaps the most memorable scene in Drive occurs in an elevator where the driver, in order to protect himself and Irene, not only kills a man, but proceeds to unleash all of his anger by stomping the man’s head into a gruesome, bloody pulp.In L. A. Confidential, numerous murder scenes and uncomfortable police interrogations illustrate how violence is now used in neo noir to elicit the strong emotional and psychological discomfort that typified 1940s noir. Certainly the strongest influence on the evolution of film noir has been societal and cultural changes throughout time. These changes have served, however, to maintain film noir’s relevance with contemporary audiences while still keeping with specific attention to the overall â€Å"feel† of the film and high level of stylization.

The Cons of Marijuana Usage

The legalization of marijuana is one of the most highly debated about subjects facing Americans today. Advocates of legalization use two major arguments in their effort to have marijuana legalized. First, which is by far the biggest argument is that marijuana has a significant medical use. The second argument is that marijuana does not cause harm to those that smoke it. Both of these arguments can be easily discounted by the numerous studies that have been done on the effects of marijuana both medicinal and recreational. In the following paragraphs we will explore the hard facts of marijuana that will discount the validity of the previously mentioned arguments as well as some common fallacies. I will focus first on the medical fallacy. There currently exists a great debate concerning smoking marijuana as a medicine. Many well-intentioned leaders and members of the public have been led misled by the well-financed and organized pro-drug legalization lobby into believing there is merit to their argument that smoking marijuana is a safe and effective medicine. A review of the scientific research, expert medical testimony, and government agency findings shows this to be erroneous. There is no justification for using marijuana as a medicine. The movement to legitimize smoking marijuana as a medicine is not encouraged by the Federal Food and Drug Administration, health and medical associations, or medical experts; but instead by groups such as the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and the Drug Policy Foundation (DPF). These organizations have little medical expertise and favor various forms of legalizing illicit drugs. The studies cited by the marijuana advocates have been found to be unscientific, poorly researched, and involved pharmaceutical THC, not marijuana. An advocate that claimed he was an expert, testified at the 1987 federal hearings to reschedule marijuana, was in fact a wellness counselor at a health spa who admitted under oath to using every illegal mind-altering drug he ever studied. Another â€Å"expert† admitted he had not kept up with new medical or scientific information on marijuana for over 18 years. Another doctor claimed there was voluminous medical research on the effectiveness of marijuana but under oath, when asked to cite the number of the studies, he replied, â€Å"I would doubt very few. † The fact is that there is not one reliable scientific study that shows smoking marijuana to be a safe and effective drug. The majority of the marijuana advocates’ â€Å"evidence† comes from unscientific, non-scrutinized or analyzed anecdotal statements from people with a variety of illnesses. It is unknown whether these individuals used marijuana prior to their illness or are using marijuana in combination with other medicines. It is also unknown whether they have had recent medical examinations, are justifying their use of marijuana, experiencing a placebo effect, or experiencing the intoxicating effect of smoking marijuana. The main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana (THC) is already legally available in pharmaceutical capsule form by prescription from medical doctors. This drug, Marinol, is less often prescribed because of the potential adverse effects, and there are more effective new medicines currently available. Marinol differs from the crude plant marijuana because it consists of one pure, well-studied, FDA-approved pharmaceutical in stable known dosages. Marijuana is an unstable mixture of over 400 chemicals including many toxic psychoactive chemicals, which are largely unstudied and appear in uncontrolled strengths. The manufacturers of Marinol, Roxane Laboratories Incorporated, do not agree with the pro-marijuana advocates that THC is safe and harmless. In the Physician’s Desk Reference, a good portion of the description of Marinol includes warnings about the adverse effects. Seriously, doesn t common sense dictate that it is not good medical practice to allow a substance to be used as a medicine if that product is ingested by smoking, not FDA-approved, made up of hundreds of different chemicals, and self-prescribed and administered by the patient. The federal government, over the last 20 years involving a number of administrations from both political parties, has determined that smoking marijuana has no redeeming medicinal value, and is in fact harmful to health. These governmental agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, and the U. S. Public Health Service. Their latest finding, as recently as 1994, was affirmed in a decision by the U. S. Court of Appeals in Washington, DC Since the pro-marijuana lobby has been unsuccessful in dealing with the federal government, they have targeted state and local governments to legitimize smoking marijuana as a medicine. A careful examination of their legislative and/or ballot proposals reveals they are written to effectively neutralize the enforcement of most marijuana laws. Crude, intoxicating marijuana under their proposals would be easier to obtain and use than