Spreading Awareness about STD among Youth

Lack of Knowledge about STDS among youth Becoming sexually active at a young age tends to increase a person's number of overall partners and as a result, her or his risk of STDS. Biologically, young girls are more susceptible to infection. Although the system cannot control teens or preteen's actions, but they can help them understand the risks of sexual activity and that's 0K to wait to have sex.A research done by Katherine Harmon on Jan 2013 shows 321,000 cases of gonorrhea only are reported each year in the U. S. Another research shows approximately 60 percent of new HIV infections in united states occurs among oung people under age 25 and most of these infections are transmitted sexually. By all the efforts and new programs that government is trying to put into educational system, when we see these reports and numbers we all agree in one matter: these are not enough.And I believe if government instead of mostly concentrating on medical treatments pays more attention to youth heal th education and STDS prevention training classes, life of hundreds of people can be saved every day. The reason I chose this topic is because I'm originally Middle Eastern or in another world from a third world country. Four years ago, when I was living in my country, there was not much attention to STDS among the people and there was never any program in our society or schools to educate families and youth about STDS.Since I was always curios, I was doing research from different sources about them to be able to improve my personal knowledge about them and hopefully be able to help some people. When I came to United States, I was expecting the majority of people are well educated about these kinds of matters but unfortunately when I read different researches about increasing number of STDS infections among the youth, it Just hange my whole expectation from educational system of one of the most advanced countries.By all that being said, I hope to see a day that nobody in any country would be infected of STDS due to lack of information and knowledge. Resources: nature. com (the name of article is â€Å"common STD grows resistant to treatment in North America. Mayoclinic. com (the name of article is â€Å"sexually transmitted diseases. Hawaii. edu (effective HIV/STD and teen pregnancy prevention programs for young women of color ) Spreading Awareness about STD among Youth By arashghahremani

Baltimore City Department of Social Services v Bouknight and Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California

