Attendance Requirement in College Essay

Attending college is supposed to signify freedom to make choices regarding education. However, many students who plans to continue their education realize that college does not give this freedom. In some countries, college students are expected to attend classes that they have register. However, should attendance be mandatory in college? Even though some believe that college attendance should be flexible, I believe that college attendance should be mandatory. The first reason why college attendance should be mandatory is the lack of understanding. For example, Students who attend regularly classes have better opportunity to understand the courses what are done in class, while students who do not attend classes will not understand. Also, because students who attend regularly the classes understand the courses, they have a better chance to have good grades during test. On the contrary, students who do not attend classes, and do not understand the courses; they get bad grades during test. Indeed, college attendance should be mandatory to help all the students understand the courses. Another reason why college attendance should be mandatory is it build relationships. College attendance build relation between students and students. In college, there is many ways to meet friends that you can count on in the future such as joining a club, or in class. Students who do not attend college classes will not have these opportunities. College also build relation between students and teachers. Students who attend classes have the opportunity to know their teachers. Teachers have the same opportunity to know their students, and that relation between them will help the teachers to know the students’ lacks and find ways to help them. On the other hand, students who do not attend school will be stuck with his lacks. Opponents believe that mandatory attendance policies does not go under life lesson categories. If students do not show up at the classes, they register that will not affect them in the real world. However, I believe it does go under life lesson categories. If students get into the habit of not showing at classes, they register that will affect them in the real world. For example, if you do not show at work, you will be fired. College attendance should be mandatory to avoid that habit. In conclusion, College attendance should be mandatory to help students understand their course, to build relationship between students/ students and students/ teacher and to avoid bad habit. Nowadays, many students are skipping classes. In my opinion, college attendance should be mandatory.