even the most harmless, low-level prescription drug. Major medical and health organizations, as well as the vast majority of nationally recognized expert medical doctors, scientists and researchers, have not accepted smoking marijuana as a safe and effective medicine. These organizations include: the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, National Sclerosis Association, the American Glaucoma Association, American Academy of Ophthalmology, National Eye Institute, National Cancer Institute, National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Dental Research, and the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases. There are thousands of studies available documenting the harmful physical and psychological effects of smoking marijuana. The harmful consequences include but are not limited to premature cancer, addiction, coordination and perception impairment, a number of mental disorders including depression, hostility and increased aggressiveness, general apathy, memory loss, reproductive disabilities, impairment to the immune system, numerous airway injuries, and other general problems associated with intoxication. So far I have shown why marijuana should be disregarded as medicinal now I intend to discount some more common fallacies that marijuana advocates like to throw around as well as the argument that marijuana causes no harm to the smoker. First, advocates for marijuana like to say laws against alcohol and drugs don t work so why have them. They often use prohibition in the early 1900 s as an example. Even though prohibition was unpopular and only in effect for about fourteen years, it did impact the use of alcohol. Alcohol use, alcohol-related deaths, and admissions to hospitals for other alcohol related illnesses were all reduced approximately 50 percent. Also, contrary to what you hear, there’s no evidence of a big increase in crime. That probably makes for good gangster movies, but little else. Prohibition was rescinded because alcohol historically had been part of our lives, and the majority didn t support prohibition. Drugs, on the other hand, have not been part of our everyday lives, and over 80 percent of Americans favor drug prohibition A second fallacy is that legalizing marijuana would reduce the number of crimes and would free up prison space for more violent offenders. First of all there are 12 million arrests made annually out of which 1 million are for drug violations, of these only 12 percent are sentenced to prison. Most of the criminals that are locked up already have rap sheets a mile long for different crimes anyways. Now if we legalize marijuana the arrests would stop because of the change in the criminal code but the criminals wouldn t change their behavior and become law-abiding citizens. They will continue to commit crimes to pay rent, buy cars, go to concerts, buy clothes, eat, and buy legal drugs. Thirdly, most advocates like to use the Netherlands as an example of marijuana being legalized and not having any problems. The Netherlands has begun experiencing a variety of problems including a rise in crime, welfare, unemployment, and addicts from other countries migrating there to indulge their drug appetites. A fourth common fallacy is that if we legalize marijuana we would save at least 20 billion dollars annually that is now used towards law enforcement. What this fallacy assumes is that there would be no governmental costs associated with distribution, regulation, and control of legal drugs. Using alcohol as a model, we know these costs can be substantial. Knowing government, there is very little they do that is cost effective. In 1965, when we started Medicare, Congress projected that it would cost this country $12 billion by 1990. The actual costs that year were $110 billion. In 1968 food stamps cost $173 million annually, and now, less than 30 years later, the price tag is $24 billion. And, finally the greatest fallacy that marijuana does not harm the user. The fact remains that marijuana and hashish are intoxicating substances that make the user high. The degree of mental and physical impairment depends on the amount and strength of marijuana smoked. There is a substantial difference between the 2 to 5 percent THC weed of the ’70s and the 10 to 20 percent THC in today’s weed. There is a definite reason why the higher grade is more desirable and expensive, and that’s simply because it gives the user a more powerful high. Studies show marijuana can and often does cause apathy, diminishes mental capacity, causes difficulty in concentrating, decline in performance, and lost motivation. Thousands of studies also show marijuana use adversely affects the brain, reproduction process, immune system, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and remains in the body for extended periods of time. In addition, marijuana use often impairs normal thought processes, distorts reality, reduces self-control, and releases inhibitions, all of which increase the chance of harmful and criminal behavior. Many times the user is unaware he or she is being affected unless told by others. A Stanford Medical School study showed pilots to be impaired 24 hours after smoking one joint, even though they felt they were functioning normally. In conclusion, the bottom line is, whenever persons are under the influence, they pose a threat to themselves and others. We don’t need more intoxicated people on our streets, at public events, or driving on our highways. Traffic fatality studies clearly demonstrate a disproportionate number of deaths caused by drivers under the influence of marijuana. Why would we want to make a substance like that legal, inexpensive and readily available to satisfy he desires of a few who already choose to violate our laws? Haven’t the advocates learned anything from our experience with drunkenness?