The fields of social sciences and the legal system have become inextricably linked in response to the development of system processes to aid in problem solving. Each of the fields informs the other, utilizing their respective extensive expertise and knowledge-based literature to address the prevailing challenges in the society. In the desire to address the complex criminality and societal problems that beset the nation, the legal system and the practitioners of social sciences are inevitably linked so that the knowledge base and expertise of one can collaborate with the other and vice versa.The development of therapeutic jurisprudence became an imperative, each field having an impact on the other towards the creation of systemic processes to solve society’s problems. The civil liberties accorded under the Bill of Rights are safeguards against the vast powers of government. Their existence and observance ensure individuals from the undue governmental interference and interventi on. One of these privileges is the right against self-incrimination. In the cases of U. S. v. Doe, (465 U. S. 605) and Doe v. U. S. [487 U. S.201, 209 (1988)], the Court enumerated the three (3) requisites that should be present for the Fifth Amendment to apply, namely: a) â€Å"that the statement be testimonial; b) incriminating; and, c) compelled. † However, in the case of Baltimore City Department of Social Services v Bouknight, the defendant was ordered incarcerated for refusing to disclose the whereabouts of her child who was believed to be abused. The Court ruled that the privilege is inapplicable considering that what was demanded of Bouknight was not testimonial in character.Moreover, assuming that it was, the Court ruled that as between the individual right and public interest; the latter should prevail. The safety and well being of a child is a matter of public interest and therefore Bouknight can be compelled to disclose the necessary information. In the case of Ta rasoff v. Regents of University of California, the Court ruled that a therapist/physician can breach his duty of confidentiality with respect to matters disclosed by his patient in the course of treatment by warning the readily identifiable person of the peril or harm to his life.This duty to warn is countenanced by law or by the code of ethics of physicians. This ruling also serves as an exception to American negligence cases where special relationship of parties must be held to exist. Baltimore City Department of Social Services v Bouknight, 488 U. S. 1301 (1988) A three month old infant was admitted for treatment in a hospital. It became apparent that the mother, Jackie Bouknight may have maltreated the infant.Consequently, the Department of Social Services (DSS) petitioned the Court to declare the child as a â€Å"child in need of assistance† and grant it the power to put the child under foster care (Baltimore City Department of Social Services v Bouknight, 488 U. S. 1301 (1988). The Court granted relief and it was agreed upon by the parties that Bouknight shall have the custody of the child subject to the conditions of supervised parenting and an undertaking of non-infliction of bodily harm and punishment on the child. At first, Bouknight complied with the conditions but later on she became uncooperative and refused to produce her son to the DSS.The DSS in fear for the safety and well being of the child filed a case before the Court to compel Bouknight to produce her son. She failed to appear before the Court but was later on arrested. On her refusal to disclose the whereabouts of her son, she was found guilty of contempt and was ordered to be incarcerated until compliance with the order [In re Maurice, No. 50 (Dec. 19, 1988). 314 Md. 391, 550 A. 2d 1135]. On certiorari, the Court of Appeals of Maryland ruled that the incarceration of Bouknight was an infringement of her Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination.According to the Court, the p roduction of the son is testimonial in nature because by doing so, it only proves Bouknight’s â€Å"continuing control† over her son which may be utilized in a criminal proceeding. It ruled that there are acts of production deemed to have testimonial value citing the case of U. S. vs. Doe (Baltimore City Department of Social Services v Bouknight, 488 U. S. 1301 (1988). The U. S. Supreme Court granted the stay of DSS pending the filing of the requisite petition for certiorari.The grant of stay was based on the fact that even assuming that the act of production of the child is testimonial in character, many line of decisions of the Court are clear that as between the public need vis-a-vis a single claim of an individual on constitutional privilege, the former is upheld. In this particular case, the safety and interests of the abused child must be upheld over Bouknight’s assertion considering that, in the hierarchy of values, the safety and welfare of the child tak es precedence over other concerns (Baltimore City Department of Social Services v Bouknight, 488 U.S. 1301 (1988). Moreover, the information sought which is the whereabouts of the child is for the contempt charge and therefore civil in nature (Baltimore City Department of Social Services v Bouknight, 488 U. S. 1301 (1988). The Fifth Amendment: Right against Self-Incrimination The Fifth Amendment originated from England and derived from the Latin maxim â€Å"nemo tenetur seipsum accusare† meaning â€Å"no man is bound to accuse himself† (Levy, 1968). It was used in both the accusatorial and inquisitorial legal systems of England (Levy, 1968). In the U.S. , after the revolution the states ratified the Constitution with the inclusion of the privilege in the bill of rights. The original version of Madison was amended by the House to include â€Å"in any criminal case† (Schwartz, 1971). Thus, as it now stands, the Fifth Amendment provides, â€Å". . . nor shall be c ompelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself . . . † (U. S. Constitution, Bill of Rights). The primary purpose of its inclusion in the Bill of Rights is â€Å"to protect the innocent and to further the search for truth† [Ullmann v.United States, 350 U. S. 422 (1956)]. However, in subsequent line of decisions, the Court ruled that other privileges stated in the bill of Rights are more in the nature of adjuncts to the determination of truth such as the right to counsel or the safeguards afforded by the Fourth Amendment while the privilege against self-incrimination is primarily for â€Å"the preservation of the accusatorial system of criminal justice. † This maintains the integrity of the judicial system and protects the privacy of the individuals from government intrusion [Miranda v.Arizona, 384 U. S. 436, 460 (1966); Schmerber v. California, 384 U. S. 757, 760–765 (1966); California v. Byers, 402 U. S. 424, 448–58 (1971)]. The privi lege is a guarantee against compulsion for testimonial evidence which consequently will result in the imposition of criminal penalty on such person making testimony. The Court laid down the requirements necessary before a party can successfully invoke the protection of the privilege against self-incrimination. In the cases of U. S. v. Doe, (465 U. S. 605) and Doe v. U. S. [487 U. S.201, 209 (1988)], the Court enumerated the three (3) requisites that should be present for the Fifth Amendment to apply, namely: a) â€Å"that the statement be testimonial; b) incriminating; and, c) compelled. † According to the court, ‘testimonial’ refers to all communications whether express or implied which â€Å"relate to a factual assertion or disclose information† (Ashby, J. , 2006 citing Doe v. U. S. , 487 U. S. 201). The statements or communications made whether verbally or in writing fall within the privilege (Ashby, J. , 2006) and is not limited by the forum where it w as elicited, i. e.before the court, administrative proceedings or before the law enforcement office [Lefkowitz v. Turley, 414 U. S. 70 (1973)]. The second requirement, ‘incriminating’ refers to statements that can be used as a basis for a finding of criminal liability under a penal law or â€Å"provides a link to the chain of evidence for prosecution under a criminal statute† [United States v. Hubbell, 530 U. S. 27 (2000)]. The third requisite is the compulsion to give a statement. The Court explained that this requisite refers to â€Å"circumstances that deny the individual a free choice to admit, to deny, or to refuse to answer† (Ashby, J., 2006). Additionally, the Court ruled in the case of Fisher v. United States that these three requisites should all concur and be present so that the privilege can be successfully invoked [425 U. S. 391(1976)]. Legal and Ethical Issues and their Impact on Social Work Practice The main legal issue in the case of Baltimo re is whether the circumstances surrounding it would fall within the ambit of the privilege against self incrimination and consequently, Bouknight may successfully invoke it and prevent her from being compelled to produce or furnish the whereabouts of her son lest be incarcerated for contempt.The Supreme Court allowed the stay of the decision of the appellate court for overturning the ruling of the juvenile court and in finding that the compulsion for Bouknight to produce her son squarely fell within the privilege and therefore ordered her release (Alderman and Kennedy, 1992). The appellate court found that the act of production is testimonial and therefore its compulsion, is a violation of the privilege. Furthermore, the interest of the government in the safety of the son cannot outweigh the observance and respect for the privilege against self incrimination as provided in the Bill of Rights (Alderman and Kennedy, 1992).In other words, the three requisites concurred, i. e. the act of production or of furnishing information as to the whereabouts of her son are incriminating and testimonial in character; and, there was also compulsion because if she failed to disclose information sought she would be incarcerated for contempt as what had happened. The Supreme Court through Chief Justice Rehnquist predicated his discussion on three major points, namely: a) The Court of Appeals passed upon a controversy concerning the federal Constitution which logically can be properly resolved by the U. S.Supreme Court (California v. Riegler, 449 U. S. 1319); b) The act of production does not fall within the ambit of the privilege citing the cases of U. S. v. Doe, Fisher v. U. S. and Schmerber v. California. In these cases, the court ruled that the act of production of the documents is not ‘testimonial’ and therefore does not infringe upon the privilege considering that their existence and location are already known to the Government. In fact, responding to a subpoe na have been considered legal and acceptable even if compulsion is present [Fisher v. United States, 425 U.S. 391 (1976)]. Moreover, when an accused is required to furnish his handwriting sample, this had been held not to violate the privilege because it is not ‘testimonial’ but merely evidentiary United States v. Flanagan, 34 F. 3d 949 [10th Cir. 1994]). The third point c) is by using the balancing of interests test or balancing the public need vis-a-vis ensuring the individual’s constitutional civil liberties, public need prevailed considering that the disclosure of information was non-criminal and not directed at a particular group as was held in the case of California v.Byers, 402 U. S. 424 (1971) where the validity of a law requiring disclosure of the name and address at the scene of a vehicular accident. Similarly in the case of New York v. Quarles where the Fifth Amendment rights have to give way to a public safety exception and therefore in the case of Bo uknight, â€Å"the public safety exception to the Fifth Amendment was justified because its interest was in protecting children like Maurice, not in prosecuting† (Alderman and Kennedy, 1992).In sum, the privilege against self-incrimination is not an absolute right. Albeit the civil liberties accorded under the Bill of Rights safeguards undue government intervention and restraint to its power, there are instances when these rights would have to give way to compelling interests of the society that would warrant Government intervention and intrusion such in the case of protecting and ensuring the safety of infants or children from physical abuse.Once it has been established that a child is abused, it becomes the duty of the State to take over and protect. The judicial pronouncement in the case of Bouknight has a pervading and far reaching implication on social work practice. This gives the social workers a great burden and responsibility to follow up sharply abused children in f oster care or those released under an order of protective supervision. Admittedly, there is an apparent lack of strict protocols in the present system of child welfare agencies (Parks, 2005).A set of guidelines must be crafted to govern exigencies of missing children from foster care like supervised visits and court orders in cases of abduction like what have occurred in Maryland with â€Å"Ariel† who had been abducted by his mother Teresa B (Parks, 2005). Guidelines should also be drawn to address the coordinated efforts both with the law enforcement and child welfare personnel. Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425 A graduate student from India, Prosenjit Poddar went to the University of California Berkeley to study naval architecture.It was there that he met Tatiana Tarasoff. A few kisses made him believe that they have a special relationship until Tarasoff bragged about her many relationships with other men. Poddar suffered depression until he so ught professional help from Dr. Moore, a psychologist of the University Health Service. He confided to the doctor that he intended to secure a gun and to kill Tarasoff. On the strength of a letter request of Dr. Moore, Poddar was taken by the campus police, however upon assurance that Poddar was reasonable he was released.Upon the return of the University Health psychiatrist from his vacation, he ordered the destruction of Dr. Moore’s letter and did not recommend any further action on Poddar’s case. When Tarasoff returned from her vacation, she was stabbed and killed by Poddar who at that time moved in with her brother already. The parents of Tarasoff sued the Regents of the University, its health personnel namely, Gold, Moore, Powelson, Yandell and the campus police namely, Atkinson, Beall, Brownrigg, Hallernan, and Teel for â€Å"failing to warn their daughter of an impending danger† (Tarasoff v.Regents of University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425). At the lowe r court, the complaint was dismissed because there was no cause of action. According to the lower court, the defendants only had the duty to the patient and not to a third party. The dismissal was appealed to the Appeals Court but which only sustained the dismissal. Thus, it was elevated to the Supreme Court of California. The appealed decision in so far as the university police officers, Atkinson, Beall, Brownrigg, Hallernan, and Teel finding them not liable to the plaintiffs was affirmed.However, in so far as the therapists and the Regents of the university, the appealed decision was overturned for reception of evidence in accordance with the pronouncements of the Supreme Court (Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425). In fine, the complainants averred four (4) causes of action, namely: a) â€Å"Failure to detain a dangerous patient; b) failure to warn on a dangerous patient; c) abandonment of a dangerous patient; and, d) breach of primary duty to patient and the public† (Tarasoff v.Regents of University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425). Anent the first and fourth causes of action, the Supreme Court ruled that the defendants cannot be held liable because of a specific provision of the Government Code or Section 856 thereof which grants immunity to public employees from any resultant damage or injury from deciding whether or not to confine a person with mental ailment. This provision is also applicable to the therapists because the law also refers to those who are capable of recommending confinement.As regards the third cause of action, the government immunity includes the â€Å"award of exemplary damages resulting from a wrongful death† and therefore, defendants cannot be held liable (Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425). Anent the second cause of action, the Supreme Court found defendants therapists and Regents of the University to have failed to comply with their duty to warn Tarasoff of the peril to her life.Albeit, the therapists had no direct relations with Tarasoff, they could have reasonably foreseen the danger and threat to her life as confided by their patient, Poddar. This is the point where the law establishes the duty of care on their part to warn Tarasoff. Their failure to warn her may reasonably concluded as a proximate cause of her death. The duty of confidentiality between patient and psychotherapist and the right to privacy of the patient cannot prevail over public interest or public safety. Moreover, there are clear provisions of laws, i.e. Section 1024 of the Evidence Code and Section 9 of the Principles of Medical Ethics of the American Medical Association which allows the physician to divulge matters confided to him in confidence when it is necessary for public welfare (Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425). Confidentiality The effective therapeutic relationship between physician/psychiatrist and patient rests largely on tru st that matters confided by the patient during the treatment are kept in strictest confidence by the physician/psychiatrist.It is the ethical duty of the physician to observe privacy and confidentiality of his patients (Corbin, 2007). While it is also of public interest to ensure that treatment of those who are mentally ill by maintaining an atmosphere whereby they can have an open dialogue with their therapist and of safeguarding its confidential character; the same public interest calls for an imperative recognition of instances whereby disclosure of the confidential communications be revealed and be made to safeguard public safety and avert the threatened peril.In the instances, where the public safety is at risk, the therapist must disclose confidential information discreetly with due regard to protecting the privacy of his patient (Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425). The parameters of confidentiality are defined by law and by the ethical code of co nduct for practitioners in the territorial jurisdiction. In the case of Tarasoff, the Evidence Code and the Principles of Medical Ethics of the American Medical Association provided specific and limited exceptions under which the confidentiality privilege can be breached, i.e. â€Å"if the psychotherapist has reasonable cause to believe that the patient is in such mental or emotional condition as to be dangerous to himself or to the person or property of another and that disclosure of the communication is necessary to prevent the threatened danger; unless he is required to do so by law or unless it becomes necessary in order to protect the welfare of the individual or of the community† (Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425).It would be wise for the practitioners to familiarize themselves of the limits of confidentiality as provided under the laws considering that it may differ from state to state. The Tarasoff case provided a basis to guide a practi tioner in his professional dealings relative to the duty to warn others in cases of a specific threat of harm by his patient against others/another. Subsequent cases followed the consistent pattern of the jurisprudence laid down by the Supreme Court. In the case of David v.Lhim (1983), the plaintiff-administrator of the estate sued the psychiatrist who treated the son who killed his mother after he was released from the hospital. There was failure on the part of the psychiatrist who treated the son to warn the mother of the potential danger after her son confided his intentions of killing her (Corbin, 2007). In another case, Chrite v. U. S. (2003), the Veterans Administration was held liable for having failed to warn the intended victim of a patient of a threatened harm.Subsequent rulings of the court clarified and defined what constituted ‘threat’ as â€Å"imminent threat of serious danger to a readily identifiable victim† and â€Å"specific† (Corbin, 200 7). When there are no specific provisions of the law, Dickson (1998) proposes that the therapist/practitioner may be protected against lawsuits if he would consult and keenly document the case of the patient or comply with the â€Å"mandated reporting guidelines† required by some states.Reamer (2003) on the other hand, suggests that the therapist must have evidence that the patient is a threat to the safety of another; evidence of that the threat can be foreseen; threat is imminent and that the potential victim is identifiable. Legal and Ethical Implications and their Impact on Social Work Practice The duty of reasonable care to assist others in danger is a legal duty as well as a moral duty. However, American negligence law only recognizes it as a moral duty except when there exists a relationship between parties.In the case of Tarasoff, no special relationship existed between the therapist and Tarasoff; however the court has made an exception to this general rule (Bickel, 2 001). It declared that the therapist has the duty to care and to warn Tarasoff of the imminent harm on her life. This also includes the duty to control the conduct of his patient, Poddar. In the same breath, a doctor has the duty to warn his patient if he has a contagious disease (Saltzman and Furman, 1999).There is an affirmative duty for the therapist to advise and warn Tarasoff of the threat to her life although this meant breach of confidentiality with his patient Poddar. This finds basis both legally and ethically considering that the law and the code of ethics for doctors have recognized and provided specifically that doctors are bound to disclose relevant facts to others even if this violates confidentiality with their patients provided they are required by law or if it is required for public safety (Saltzman and Furman, 1999).This legal duty to warn applies when the threat is specific and imminent and where the victim is â€Å"readily identifiable† (Bickel, 2001). The courts also have recognized the difficulty in assessing and predicting circumstances that may lead to harm or violence and consequently, adhered to the ‘professional judgment rule’ whereby the therapist is not held liable for errors of judgments. Liability attaches only upon showing that the conduct of the therapist was not in accordance with the â€Å"accepted professional standards† (Bickel, 2001).There is an ambivalence that was created by the Tarasoff protective disclosure ruling with the practitioners (Kachigian and Felthous, 2004). Analogous cases and protective disclosure statutes in the different states were analyzed and it was discovered that there are no clear defined parameters of these duties. The therapist is required to a certain way betray his patient by disclosing matters which are protected by confidentiality.Considering the uncertainty brought about by the legal doctrine and court decisions, the undesirable consequence of which was deterrence f or therapists to accept â€Å"treatment potentially violent patients† (Merton, 1982). Moreover, therapists are more inclined to have their patients committed in an institution so that threats to the safety of potential victims can be averted. The Tarasoff protective disclosure was even extended recently to include even â€Å"communications made from a patient’s family member† as pronounced by the Court in the case of Ewing v. Goldstein (May and Ohlschlager, 2008).The dubious jurisprudential precedents by the courts in interpreting the protective disclosure statutes or its resort to common law instead of interpreting the statute left a vacuum in the definition of the duty to protect (Kachigian and Felthous, 2004). As a result, â€Å"clinicians must continue to rely on their clinical and ethical judgment, rather than statutory guidance, when considering potential protective disclosures or future drafts of protective disclosure statutes† (Kachigian and Felth ous, 2004). References Alderman, E. and Kennedy, C. (1992). In our defense: the bill of rights in action.First Avon Books edition. Ashby, J. (February 2006). Note declining to state a name in consideration of the fifth amendment’s self-incrimination clause and law enforcement databases after Hiibel. Michigan Law Review, No. 4, Vol. 104:779. Baltimore City Department of Social Services v Bouknight, 488 U. S. 1301 (1988). Bickel, R. Revisiting Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California: the scope of the psychotherapist’s duty to control dangerous students. Presented before the 22nd Annual Law and higher Education conference in Clearwater, Florida on 18-20 February 2001.California v. Byers, 402 U. S. 424, 448–58 (1971). Corbin, J. (Fall 2007). Confidentiality and the duty to warn: Ethical and legal implications for the therapeutic relationship. The New Social Worker, Vol. 14, No. 4. Dickson, D. T. (1998). Confidentiality and privacy in social work. New York: T he Free Press Doe v. U. S. , 487 U. S. 201, 209 (1988). Fisher v. United States, 425 U. S. 391 (1976). Kachigian, C. and Felthous, A. (September 2004). Court responses to Tarasoff statutes. Journal of American Academy of Psychiatry and Law Online, Vol. 23:263-273.Levy, L. (1968). Origins of the fifth amendment: The right against self-incrimination. May, S. and Ohlschlager, J. (2008). California alert! Tarasoff ruling expanded for clients who ‘go off. ’ ECounseling. American Association of Christian Counselors. Merton, V. (1982). Confidentiality and the dangerous patient: Implications of Tarasoff for Psychiatrists and lawyers. Emory Law Journal, Vol. 31:265. New York v. Quarles, 476 U. S. 649 (1984). Parks, A. (2008). Unless the Court of Appeals decision is reversed, MD children may not be. Daily Record The Baltimore.Reamer, F. (2003). Social work malpractice and liability. New York: Columbia University Press, 2nd ed. Saltzman, A. and Furman, D. (1999). Law in social wor k practice. Brooks Cole, 2nd edition. Schmerber v. California, 384 U. S. 757 (1966). Schwartz, B (December 1971). The bill of rights: A documentary history. Chelsea House Publishers with McGraw-Hill Education. Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425. Ullmann v. United States, 350 U. S. 422 (1956). U. S. v. Doe, 465 U. S. 605. United States v. Hubbell, 530 U. S. 27 (2000).