Factors Affecting Teaching Profession in Tanzania

ABSTRACT Currently, issues related to teaching profession have become a topic of debate. This paper describes teaching as a profession, rationale for teaching and factors affecting teaching profession in Tanzania. This paper goes further to deliberate on how teaching may be transformed into a strong and powerful profession in Tanzania. 1. 0 INTRODUCTION Background to the Study Occupational status depends on the public valuing of the competence, role and overall contribution of a particular occupation to individual and societal welfare.Regardless of development status, the teaching force in most countries has never enjoyed full professional status. However, the status of teachers as a developing-profession is more evident in developing countries like Tanzania. If it has to be traced back during colonial era and early years of independence the status of teaching professions was highly respected and valued, as during those times teachers were given fully respect and they were recognized by the societies, never the less, the introduction of Musoma resolution in 1974 and Arusha declaration in 1967 strengthened the status of teaching profession.But soon after the introduction of universal primary education (UPE) in 1977 the status of teaching profession started to decline and seems to be of very low status as most people think of it as the work of those who failed or they have no alternative of life but to be rescued by the teaching profession. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS Teaching has been defined by Wells, G. 1982) as cluster of activities that are noted about teachers such as explaining, deducing, questioning, motivating, taking attendance, keeping record of works, students’ progress and students’ background information. Profession refers to enterprises or endeavor founded up on specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply services to others or it is an occupation that requires extensive education or training (Babyegeya and Mushi, 2009 ) in (Ndibalema, P 2012). 2. 0 TEACHING PROFESSION . 1 teaching as a profession Teachers are more than workers. They are also members of a profession. Their occupation renders definite and essential services to society. As a profession, however, teaching has had a long and difficult history. Its social and cultural functions have never been critically challenged, but nevertheless the public has not adequately supported teaching, Compared with other learned professions such as medicine, law, engineering, and architecture teaching ranks rather low.Goodson (2003) noted that Occupations that have attained professional status share the following characteristics: a high level of education and training based on a unique and specialized body of knowledge, a strong ideal of public service with an enforced professional code of conduct and high levels of respect from the public at large, registration and regulation by the profession itself, trusted to act in the clients‘ best interests w ithin a framework of accountability, a supportive working environment, similar levels of compensation as other professions.As noted above, a profession requires a lengthy period of academic and practical training. Training and certification are essential parts of a profession. Period long training is needed to develop specialists and technicians in any profession. There must be some specification of the nature of the training through state regulations. Teaching certainly fulfils this criterion, but the teacher‘s period of training is not as long as that required for doctors and lawyers. The code of ethics indicates how members of the profession should behave.Professionalization occurs when enforcement is possible and vigorous (Ankomah, 2005). Tanzanian teachers have an ethical code of conduct. There exist however, no licensed body to enforce the codes. 2. 2 Rationale for Teaching Profession By its very nature, teaching possesses two very appealing traits. First, it deals with the young, with those whose minds and characters are forming. It is a privilege to be entrusted with the task of facilitating the growth and development of the younger generation. Second, teaching provides opportunities for intellectual development.It brings those who pursue it into intimate contact with books, experiments, and ideas. 3. 0 FACTORS AFFECTING TEACHING PROFESSION 3. 1 Education and Training In Tanzania teaching profession ranges from degree level which takes three years, diploma level which takes two years and certificate level which takes two years, but due to country policy and demand of teachers those years of training do vary. For example in 2005/6 there was clash program of three months where form six leavers were trained to be teachers in secondary schools, so this situation seems to jeopardize the teaching profession.Consequently, as an occupational group, teachers do not have the equivalent level of education and training nor the cohesiveness as well establishe d professions, such as medical doctors, engineers and lawyers, which have uniformly high academic entry qualifications (Ingvarson, 1998). 3. 2 Self-Regulation The established professions enjoy a high degree of self-regulation and are successful in maintaining high barriers to entry in terms of qualification requirements and registration.Teachers, on the other hand, tend to have weak, state-dominated professional organizations with factions (Wells, 1982). 3. 3 Public Service belief and Professional Conduct Teaching has become employment of the last source of help among university graduates and secondary school leavers in many countries. Consequently, teachers often lack a strong, long-term commitment to teaching as a vocation. On a comparative note, around one-half of (Form 4 and 6) secondary school leavers in Tanzania who finished school in 1990 were employed as teachers in 2001.Thus, in the absence of alternative employment opportunities, becoming a school teacher is the main avenu e for social and economic advancement for Tanzanian graduates (Ibid). 3. 4 The Work Environment and Remuneration Teachers rarely enjoy the same work environment as other professions. The size of the teaching force coupled with lower educational qualifications means that teachers are also paid considerably less than the mainstream professions. For example in Tanzania teachers’ live in poor houses and other lacks even those poor houses.And they also lack teaching facilities like books, teaching aids and well equipped classrooms (Goodson, 2003). 3. 5 The Social Class and Academic Background of Entrants to the Profession The standing of a profession is to some extent affected by the social class background of its recruits; the higher the social strata from which recruits generally come, the higher the status of the profession. And, of course, the higher the status of a profession, the more it will attract recruits from the higher social strata (Hoyle, 1969).Also the teaching prof ession in Tanzania is affected, since those who are recruited into the education field of study are considered to have low grades that look education as the last option (Ingvarson, 1998). 3. 6 Commitment to the Profession Another problem that is affecting teaching as a profession is how committed are the teachers to the profession. There is no doubt that membership of the major professions implies a life commitment to the task. In the case of teaching, no such a life commitment to the task of teaching is apparent as in other professions.There are a number of factors that contribute to this state of affairs. One of these factors is the general notion of teaching as a second Choice profession with many of the teachers only committing themselves to it at a late stage when they know that they cannot change their profession. Majority of the teachers at the initial stage of their teaching career did not expect to stay in teaching for more than a few years. They consider it as a stepping s tone to other occupations. This invariably affects their commitment to the profession (Hargreaves, 2001). . 7 Salary Although the economic status of the teacher has been steadily improving, teachers do not in general receive salaries comparable to those received within the major professions. As a result commitment to the growth of the profession is affected (Ibid). 3. 8 Pupil-Teacher Ratios The weak correlation between school enrolments and the numbers of teachers employed in each school is the most obvious indicator of poor deployment. Variations in pupil-teacher ratios between schools are typically very large in most countries.For example, in Tanzania the mid-late 1990s, they ranged from 50 to 70 pupils to 1 teacher. Recently, however improvements are being made to balance pupil-teacher ratio to 30-45 pupils to 1 teacher (Ankomah, 2005). 4. 0 RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION After seeing what affect the teaching profession there are various measures which can be taken into considerat ion so as to restore and revive the status of teaching profession in Tanzania, some of them are elaborated hereunder:- 4. 1 Need for Commitment to the Profession. Commitments bear no fruit until they are substantiated by action.Once they have affirmed their commitments, teachers must devote their time and energies to their professional activities. Teachers should actively join in curricular development, instructional design, and technical planning, as well as policy making. They should have certain organized ways in which they can participate in the formation of the controlling aims, methods, and materials of the school system of which they are a part. Therefore, teachers' organizations have a very important role to play in the advancement of the teaching profession. 4. Innovative pathways in recruitment and continual innovation in teacher preparation programmes are required. Teacher preparations programmes need to broaden their entry requirements to diversify the teaching corps and better represent diverse student populations. Teacher preparation programmes require innovative recruitment pathways that allow entry for non-traditional candidates. Teacher preparation programmes require continual innovation to respond to changing needs. 4. 3 Teacher education is enhanced by comprehensive teacher induction that fosters lifelong learning.Induction is most effective when seen as a comprehensive system beyond just support and assistance for beginning teachers. Effective professional development strategies seek the active involvement of teachers and are largely school-based, developmental in nature and ongoing. 5. 0 REFERENCES Ankomah, Y. A. (2005 November). Priorities in Relation to Leadership and Management for Change. A Paper Presented at National Consultative Workshop on Educational Quality Implementation at Accra Ghana. Goodson, I. (2003).Professional knowledge, professional lives: Studies in education. Maidenhead, Open University Press. Hargreaves, A. , Earl, L. , Moore, S. , and Manning, S. (2001). Learning to change: Teaching beyond subjects and standards. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass. Ingvarson, L. (1998). A professional development system fit for a profession. London: Bell Inc. Ndibalema, P (2012). Professionalism and ethics in education. Students’ compendium. University of Dodoma, Creative Prints Ltd. Wells, G. (1982). Teacher research and educational change. Toronto, OISE Press, pp. 1-35.