life-changing influence

There are two people who have had a significant influence in my life like. These are my father and my best friend, Timothy. I consider both of them to be my heroes because they helped me to become more enthusiastic about my studies. They also taught me how to live without being fearful especially being fearful of failing. Particularly during my elementary and junior high school years I was not particularly motivated to excel nor attempted to perform as well as the other students in my classes. This began to change, however, when I met Timothy, my very good friend, during my very first year in high school. He is person who has had an alarming impact on my life and influenced me to change my negative attitude. I now refer to him as my soul mate. In a number of ways Timothy has helped me to adopt a more positive attitude towards my school work and life in general. Timothy encouraged me to study hard and helped me believe that I could perform as well as or even better than the students who were usually at the top in my class. Prior to meeting Timothy I did not see the value of studying or revising work covered in class. When I was faced with tests I depended solely on my small recollection of what transpired in class and this prevented me from succeeding or excelling. Timothy taught me to study on a continuous basis not only as it approached exams. He helped me to prepare more effectively for exams by teaching me to study bit by bit prior to the exam rather than just a night or two before. He showed me that by re-reading the material which had been explained in class it would be easier for me to recall information whenever I had a test. Timothy even encouraged me to challenge him on our various tests. Most importantly I remember him saying to me â€Å"never give up, before you try first† so I took on the challenge to aim for the skies. As a result of his influence and encouragement and my heeding his advice, my relative rank in the class improved and so did my interactions with my classmates and friends. My friends started inviting me to study with them as a team. They began to see me as a diligent and clever student and I was accepted into their clique. Finally I began to feel as if I belonged. Even though Timothy and I are now pursuing different educational goals (he chose electrical engineering while I choose business) after having graduated from high school, I will never forget the considerable influence he had in transforming my life. Besides Timothy, my father has also had a significant influence on my life extends. Prior to knowing Timothy I was not goal-oriented and had little prospects for my future. When I began to see that I could actually be successful I also began to think about a future occupation. My father has been instrumental in helping me to decide on a career. Currently I have chosen to pursue Business administration as my major with a particular interest in entrepreneurship and finance because of the exposure I got to these fields by my father. My father, working in business himself, allowed me to accompany him on several occasions on business trips and I even attended several business conferences and negotiations with him. The perspective and knowledge I gained from these sessions have encouraged me to choose this same field to pursue as my career goal. Additionally the financial aspect of business administration has particular appeal to me. I had often heard my father discussing Indonesian stocks, such as Telkom, Indosat as well as American stocks, such as Dow Jones. The Stock Exchange is, I believe, a lucrative avenue through which companies can maintain their business and even bring in profits. In choosing business administration as my major I hope to learn to essentials of managing a business. What I look forward to most is developing my communication skills so that I could become an effective and efficient businessman. Since I plan to operate my own business I hope to learn essential business communication skills such as how to communicate effectively and respectfully in both in written and spoken forms, how to motivate others particularly employees, how to foster good interpersonal relations, how to use various communication tools to assist in carrying out the functions of my future enterprise, the skills of making presentations among other skills that are essential to the proper administration of any business venture. Besides my father and my personal business interests, my cousin has also inspired and my interest in the business field. Some time ago he delivered an address at an Indonesian University. The title of his presentation was â€Å"Simulation Stock Competition.† Listening to his speech encouraged me to enter a university competition that was open for students to invest in the Stock Market. Of course even though the competition was in the form of a simulation and we were not investing with actual money, my interest in the Stock Market was peeked. For the two months I was involved in this program I became exceedingly excited about the strategy of business investment. Overall both my father and Timothy have motivated me to aspire for greater things. Indeed they both encouraged me to be confident in my own abilities rather than being dependent on my friends. I began to believe that, like my friends who were performing well, I too could become successful and make a significant mark in society. I am, therefore, fortunate to have had a friend and a father to encourage me to change my perspective and to help me get rid of certain negative attitudes and attributes that were very unprogressive. My vision for my life has now broadened from having absolutely no interest in my future, to being excited about a particular career option and working on fulfilling my goal of becoming a businessman. Barring such influence I may have still been stuck in the rut of mediocrity.   

What are the benefits of emergency management doctrine, and how do you Essay - 3

What are the benefits of emergency management doctrine, and how do you think its creation may be enhanced in the context of the UAE - Essay Example ces had to evacuate their homes for the sake of visitors and holy servants who crowded the area for such functions and since the climatic conditions are always harsh, the inhabitants had to move around all day long distributing water to quench thirst. The United Arab Emirates, for the last eighty years has been on the move coming up with an effective emergency management plan. From the Saudi Arabian documentation, the first response to such emergencies was by the establishment of a fire brigade in 1927 to serve pilgrims who flock Makah each year for special prayers. The establishment of emergency management doctrine has brought along great benefits to the United Arab Emirates. It has been possible to save lives and assets from damage. United Arabs Emirates has been the centre of discussion because of the terrorist attacks for example the Khobar tower bomb attack in 1996, which claimed 19 lives, the Yanbu and Asir floods caused pure destruction to property estimated over 230,000 km2, the fire and meningitis outbreak during Hajj and Ramadan festivals in 1997 and 1987 respectively affected close to 2,000 pilgrims (Alamri 15).. These are just a few examples of the damages caused by hazardous happenings. Through emergency management doctrine, it has been able to contain most of the calamities through resource optimization; which means being in a position to deploy and respond to emergency situations. For instance, due to a daily increase in the number of worshippers flocking Makkah, the Saudi Red Crescent Society has already come up with a medical e vacuation system which involves the use of twenty five helicopters. This in turn will help save innocent lives in case of disease outbreaks. In addition, it has eased the motor vehicle crashes and traffic jams. This is evident through the creation of Makah Metro, which has the capability to connect all the holy places around Makah 24/7. This works in line with a digital traffic control system; Saher. This ensures all

Religion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Religion - Research Paper Example There are major forms of religion in the world today. These forms of religion differ in practices and beliefs. However, the concept of religion still remains the same in all the 18 branches that make the world religion. The concept of religion explains the relationship between natural and supernatural concepts of reality in which various religions have their unique way of explaining nature and the existence as well as the role of humanity. Religion is associated with the study and understanding of human practices in relation to the natural and spirit world. Religions can be compared on the basis of what they stand for, belief and practices. For instance, Buddhism is a form of religion that practices its ways of living in relation to the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Christianity is known to be the world’s biggest religious society and pillars its practices and ways of living on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Judaism is a form of religion formed by the Jewish people and base s its practices and beliefs on the covenant made between the God and the Jewish people. Islam is also among the top religious groups in the world and it bases its beliefs and practices on life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad. Traditional African religion has its own practices which are unique but with a common concept compared to all other forms of religions in the world (Matthews, 2012). It relies on hereditary values to build its moral understanding and practices. In this case, it bases its beliefs and practices on the communities’ ancestors whom are believed to exist in the spirit world. Religious forms have a common concept which is based on the belief of sacred aspects that are used to create moral value. Christianity differ from the Islamic religion in the notion that one religion believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ who is acts as the pillar its foundation while the other focuses on the

Securing America and Protecting civil Liberties Essay

Securing America and Protecting civil Liberties - Essay Example This essay discusses that the signing of the Patriot Act; into law in the year 2001 gave the US government authority to obtain personal information regarding US citizens and permitted the government to detain strangers deemed as a risk to the state security. The holding of these individuals can be without any public acknowledgment. The federal law enforcing agencies have a wiretap authority, which access student readings in the library and internet usage. This shows a restriction of the civil liberties. Some provisions of the Act allow the installation of a formidable tracking gadget capable of intercepting all kinds of internet activity, which include web page activity, e-mail messages and internet telephone communication. The Act was passed as a result of terrorists attack earlier in the period. The Act reduced daily freedoms of Americans and expanded the authority of the secretary of the treasury. The secretary was to control financial transactions of foreign individuals and entit ies. The First Amendment comprises several vital rights that guarantee an individual’s basic civil liberties such as freedom to speech, freedom to associate, freedom of the press, and freedom to religion. The civil liberties have protection against government restriction and interference by other individuals. The provisions of the First Amendment were first written when there were no radios, computers, televisions and other communication gadgets. Changes in the First Amendment have redefined and reinterpreted the entitlement to free speech and press. The rights of speech and press are not absolute (Taylor, 2005). According to the interpretation of the court about the changes in the First Amendment, freedom to speech or press can be denied in extreme cases. Another change in the First Amendment is against an individual facing a fair trial. The changes provide that individuals accused of terrorism must not be released on bail. This change will affect those individuals arrested under suspicion that they are terrorists, but they are not. In such a case, there will be no freedom to a fair trial. Another change that occurred to the First Amendment was a change of the provision permitting individuals to have the freedom to privacy (Savage, 2009). According to the changes made, the FBI had authority to access the internet messages, financial statements, and business records of an individual suspected to be a terrorist without the suspects knowledge or permission. The Fourth Amendment protects the Americans from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. However, with the signing of the Patriots Act, the Fourth Amendment was changed with regard to the right of conducting searches and seizures. The change allowed citizens to be seized on the ground that the individual is suspected to be a terrorist. Any individual suspected to be a terrorist is searched without allowing the FBI to conduct the search. The searches conducted by the FBI may not be reasona ble, but the change was allowed (Savage, 2009). Another change that occurred was the procedure that applied to individuals charged with a crime. The change that occur

Jihadi John and London's Culture of Gang Violence Assignment

Jihadi John and London's Culture of Gang Violence - Assignment Example Mohammed Emwazi alias Jihadi John is an example of a self-proclaimed British young Muslim who has joined the ISIS where he is now an IS executioner. Mohammed Emwazi grew up in a highly populated and poverty-stricken city with high levels of shootings, drug wars, and gang violence. Mohammed Emwazi grew up in a middle-class background and poverty does not appear to have motivated him to join radical groups. Mohammed Emwazi joined â€Å"London Boys† that was a criminal gang in north-west London that engaged in violent robberies to support the extremists, Al-Shabaab. Recently, extremists have been associating with organized criminal gangs like the London Boys. Emwazi grew up in North London and turned to drugs, gangs, and violence to escape from alienation that young Muslims experienced in London. Indeed, Muslim prison population has been increasing where 27 % of all prisoners in London are Muslims. Emwazi listened to radical preachers and attended their rallies that helped him to understand his Islamic identity. Radical Islam lures young Muslims since it creates a sense of brotherhood. Joining the criminal gangs and later the radical Islamist group, ISIS helped Emwazi and like-minded people to overcome tribal differences and escape uncertainty. Apparently, the article, Jihadi John and London's culture of gang violence establish what is pushing and drawing young Muslims in London into joining ISIS. The fractured environments that young Muslims live in push young Muslims in London into joining ISIS. The gang experiences that young Muslims gain in living in areas with high levels of shootings, drug wars, and gang violence derives the courage to join and support the activities of ISIS. These criminal gangs support the activities of radical Islamist groups.  

Government Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Government Accounting - Essay Example Such aspirations had a significant impact on the reporting formats and methods resorted to by not-for-profit organizations and government organizations and institutions. The latest accounting standards elaborately lay down the norms and principles that the administration and auditors in the government and not-for-profit organizations are required to follow. The government and not-for-profit entities are required to satisfy the appropriate authorities that they are pursuing the acceptable and valid accountability standards for the purposes of financial disclosure and reporting (Granof, 2002). In addition, they are required to chalk out and promulgate specific, discernable and quantifiable goals and performance targets. The government and not-for-profit organizations are well aware of the fact that with this rise in public scrutiny, there has been an unprecedented increase in the need for placing the people and organizations managing public funds under stringent accountability norms.

Bit coin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bit coin - Essay Example As Boardman, Sondomir and Sondak (38) argues, the primary aim of Nakamoto was to create a form of online currency in order to circumvent payment processing technicalities which online traders were facing. Specifically, the entry of the transactions on the ledger or mining processes had become difficult if not impossible to such users. Apart from the mining, digital currency can be a form of exchange of currency, goods, and services. Through Bitcoins, users can make purchases of goods, send, and receive the money via electronic means for a small fee and with the help of wallet application on an Internet-enabled gadget. The virtual currency as a system of payment for commodities purchased online has undergone rapid growth, and businesspersons have an advantage to enjoy the use of the currency owing to its lower than the 3 percent typically charged for loading and or use of credit cards. Nonetheless, many governments from around the world have been hesitant to welcome the use of the currency within their respective jurisdictions, with some warning their citizens against the use of the service due to its lack of consumer safeguards. Bitcoins are vulnerable to theft and chargeback defaults. As Boardman, Sondomir and Sondak (12-29) have indicated, the use of the currency for commercial purposes is still minimal and largely preferred by speculators. This alone has added to the lots of worries and its volatility, hence the fear of the bubble effect. Bitcoin speculators have contributed to the bubble effect theory explaining the unpredictable future of the currency. This is especially true considering that speculators who top the list of Bitcoin users argue that with $200 in one’s virtual account now, the value of the money will increase to $600 or $1,000, since they will find people who are willing to buy it at that higher price. The buying of the currency in hope that the value would increase is a serious flaw in the thinking

Ineffectiveness of GPS Monitoring System for Sex Offenders Research Paper - 1

Ineffectiveness of GPS Monitoring System for Sex Offenders - Research Paper Example Despite the optimistic effects of technology in the society by improvising the GPS devices, understanding the restrictions of this technology remains essential in maintaining the safety of the society. A case is depicted of a sex offender who cut off his GPS monitoring device and eluded authorities. Although the device still warned the police to keep an eye on the sex offender, the device remained incompetent since the sex offender was able to roam around and carry out his inhuman acts again. Using a GPS requires the free flow of information to those responsible for making sure that the task is accurately carried out. Therefore, using the GPS to monitor or track a sex offender does not entirely depend on the technology but responsibility of those using the device in order to ensure its effectiveness. GPS monitoring device only acts as a part of the solution to sex offenders. They only track where the individual goes, but in essence, do not deprive him the ability to find their next target. John Albert Gardener depicts a sex offender who had a GPS device to monitor his tracks and make sure that he never went near any young woman. However, still having the device, Gardener was able to rape and murder two helpless teenagers back in 2009. It is evident that the paroled felon was not at any chance under careful supervision as officials thought. It can be depicted that these two victims could be alive if only the devices were effectively used. As a dangerous sex offender, John Albert Gardener still roams in the streets.