A Year Down Yonder

A year Down Yonder is about a girl named Mary Alice who goes to live with her Grandma in a small town with only her cat Bootsie and her potable radio that she says is her last touch with the world. This chapter is called Rich Chicago Girl. Mary Alice gets off a train from Chicago. After they leave the station Grandma enrolls her into school on the first day she arrives! Mary Alice sits next to Mildred Burdick who Grandma says to stay clear of but gets into deep trouble with and her horse ends up losing her horse and having to walk miles to get home. And that’s the end of this chapter. The 2nd chapter is Vittles n’ Vengeance.It was Halloween time in grandma’s town which meant pranks going for weeks and half the privies are going to be on the ground be the time Columbus Day is over. There was a letter sent out from the school saying there is going to be a party and to bring refreshments. The first prank that had happened to them was when they put twine around her t ail and put a can at the end. Grandma made a horrid smelling glue to use on the pranksters and we set off to make a trap, we waited in the cob house for the pranksters to come and when they did they fell over the wire and the leader got glue on his head and he fell on his nose and lost his knife.We went to old man Nyquist’s house for pecans but he says we can only have pecans off the ground so grandma drives his tractor into the tree so pecans would fall! They also went into the Pensingers backyard to take some pumpkins! At the party Grandma served pumpkin and pecan pies and when Augie Fluke came for some grandma saw Augie with his broken nose, his scabbed bald head, and served him with his own knife. And that’s the end of this chapter. The name of this chapter is A Minute in the Morning. This chapter is about Armistice Day and of the turkey shoot.At the turkey shoot the woman are selling burgoo and the men are practicing shooting turkeys. Grandma tries to make the ric her people pay more and let the poor people not have to pay at all. All the money is said to go to charity and this year Miss Abernathy is the charity. At a certain time in the day everyone put their hand over their heart, stood east, and thought about the people who died for us. That was the end of their day. The 4th chapter is Away in a manger. It is Christmas time in grandma’s town and the school is going to do a Christmas program at the church.Grandma and Mary Alice went out to trap fox but even though Mary Alice doesn’t like the trapping and the screams of the fox she doesn’t want Grandma alone. Mary got the part of Mary for the Christmas program. During the Christmas program the baby Jesus screams, but it’s supposed to be a doll, the baby is a Burdick. Joey came to visit for Christmas! They had a great Christmas. Hearts and Flour is the name of this chapter. It starts out with Mrs. Weidenbach asking Grandma to make cherry tarts for the DAR because W ashington birthday tea.There is going to be a valentine exchange at the school and there is also a new boy named Royce and everyone has a little crush on him. The next day when Mrs. Weidenbach comes again Grandma says that the party has to be at her house or she can by some cherry tarts. At the valentine exchange Ina-Rae got three more valentines than anyone else and one of them is from Royce and that makes Carleen go ballistic. At the party Grandma is really dressed up and Mrs. Willcox and Aunt Mae Grizzwald were there. When everyone was there it turned into a disaster because Mrs. Weidenbach found out that she is a Burdick!That’s the end of that chapter. A Dangerous Man is the 6th chapter. It is March and Mary Alice is 16 and she got a dollar from her mother. One day Bootsie showed Mary Alice her kitten and Mary Alice named it April. A man came by one day and asked if he could rent a room and Grandma charged him $2. 50 a day! Mary Alice wanted Royce to come over to â€Å"s tudy† math together and he said OK. When he got there they heard a scream from the attic and out came Maxine Patch with only a snake around her and a flower in her hair and then Royce left. That was a crazy chapter. Finally my favorite chapter Gone With the Wind.School is almost out and out of nowhere the siren on the water tower went off and Mary Alice didn’t know what was happening. Everyone was heading towards the basement Mary Alice saw Grandma and had to make sure she was ok. They were both inside and Grandma told Mary Alice to go to the south west corner and we were both sitting down when Grandma let go of Bootsie and April. Grandma said that after Mary Alice leaves she’s going to turn it into a rooming home. That’s the end of that chapter. The last chapter is Ever After. When Royce and Mary Alice get married at Grandma’s house. They lived happily ever after.