The Highest Breed Essay Example for Free

The Highest Breed Essay How would you like to own a car that can run and transport you on the road for ten minutes without the engine turned on? (Gold, 2006) No, it won’t be on neutral and without speed control†¦ you simply have to be on a Toyota Hybrid vehicle. This is because when the car isnt using its gasoline engine, such as when you are in bumper to bumper traffic or coasting downhill, it shuts the engine off automatically. Isn’t that neat? That means that you are not burning gas (and your hard-earned money with it) as much as you would have on a conventional car. When you are not burning gas, you too are helping to preserve the earth from global warming. You might want to join the thousands of people who are already seeing the importance of clean air and financial savings just by driving a cool car. Today, I take it upon myself to show you why Toyota Hybrid vehicles, especially the Prius, are the absolute choices for economical and environmental reasons, especially when compared to conventional gasoline-powered cars and other hybrid brands. Global warming is a very urgent issue because it affects the survival of every creature on earth. Global warming happens when carbon and methane gases are excessive and form a sort of force field in the atmosphere. (Mendoza, 2005) This additional layer of smog blocks the heat from the earth from escaping the atmosphere and thereby causes the unnecessary warming which can alter natural weather cycles, etc. How can individuals like us help maintain clean air without sacrificing too much time, effort, and comfort? The answer lies within Toyota Hybrid vehicles. Toyota has been a pioneer in making environmentalists’ dreams come true on the road to zero emissions by coming out with the first mass-produced hybrid car in 1997 – the Prius. In eight years, the Prius has already sold 1,000,000 cars and is 9th best selling car in the US for 2007. (Vlasic, 2008) The Prius is a vehicle run by a battery but has an electric motor and a petrol-powered engine. This means that during stop lights and downhill stretches, the car is simply run by the battery and will only use gas upon the need for higher speed. Ergo, approximately 3. 5 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide had been saved by these cars in the short span of time. (Mendoza) This not only means less pollution but also less need to buy gas. When it comes to fuel efficiency, the Prius is also above its competitors. Compared to a Honda Civic Hybrid which goes about 42 miles per gallon (MPG), for example, the Prius can take the distance to 47 MPG. This means that if you consume $1007 worth of gas on a Civic, you will only be spending $902 on a Prius. This is even more dramatic when compared to the $1650 you would have spent on an ordinary gas-powered car. (Comparison Chart, 2007) Other hybrid models like the Camry and Highlander are also gaining popularity in the market. The Camry is not as fuel efficient as the Prius but is known for its Plasmacluster ionizer which filters micro dust and pollen so you can have clean air inside and outside of the car. The Camry’s battery is also good for 8 years compared to Honda Altima’s 5 years which means it can run longer by about 40,000 miles. The Highlander, on the other hand, is incomparable to the sedans because it is much largely built and therefore requires more power. However, it is preferable to the other hybrid midsize SUVs because of its 241 horsepower compared to the others which can only go up to 208 hp. Toyota, as anyone can see, has been a good pioneer and maintains to be the best in the hybrid industry. Toyota hybrids are above par in fuel efficiency, cost of maintenance, speed, comfort and cleanliness with regards to its emissions. Every responsible citizen who wants to help maintain economic and environmental balance simply has to own one†¦don’t you think so too? If you are thinking of getting a new car or is at least concerned in keeping the earth in proper temperature, please do consider Toyota hybrid vehicles. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

The portrayal of the family in The Simpsons Essay Example for Free

The portrayal of the family in The Simpsons Essay In the majority of episodes of The Simpsons, the plots are similar in the respect that one or more family members are involved in a predicament that always has a comical element, and involves Homer Simpson saying Doh! . The plots are more often than not character driven, for example, in the episode Brother Where Art Thou? Homer Simpson finds out that he has a half brother that he never knew. Homer then embarks on a journey to find him, when he does; he discovers that his brother is a millionaire. In the end, he manages to bankrupt his long lost brother, and they part ways on bad terms. The central character in that particular episode is Homer; in the episode Lisas Pony, the central character is Lisa. Even though the plots are always similar, the resolutions differ so that the viewer is kept interested in the series. To say that the Simpsons are a stereotypical nuclear family would be a dubious statement. They all have their own personalities, which have elements of certain stereotypes, but not enough of one in particular to dominate the others in their personality. Homer Simpson is a beer drinking couch potato who likes nothing more than to watch the football game on the television. Marge Simpson is a maternal housewife and a possible nag of the family. Contrary to the point I previously made, I think that the children in the family are stereotyped; Bart, who is the Dennis the Menace nuisance and underachiever, Lisa whos intelligence is far greater than anyone elses in the family, and Maggie, who never speaks, but still manages to indulge herself in a little mischief. By the writers using stereotypes in the programme, they make it easier for people to relate to the characters, and enable the viewer to understand the plot more. For example in the episode Barts Dog Gets Out, Santas Little Helper (i. e. the dog) escapes, and Barts first instinct is to get out and find him. With Homer, he would probably propose getting a new one, or discourage his family from looking for him. The relationships in The Simpsons are not stereotypical because that would make the programme less comical. Even in the opening sequence however, we still get an indication of the type of characters they are. Marge has a strong relationships with Maggie, and we see them rushing from shopping, which shows Marges role as the housewife. We see Bart in school writing lines on a blackboard, and then weaving in and out of pedestrians in his rush to get home; this shows that he is troublesome at school, but also virtually carefree. Lisa is playing in the school band, but then breaks off, and is sent out, seemingly because she plays too well for the rest of the class to keep up; this illustrates her talent. She also rides a bicycle, which one could argue, means that she is a conservative person, which she is. Homer races off from work, and in doing so ends up with a glowing radioactive rod in the back of his radiation suit, which shows he is both careless, and lacks common sense. I think that the show itself is aimed at younger audiences, for example teenagers and young adults because; the programme has some unrealistic features such as the Simpsons skin colour and the fact that they have four fingers. Although the programme has other cultures (i. e. Indians and Black people), the main family, which are the Simpsons, have yellow as a skin colour. Their skin colour can be argued whether it is realistic or unrealistic because, yellow may have been used because it is a primary colour, and primary colours are attractive and eye catching, but; on the other hand it may have a meaning which could be universal because it is neither black nor white. Using yellow as a skin colour makes it known to viewers that racism is ruled out and I believe that yellow is a good example for this because it is warm, bright and welcoming; and this makes a good statement. Another argument could arise that their skin colour is yellow because if they were to be a real life equivalent you would assume them to be Caucasian; and so their skin is drawn as yellow to combat the idea of the common black or white situation. The fact that all the characters in The Simpsons have four fingers shows that they are all a unique and unified community despite age and race, this also makes a good statement. Both the skin colour and the four fingers are attractive to young viewers but they also have meaning to older viewers, and different parts of the show are aimed at different audiences. An example of this would be in the episode Lisas Pony; it could be argued that it is aimed at younger children, especially girls. The episode Brother, Where Art Thou? would be aimed at the older audiences, especially men, but whatever the case it is possible for a variety of age groups to watch and enjoy the programme. The allusions in the show itself prove to the audience that the show is up to date, and it gives the show a sharper angle of realism, which again would attract people to watch the show. An allusion from the film E. T. was used in The Simpsons. The film E. T. is most known for the contact of alien and human with their finger touching each other. This was like a connection. This connection was seen when Lisa and her mother did the same thing. That one moment in The Simpsons held much meaning, it showed the personal relationship with Marge and Lisa, and Marges maternal and loving side. It also showed that Marge is a significant figure in Lisas life. This allusion can be very heart-warming for viewers to see.

Irish Potato Famine Causes and Consequences

Irish Potato Famine Causes and Consequences The Irish Potato Famine was a taxing event in Irish history that claimed millions of casualties. Often referred to as the Greatest Disaster to have struck Ireland, the direct cause of the famine was due to the Potato Blight that ruined many harvests and driving the Irish population into hunger and starvation. As a result, many Irish immigrated in large numbers into the mainland of Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. The famine can be attributed as a reason for creating the early foundations of the Irish communities in America (Allan 5). However, the effects of the famine could have been extenuated had the English approached the problem differently. The English dislike for the Irish and establishment of land laws drove the Irish into a financial crisis which led the Irish into being solely dependent on the potato. This continued dependency worsened the impact of the famine (Connell 281). To properly understand why the famine ravaged the Irish population so much, one must fir st understand the historical relationship between the Irish and the English and how the potato fits into the picture. From the very beginning, the Irish and the English conflicted with each other. King Henry II of England in 1171 took advantage of fighting in Ireland to annex the island within the kingdom. However, unlike the Scottish and Welch, Ireland never wanted to coexist under the English rule. Ireland was also geographically, linguistically, and culturally distanced from England which affected its ability to work with lawmakers to keep Irish interests (Allan 7). During the spread of the protestant reformation in the 16th century Europe, religious differences between the Roman Catholic Irish and the eventual Protestant England worsened the mutual perception of each other. This gap in the relationship also had serious international diplomatic consequences as the Catholic Irish favored other Catholic nations who were often Englands enemies in this religious war. Subduing the Catholic Ireland became a very important objective to the Protestant English Crown amidst these religious wars. The period of the Tudor Conquest was a very bloody one and victory to subdue Ireland had been achieved under Elizabeth I. However, enforcing Protestantism proved to be a difficult endeavor for the later regime (Pelling 2). In lieu of using aggressive force like Elizabeth I, James I used more subtle tactics. Instead of forcibly converting the Irish Catholic into Protestants openly, he sent hordes of Protestants from England and Scotland to settle Ireland. Inevitably, this deeply hurt the English-Irish relationship and led to frequent bouts of violence throughout the 17th century. After the defeat of the Catholic James II of Boyne, a ruling Protestant class emerged out of Ireland and was supported by a collection of discriminatory laws passed, between 1620-1728, to repress Catholicism. These laws restricted Catholics from participating in politics, holding official positions, buying or inheriting land. The bishops were also subject to these laws often experiencing banishment or being forced to register and practice preaching in very limited regions. These laws were somewhat successful in converting the Catholics who wanted to escape persecution which reaffirmed the efficacy of James plan (Pelling 3). How ever, the rest of the Catholic population suffered in poverty due to the severity of these penal laws. The penal laws made it nearly impossible for Catholics to own land. As a result, most rented land from Protestant land owners. The landowners generally preferred to live in their estates and left the management of the land to agents. These agents, interested in making a profit, would rent out smaller plots of land at higher prices to the tenants. At the bottom of this hierarchy was the Irish peasant who was burdened with growing enough food for subsistence and paying the highest rent per unit of land. The introduction of the potato allowed poor Irishmen to access nutrients necessary for development not only for themselves but also for their livestock (Wong). The first Irish potatoes, grown by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1588, were introduced to the farming community. Eventually it made its way to Ireland where Irishmen quickly adopted the versatility of this crop. Before the potato, the Irish typically consumed grain and milk. The problem with these is that milk often becomes easily accessible if one has large plots of lands that allow livestock to easily graze. However, this was not the case for the sixteenth century Irish as land was constantly being captured and redistributed. The oats and grains in this case took longer to grow and poor people did not have the means to process these grains. The potato replaced grains and milk as an easy to store, easy to access alternative. Not only that, the potato could also be easily prepared by boiling it. Even in cases when Irish tenants faced confiscation during failure to pay rent, the potato could be easily hidden by burying it underground unlike the grain. Displaced people could re-grow potatoes f aster than they could with grain. Despite their situation, as long as the climate and the soil favored the potato, they could grow it without much difficulty. The potato dependency of the Irish grew out of desperate need to keep oneself and the family alive (Connell 282-3). The potato proved to be a very easily attainable crop whose nourishing effects will be seen on the Irish population over a period of time. For a very long time, the potato grew well enough in Ireland to increase the population. From 1750 to 1840, the population nearly tripled from 2.6 million to 8.5 million people. However, these increases were noticed in areas where Irish peasants grew potatoes because potatoes yielded more food per acre of land compared to any other crop. However, it would be these parts of the population that would be most affected by the potato blight (ONeill 35-6). The main culprit behind the potato famine was the Phytophthora infestans which is an oomycete. An oomycete is a fungus-like eukaryote. Not to be confused with fungus, oomycetes are responsible for some of the most devastating plant diseases-the Potato Blight being one of them (Sleigh 289). The Potato Blight spores favor warm and wet conditions. Rain and wind also play a part in helping the spores travel and infect plants over long distances. Even if the infection sets in, the early stages of blight can be easily missed as not all the plants are infected simultaneously. Signs of the blight can be seen as dark patches on the leaf of the plant. Whitish mold begins to form on the leaves and the infected tubers appear botched. Overall, the plant and its tubers begin to rot (Koepsell and Pscheidt 165). The Phytophthora infestans originated from the highlands to central Mexico. The first recorded incidence involving the blight was in the United States in 1843. The winds from the United Stat es carried the spores toward Nova Scotia which traveled across the Atlantic Ocean with a shipment of seed potatoes in 1845 heading toward Europe (Reader). Once the Blight was in Europe, it spread throughout many parts of Northern and Central Europe. By 1845 Belgium, Holland, northern France and southern England had all been stricken. (Donnelly 42). In 1845, the crops lost to the Blight have been estimated to be 50-60% (Kinealy 32). The Irish rural were hit the hardest in 1846 and that is when deaths were recorded due to starvation. This trend had a catastrophic impact for people who were completely dependent on the potato for food (Kennedy et. al 69). Not only did the Irish starve, they were faced with evictions as a result of failure to come up with proper rent payments. Poor response from the English government did not remedy the problem either. Michel, a political journalist and national activist, wrote on the English Rule on March 7, 1846 that the Irish were expecting famine day by day and owed it not to the rule of heaven as to the greedy and cruel policy of England. In the same article, he continued to write that the people believe that the season as they roll are but ministers of Englands rapacity; that their starving children cannot sit down to their scanty meal but they see the harpy claw of England in their dish. Mitchel wrote that the Irish simply watched as their food rotted away at the same time heavy-laden ships, freighted with the yellow corn their own hands have sown and reaped, spreading all sail for England (Mitchel). In The Last Conquest of Ireland (Perhaps), written by Mitchel in 1861, it treated the British policies toward the famine as a method to deliberately wipe out the Irish and circulated the famous phrase, The Almighty, indeed, send the potato blight, but the English created the Famine (Mitchel). Re cords indicate that Ireland exported food even during the worst of the famine. When Ireland experienced a famine in the early 1780s, the government responded by banning any exports which caused the food prices to drop quickly. However, in the case of this famine, no bans were seen in the 1840s (Kinealy 354). Cecil Woodham-Smith, author of The Great Hunger; Ireland 1845-1849, wrote that food exports in the face of the famine caused greater tensions between the Irish-English relationship. Nothing made the Irish angrier than the indisputable fact that huge quantities of food were exported from Ireland to England throughout the period when the people of Ireland were dying of starvation. Woodham-Smith notes that Ireland continued to be a net exporter of food throughout most of the famine (Ranelagh 115). Not only did the lack of an export ban hurt the Irish condition but the unwillingness of the English government to directly cull the problem made the effects of the famine worse. Lyons describes the English response to the first phase of the famine to be successful (Lyons 30). In response to the crop failure of 1845, Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel bought hundred thousand British pounds worth of corn from America. However, the shipment was delayed by weather conditions and did not arrive until 1846. Once the shipment had arrived, the corn had not been ground into its edible form. In order to do this, it would be a long process and the Irish would not be able to carry it out locally due to the lack of means (Kinealy 38). Peel also motioned to repeal the tariffs on the grain to lower their prices. However, it did not remedy the problem. As the famine continued to grow worse in 1846, the conservative party split on the issue and Peel was forced to resign on June 29 (Ranelagh 115). Peel was succeeded by Lord John Russell who incompetently acted towards the famine and worsening the humanitarian crisis. Russell and his ministry enacted a public works project with the goal of employing as many Irish as possible. However, the project proved to be difficult to handle (Kinealy 80). Under Russells ministry, Sir Charles Trevelyan served in charge of administering famine relief. His lack of action and prejudice toward the Irish was widely believed to worsen the famine (Lyons 30-4) . Trevelyan perceived the famine as mechanism for reducing surplus population and characterized the famine to be The judgment of God sent the calamity to teach the Irish a lesson, that calamity must not be too much mitigatedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The real evil with which we must contend is not the physical evil of the Famine but the moral evil of the selfish, perverse and turbulent character of the people (ORiorden). The new Russell ministry then strictly followed the laissez-faire belief which led to a stop of the government based food and relief which left many people without work, food, or money (Woodham-Smith 408-11) . After abandoning these projects, relief was primarily supplied through workhouses and soup kitchens. However, the cost of carrying these projects fell on local hands, primarily on the landlords who would in turn evict the tenants to avoid carrying out this responsibility (Lyons 33). Landlords were responsible for paying on behalf of tenants who paid less than  £ 4 in annual rent. Consequently, landlords who housed many poorer tenants caused them to be a liability. To solve this issue, landlords began evicting tenants from the smaller plots to clear any debt. According to James Donnelly Jr., almost 250,000 people were evicted between 1849 and 1854 (Poirteir 155). In West Clare alone, landlords evicted families by the thousands. After Clare, County Mayo evictions accounted for 10% of all evictions between this time. One of the worst evictors being Earl of Lucan who purportedly owned over 60,000 acres of land, evicted around 2,000 tenants and used the empty land for grazing (Litton 96). In response to this, violence occasionally broke out against the landlords. Lord Clarendon appealed to Russell out of fear of a revolt but was ignored because Russell held them mostly responsible. Russell was quoted saying It is quite true that landlords in England would not like to be shot like hares and partridgesbut neither does any landlord in England turn out fifty persons at once and burn their houses over their heads, giving them no provision for the future. Despite Russells disagreement over the issue, the Crime and Outrage Act was passed in the December of 1847 to cull any additional rebellions (Litton 98-99). Another example of unwise policy making under Russell ministrys wing was the Gregory clause. Donnelly describes it to be a particularly vicious amendment to the Irish Poor Law which would prevent certain tenants who had more than quarter-acre of land from receiving any assistance. The Gregory clause was welcomed by the poor law commissioners who saw it as an easy way out of administering relief. However, many, including Donnelly, would agree that this clause was indirectly a death-dealing instrument (Donnelly 110). In the light of the circumstances created by the famine, many Irish families resorted to emigration which paved one of the early f oundations of the Irish American communities. During the famine, the Irish emigrated to England, Scotland, the United States, Canada, and Australia. Traveling such distances was not without a price. It is estimated that one out of five died from disease and malnutrition and mortality rates of 30% on the coffin ships were not unusual (The Shiplist). Due to starvation, evictions, and sub-human living conditions, about 2 million left Ireland by 1854. Most Irish immigrants in America made up a significant population in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore by 1850s. The 1851 census report indicated large influx of the Irish in Toronto, Ontario making up over a half of their population. Canadian cities such as Saint John, Quebec city, Montreal, Ottawa, and Hamilton also experienced a sharp influx of Irish immigrants (Gray 97-9). Although some Irish managed to escape the famine, not everyone had the opportunity or the means to do so. Many, unfortunately, lost their lives to the famine. It isnt known how many exactly died during the Famine but it is believed that more died from diseases than from starvation. Official record keeping by the government had not yet started and the Roman Catholic Church records were not complete either (The General Register Office). However, many eye witness accounts suggested some characteristics of the famine and diseases that afflicted the Irish. English Quaker William Bennett in Mayo wrote about three children huddled together, lying there because they were too weak to rise, pale and ghastly, their little limbsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦perfectly emaciated, eyes sunk, voice gone, and evidently in the last stages of actual starvation. Marasmic children, who suffered from a severe form of protein-energy malnutrition, greatly disturbed Quaker Joseph Crosfield who witnessed, in 1846, a heart-rending scene of poor wretches in the last stages of famine imploring to be received into the house. Some of the children were worn to skeletons, their features sharpened with hunger, and their limbs wasted almost to the bone. It has been a difficult task for historians to predict a close number of lives lost to the famine due to poor record keeping. The disputed information gathered by the census commissioners for deaths occurred since 1841 found that there were 21,770 deaths that occurred from starvation and 400,720 deaths from disease. The diseases thought to have caused these deaths were fever, dysentery, cholera, smallpox, and influenza. The census commissioners remarked that The greater the amount of destitution of mortality, the less will be the amount of recorded deaths derived from any household form;-for not only were whole families swept away by disease, but whole villages were effaced from off the land. (Kennedy,et.al 106) Historians also believe that it is a reasonable scenario for disease to be so rampant considering the living conditions of the Irish during the famine. The most important factor towards spreading diseases is enabling human contact under unsanitary conditions. Mass gatherings at the soup kitchens and work houses served as ideal conditions for pathogens to spread from one person to another. Many diseases also afflicted the Irish due to malnutrition. Nutritional induced illnesses were starvation, marasmus (protein deficiency), and Dropsy (Edema). What made these diseases worse is that non-nutritional dependent diseases manifested severely in starved people than they would in otherwise normal individuals (Kennedy, et al. 104). Keeping all these conditions in mind, a likely estimate of deaths were approximated to one million from disease and starvation. Another million have been believed to have emigrated out of Ireland. As a result, some scholars estimate that the Irish population was reduced by 20 to 25 percent (H. Kennedy 43). Even after the famine had past, it still continued to affect the Irish political scene and still continues to be a controversial event in Irish history. The poor British policies toward the famine stirred unforgivable and unforgettable anger within the Irish. Many Irish who emigrated to the United States quickly became part of associations that favored Irelands independence and repeal of the Act of Union. The famine and its causes became the main foundation of Irish emigrant anger. Most of them viewed it to be the reason for leaving Ireland in the first place. John Mitchel, journalist for the Nation, expressed the emigrants angry sentiments when he wrote: The Almighty indeed sent the potato blight but the English created the famine, a million and half men, women, children were carefully, prudently, and peacefully slain by the English government. They died of hunger in the midst of abundance which their own hands created. (Mitchel, English Rule) As a result, these sentiments ignited the desire for Ireland to secede from Englands grasp. After a failed 1848 rebellion (also known as the Famine rebellion) led by the Young Irelanders, some of the members fled to America. In the absence of British restrictions, the Young Irelanders encouraged anti-British sentiments and began another group referred to as the Fenian Brotherhood and its Irish counterpart being the Irish Republican Brotherhood devoted toward eradicating the British rule from Ireland. This Brotherhood also went so far as to recruit the Irish Americans who served in the Civil War to take part in an insurrection in Ireland. However, this plan would fail due to poor communications. However, this did not discourage the Irish from advancing the cause for independence. This time, the Irish Revolutionaries chose to pursue a movement that was grassroots although Irish American help would not be turned away (The History Place). The fight for independence would continue well in to the 20th century still fueled by what the Irish, and some historians, believe to be a man-made famine. Even in modern times, some historians suggest that the British inaction classifies the famine as an attempt to systematically wipe out the Irish. Francis A. Boyle, a law professor of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, wrote in 1996 a report that the English government attempted to ethnically cleanse the Irish through enforcing policies aimed to hurt the Irish as a group (Ritschel). Historian Peter Duffy wrote that The governments crime, which deserves to blacken its name forever was based in the effort to regenerate Ireland by landlord-engineered replacement of tillage plots with grazing lands that took precedence over the obligation to provide food for its starving citizens. It is little wonder that the policy looked to many people like genocide. (Duffy 297-8) However, historians such as Cormac O Grada assert that the Famine should not be considered a genocide because the sentiment to exterminate the Irish as a group of people was absent. O Grada, instead, claims that the F amine was an extreme case of neglect and poor decision making on the English governments part (O Grada 10).