Heroin Abuse Health Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Heroin Abuse Health Policy - Essay Example Abuse of heroin is becoming very prevalent among young women because of its high availability at lower prices. The individuals who consume the drug are mostly from the poor family background. Consumption of the drug often results in very bad consequences among maternal child parents during the withdrawal period. Among the withdrawal effects include malaise, sweating, insomnia, diarrhea, nausea, and cramps among others. With the implementation of this policy, it is expected that individuals will benefit from it a great deal. The people will be educated on drug abuse. They will gain the knowledge and life skills that will help them overcome drug and substance abuse related problems. The society will also benefit from this health policy in terms of the improved socioeconomic lifestyle of the people. Businesses are likely to blossom since the monies used to buy drugs will now be channeled into legitimate business activities (Cross, and Karen, 2001). The rate of crime is also probable to reduce drastically.

Epidemiologists Analyzing Disease Frequency Essay

Epidemiologists Analyzing Disease Frequency - Essay Example Measures: Attributable proportion among total population is the appropriate measure. In the present scenario, freshman students who gained weight in a period of one year are calculated from total freshman college students. Total number of college student is the denominator. Measures: The cumulative incidence is a measure of occurrence of new cases of the disease of interest in the population. It is the proportion of individuals who, on an average, will contract the disease of interest over a specified period of time. The estimated risk (R) is a proportion between the new cases and the persons at risk. The numerator is the number of newly affected persons (A), called cases by epidemiologist, and the denominator is the size (N) of the unaffected population. R= New cases (A)/Persons at risk (N) Prevalence indicates the number of existing case of the disease of interest within a population. Specifically, the point prevalence (P) refers to the proportion of a population that has the disease of interest at a particular time, for example, on a given day. This value is estimated by dividing the number of existing affected individuals or cases (C), by the number of persons in the population (N). Prevalence (P) = Cases(C) / Number of people (P) Measures: Relative risk (RR) is the ratio of the incidence of the disease or death among those exposed and the incidence among those who are not exposed. The term 'risk ratio' is also used to refer to relative risk. RR = incidence among exposed / incidence among unexposed. In this case, the incidence is 60/1000 among those exposed and 20/1000 among those who are unexposed. Therefore, the relative risk is 60/20 = 3. This indicates that risk of death among exposed group is 3 times than that of the unexposed group. The prevalence of a health condition is the existing number of cases of that condition in the population. State whether the factors listed below are likely to increase or decrease the prevalence of a