Indoor Tanning and Cancer Essay -- Cancerous Tan Tanning Bed Salon Ess

Indoor Tanning and Cancer Guaranteed brown, beautiful and golden skin in only a few tans! Indoor tanning promises and creates a beautiful tan in only a few sessions. The result from this tan is dark and clear skin that makes a person feel and look better. No wonder this craze is so popular. Who wouldn’t want to look like they just came back from the Caribbean with beautiful skin? I mean having tan skin does make a person look better right? This question is obviously a personal opinion, but this new habit of tanning indoors has become a growing concern. There are many long term effects to indoor tanning that are harmful to a person. But most people do not understand this because the short-term effects are the most satisfying. In order to understand the process of indoor tanning one must see how the human skin tans, what UV radiation does to DNA, and the positive and negative effects of tanning. In order to understand this tanning craze, we must look at the history of the beginning of this â€Å"need† for tan skin. In the 1920s-1930s, â€Å"Sun Therapy" became very popular and was prescribed as a cure for everything from simple fatigue to tuberculosis. Hollywood movies began to use colored films that emphasized the importance of rosy cheeks and colored skin. In the 1940s-1950s, Baby oil was used for sun-worshipers everywhere as a tan accelerator. Coppertone created their first sun- screen in order to help people not burn from the sun. In the 1960s-1970s, Cocoa butter was used in tanning lotions and the first tanning beds appeared. In the 1980s-1990s, indoor tanning salons became widespread, California Tan was formed (a popular tanning product), and models and famous people started promoting being tan all year round. ... ..., however, is that skin is resilient; it can and does repair most of the damage done to cells. Indoor tanning is all based on personal opinion. Having the experience of working at a tanning salon offers much important information about tanning lamps that most people do not know. Therefore it is a choice to tan indoors or not. But it is very important to understand that all tanning, whether it be indoors or outdoors will damage the skin. And there is much more to just lying in the bed and coming out with a tan. The tanning process is a complicated process and affects more than your skin; it affects your DNA also. So if being exposed to ultraviolet light is not an option than there are many safe alternatives to having that beautiful dark skin. Bronzing powder, self-tanning creams and sprays offer a golden glow with out the harmful UV waves from indoor tanning. Indoor Tanning and Cancer Essay -- Cancerous Tan Tanning Bed Salon Ess Indoor Tanning and Cancer Guaranteed brown, beautiful and golden skin in only a few tans! Indoor tanning promises and creates a beautiful tan in only a few sessions. The result from this tan is dark and clear skin that makes a person feel and look better. No wonder this craze is so popular. Who wouldn’t want to look like they just came back from the Caribbean with beautiful skin? I mean having tan skin does make a person look better right? This question is obviously a personal opinion, but this new habit of tanning indoors has become a growing concern. There are many long term effects to indoor tanning that are harmful to a person. But most people do not understand this because the short-term effects are the most satisfying. In order to understand the process of indoor tanning one must see how the human skin tans, what UV radiation does to DNA, and the positive and negative effects of tanning. In order to understand this tanning craze, we must look at the history of the beginning of this â€Å"need† for tan skin. In the 1920s-1930s, â€Å"Sun Therapy" became very popular and was prescribed as a cure for everything from simple fatigue to tuberculosis. Hollywood movies began to use colored films that emphasized the importance of rosy cheeks and colored skin. In the 1940s-1950s, Baby oil was used for sun-worshipers everywhere as a tan accelerator. Coppertone created their first sun- screen in order to help people not burn from the sun. In the 1960s-1970s, Cocoa butter was used in tanning lotions and the first tanning beds appeared. In the 1980s-1990s, indoor tanning salons became widespread, California Tan was formed (a popular tanning product), and models and famous people started promoting being tan all year round. ... ..., however, is that skin is resilient; it can and does repair most of the damage done to cells. Indoor tanning is all based on personal opinion. Having the experience of working at a tanning salon offers much important information about tanning lamps that most people do not know. Therefore it is a choice to tan indoors or not. But it is very important to understand that all tanning, whether it be indoors or outdoors will damage the skin. And there is much more to just lying in the bed and coming out with a tan. The tanning process is a complicated process and affects more than your skin; it affects your DNA also. So if being exposed to ultraviolet light is not an option than there are many safe alternatives to having that beautiful dark skin. Bronzing powder, self-tanning creams and sprays offer a golden glow with out the harmful UV waves from indoor tanning.

Genteel People and Honest Hearts in Jane Austens Emma Essay -- Austen

Emma:   Genteel People and Honest Hearts  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Emma, Jane Austen gives us ‘only the surface of the lives of genteel people’?   Though not necessarily a commonly used term today, the meaning of ‘genteel people’ is easily assumed. Good birth and breeding are not necessarily the only ‘qualities’ of genteel people: simple generosity, courtesy and elegance can also apply, as well as marriage into the class. The majority of the characters in Emma to some extent expand this definition to provide exceptions to the rule or abuses of the title. In this way the characters provide an interesting answer to the question of whether or not Austen actually deals with genteel people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mrs and Miss Bates are genteel people and of genteel birth. They are well educated and well spoken and readily invited into the Woodhouse circle. This high class is illustrated at Boxhill during Mr Knightley’s vehement reprimand of Emma’s cutting remark: ‘she has seen you grow up from a period when her notice of you was an honour.’ Of course, they have since slipped in monetary value, but retain their social position nonetheless. Mrs. Elton has the money, but not the connections or character to be considered genteel. Her marriage to a vicar as Mr Elton has raised her a class, but she has clearly not had the breeding to be comfortable in such high society, as she shows by continually dropping Maple Grove into conversations, and justifying her talents: ‘well, my friends say†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Harriet Smith obviously is not genteel by birth, being the ‘natural daughter of somebody’ but Emma invents he r parentage for the sake of the love games. The original modesty and humility that Harriet enjoys are accentuated and extended under the careful care of Emma. Th... ...ane Austen. Harlow: Longman Literature Guides [series], 1988. Craik, W. A. The Development of Jane Austen's comic art: Emma: Jane Austen's mature comic art. London: Audio Learning, 1978. Sound recording; 1 cassette; 2-track. mono. Gard, Roger, [1936- ]. Jane Austen, Emma and Persuasion. Harmondsworth : Penguin, Penguin masterstudies [series], 1985. Jefferson, D. W. (Douglas William), [1912- ]. Jane Austen's Emma: a landmark in English fiction. London: Chatto and Windus for Sussex University Press, Text and context [series], 1977. Lauritzen, Monica. Jane Austen's Emma on television: a study of a BBC classic serial. Goteborg, Sweden: Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis, Gothenburg studies in English, 48 [series], 1981.    Sabiston, Elizabeth Jean, [1937- ]. The Prison of Womanhood: four provincial heroines in nineteenth-century fiction. London : Macmillan, 1987.   

handmaids tale Essay -- essays research papers

The central social hierarchy within the novel is the gender hierarchy, placing men in a position of extreme power. This is evident in every aspect of the book, as the entire Gilead society is male dominated. The Commander is at the top of the hierarchy and is involved with designing and establishing the current society taking control of a nation of women, and exploiting their power by controlling what is taught, what they can teach themselves and the words that they can use. Soon all of the women will become brainwashed, simply because it is made nearly impossible to defy the rules The Eye is the next highest up and are used as spies to keep the society the way it is and make sure no one consorts against it. Angel’s are next because they are men so they are higher then all women. Their job is to make sure they are all safe and basically the police force. Men are the only ones who may drive cars, own property, have bank accounts, work, or even read from the Bible or any other text. The next highest up is the commander’s wife. She has writes and privileges about all other women. Aunt’s are responsible for getting the handmaids ready for their society. They pound the ideas of the new culture into the handmaid’s head so that when they enter it seems normal. Handmaids are the next class, they are the only women who can reproduce they are forced to have children for upper class couples women are often compromised by a forced sexual nature, thereby allowing them to be blamed for problems of conception. Handmaids show which Commander owns them by adopting their Commanders’ names, such as Fred, and preceding them with â€Å"Of.† I.e. Offred is one of these unfortunate servants who are only right to exist depends on her ovaries productivity. She lives with her commander and his wife in a highly supervised centre. All female characters in the text are only mentioned in relationship to a male owner of some sort. We find out about how women are treated as walking wombs when the ‘Red Centre’ also known as the Rachel and Leah Centre. As the basis of the novel it is replicated many times throughout the book, it is found in the family reading before the monthly ceremonies, and in Rachel’s plea give me children, or e lse I die. This really puts emphasis on the threat to the Handmaids life. By failing to produce a child, they will be classed as Unwomen and sent to the Colonies to... ...they train the handmaids. You could tell them what you believed and hope for change. The commanders wife has privileges but a rough deal too because the commander still thinks of her as a woman and not an equal. As the wife I would try to put in his head that not al sex has to be for procreation. As a handmaid or lower options are almost none. You have to make friends and trusted allies to make a difference. There is strength in numbers, but it would be imperative that it remain secretive. But in the end I think its hopeless for them in the society they are in. I think The Handmaids Tale is a direct warning to modern society, Atwood underlines that all the points in her novel have occurred in the world previously, and if a half truth establishes itself, it could take place again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It would be hard to know who to trust because of the eye. But I think that their society would not let any women be in a position of power over a man so women can be more trusted. The angels would not be able to be trusted because the young guys are to stead fast on their principals and can do irrational things. Your best bet would be to make friends with all the commanders.

Human ideal Essay

Human Ideal is a very subjective idea across the board. There are many factors that influence a person’s perspective on a prefect human ideal. The most prevalent factor seems to be the culture of the society. The culture and the society I was raised in brought me to the finalization of my personal human ideal. People should live to fulfill the ultimate good of happiness without stepping on others to reach it and at the same time to avoid extreme and take the middle way. My human ideal is pretty much stated in â€Å"Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle†, but the other texts have their own validated ways to reach the human ideal. The Odyssey portrayed a character who seems to be the ideal mortal. His name was Odysseus and he had fought for his country with bravery. The gods were all in favor of his homecoming from Troy because of his bravery. â€Å"You dog, you never thought I would any more come back from the land of Troy, and because of that you despoiled my household,†¦ and sought to win my wife while I was still alive, fearing neither the immortal gods who hold the wide heaven,†¦Now upon you all terms of destruction are fastened.†(Odyssey of Homer, 22:35-41) Odysseus’ house had been overtaken be suitors and the gods lead him to bring justice to the suitors. The suitors did not fear the â€Å"immortal gods† like Odysseus did so they were fated to be destroyed by the God-like Odysseus. The suitors would be an example of an anti-human ideal in the culture the book is based on. Gods play a huge role in deciding the correct way to be a mortal. If you did not fear them and respect their power, you would be looked down upon and would have â€Å"all terms of destruction† fastened upon you. Odysseus was a war hero who fought in Troy for his people and he alone survived and because of this he was held high above everyone else this is the major reason Zeus would grant him a glorious homecoming. In† Euthyphro†, the human ideal is portrayed to be very different than â€Å"The Odysseus†. In order in to be prefect human, you had to live life without  certainty and to always ask questions even when you feel you are correct in your way of thinking. Socrates believed that people were often ignorant and talked in a way where they were correct even when they far from it. Euthyphro was on his way to court where he had run into Socrates and Socrates asked him what he business was there. Euthyphro was there to prosecute his father for murder of a servant who had also committed murder. Socrates being the human ideal example for this text brought up the question of â€Å"If you had no clear knowledge of piety and impiety you would never have ventured to prosecute your old father for murder on behalf of servant† (Euthyphro). Socrates tested Euthyphro’s sense of piety because Socrates thought it was wrong that he had no doubt in his mind it was justified to bring his own father to court. Socrates believed you should always ask questions because not everything in the world can be black and white. Socrates believed that all things had a grey area where what is piety and what is impiety was unclear. This brought of the question should he not bring a murderer to count merely because it’s his own father and does it even make a difference if the person he murdered was a murderer himself? My personal favorite human ideal of all the books is the one from The â€Å"Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle†. The basic idea behind Aristotle’s book is that the ultimate goal in life is to achieve true happiness. This particular idea makes the most sense to me. â€Å"Happiness, then, is found to be something perfect and self-sufficient, being the end to which our actions are directed† (Aristotle, Page 15). This quote states that happiness is the final, the end and all other things will lead up to this. Happiness is stated to direct our actions because people all want to be happy. This idea gives people the feeling of â€Å"self-sufficient† because no other person can make another person achieve the ultimate good because it is all dependent on the person. Happiness is a perfect thing because no one truly knows what it is until they reach it themselves. The idea of happiness is subjective around the world given the different cultures so it is impossible to even begin to describe specifically how to reach the ultimate good. He also says â€Å"Since happiness is a certain sort of activity of the soul in accord with complete virtue, we must examine virtue; for that will perhaps also be a way to study happiness better† (Aristotle, 16). Happiness is a virtue and in  order to know happiness then you need to have an idea of what a virtue is. Virtue is the behavior showing high moral standards. Moral standards are important in all culture and especially in the Geek culture because of the gods who everyone seems to fear so greatly. They try to not offend any of the gods so their virtue is based around that for the most part. Which means their ultimate good involves pleasing the gods in order to achieve their goal of happiness. In John, the human ideal is a tad more divine than Aristotle’s view. John focuses more on having faith without doubt of its truth. Throughout the bible there are many examples that can be attached to this idea and John is no exception. Jesus was sent out in to the wilderness to survive for forth days and forty nights. The devil tempted him with power and ending of this suffering in the wilderness, but Jesus’ faith was much too strong for the devil. â€Å"The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours’† (John). The devil showed him the power he could have had if he would worship him, but of course it was in vain given he is Jesus and there is nothing in the world that could corrupt his faith. Jesus is the prime example of an ideal human and people believed if they acted like Jesus, then their life would have meaning and be complete. However, if it were any other mortal who was confronted with the offer that the devil made may have taken all that power in a heartbeat. The only way a person could reason with themselves in order to not take that deal would require a lot of faith in God and truth their decision may be rewarded in some way. The ideals presented in the Bible require people to have great faith in the Lord. My personal view of the human ideal is fairly general since I have no idea how to even get close to a perfect way to be human. My ideas agree with Aristotle in that happiness should be the ultimate goal no matter what way you achieve it. The one exception I have is that your path to happiness shouldn’t put others down and obstruct their path to happiness. If you feel there is no other option to reach your goal, then think again because there  is always a middle way and some way to reach your goal without hurting others. You need to live for each other and of course put your life or loved ones at the top of your list, but even a homeless drug addict on the street is a person and should be treated as such regardless of their poor choices in life. This also brings of the issue of what is that person has hurt someone. I feel that even if a person has intentional hurt another human being should at least have the chance to change unless they murdered, raped, or committed crimes as extreme as those. However, if the person shows no signs of regret or urge to reform, then justice will be properly laid onto the person in question. In this world, justice is a must because without it nothing is stopping people from obstructing other’s paths to happiness. Happiness is all too important in life to let a few hurt or corrupt the many. Human ideals seem to play a big role in culture, literature, and religion. However, there is of course no true human ideal because no two people think exactly the same way. The ideals ranged from fighting for your home and to kill for glory to achieving the ultimate good of happiness. Perfection in this world is merely an idea and it has a hard time fitting in with anything since nothing is truly perfect.