Eco-Design's Cultural Context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Eco-Design's Cultural Context - Essay Example All these factors have merged together to enforce a more compliant design of built environments and human processes. This paper will present the cultural context of â€Å"eco design† or ecological design as presented by Ken Yeang and other proponents of green or eco design. Discussion Ecological design emerged from the threat of industrialism as towns turn to cities and populations exploded. Social problems escalated as natural resources become depleted or damaged beyond repair. This called for emergency actions that pushed considerations for life outside of the earth. An early advocate for ecological design was African ecologist John Phillips who coined â€Å"the biotic community† as a holistic approach to ecology (1968, 17). It further provided links between individual actions and the dynamics of an entire biotic community. Philips introduced the holistic approach to architects and planners and the need to include ecology and all forms of life in their designs. It was said that Ian McHarg who wrote Design with Nature (1969) was influenced by Phillips and the lectures of Walter Gropius in Harvard who warned his students of the human greed that has interfered with the biological cycle of human community and the organic social structure (29). Gropius told his students to â€Å"love and respect the land almost religiously,† (Gropius, 1945, p20). He stressed that humans must act appropriately for survival and as true agent in evolution. Phillips enumerated the causes of the ecological crisis as the reckless laissez-faire economy, individualism, Western capitalist greed, chaotic urbanization, fragmentation of social structures, and lack of planning. His proposal was the oriental approach: non-anthropocentric, implicit but orderly planning, and respect for the biotic community. From here, McHarg promoted science-based modernist architecture and planning that integrated respect for nature such as that of the Tennessee Valley Authority in a time w hen space exploration was the trend globally, linking the moon traveller’s perspective of the Earth as a whole and not the westernized compartmentalism. McHarg’s proposal was for a landscape design of an organic community of plants, insects, fish, animals and birds that would allow human consumption based on the self-sustained capacity of the capsule equivalent to the self-sustained cabin. It mandates an inventory of the environment with energy as the currency thereby determining limitations, allowable and prohibited changes, and determination of stability and instability (McHarg, 1968, 93). He advocated a need for designers and architects to fit in well with the ecological system through their landscapes and buildings with design adjusted on the basic human needs. Enlightened but guided by space explorations, the 1970s had ecological designers adopted space technologies, analytical tools, and ways of living for a respite from the doomed industrial society: space cabin -like structures that could allow men to survive once Earth has become a dead planet like Mars. It was an ecological future outside of Earth exemplified by closed, artificial, liveable environments in space (Anker, 2005, 529). By 1969, the New Alchemy inspired by McHarg was launched with the slogan, â€Å"To Restore the Lands, Protect the Seas, and Inform the Earth’

The Development of Marketing over the Last Century Research Paper

The Development of Marketing over the Last Century - Research Paper Example This marketing concept became applicable from the 1900s to the 1950s. Therefore, the current marketing concepts involving branding, communication, and intensive ads that characterize the modern business environment are merely a rebirth of the concepts used by marketers at the start of the 20th century up to the 1950s (Belz, 2006). At the turn of 1960, a new marketing concept known as marketing orientation emerged. This concept became common from 1960 onwards. This marketing concept emerged because of market saturation that triggered intense competition. Marketing also became a strategic thinking process for managers. Today marketing as a discipline has become an outward looking discipline where strategies and actions depend on the external environment of a company. As such, any change in the external environment affects the marketing strategy adopted by a company (Belz, 2006). The world has also experienced radical changes in technological, economic, and socio-cultural environments s ince the beginning of the 20th century. These changes have created new marketing opportunities and challenges. Globalization has transformed marketing concepts by bringing regional and global societies and economies together. Some of the opportunities that globalization has brought include increased number of market opportunities. For instance, globalization has made it possible for companies to set up businesses in other countries easily. In addition, globalization has transformed marketing by making it easier for companies to penetrate some markets with more ease than ever before. Further, it has provided companies with the opportunity to develop and implement cost-effective international marketing strategies (Johnson, 2007). Despite the benefits that globalization has brought in the... The Development of Marketing over the Last Century This discourse attempts to explore the developments of marketing throughout history and the implications of the developments to marketing organizations. The history of marketing dates back to early 1900 although some marketing practices can be traced back to 1700 B.C according to Dix et al. (2005). Segmentation, marketing developments, promotion, and branding are some of the marketing activities practiced today that have a long history. The origin of these marketing activities dates back to as early as the pre-colonial era. Dix et al. (2005) notes that the marketing concepts of relationship orientation and ‘domesticated markets’ began during the agricultural era. As such, the current popularity of relationship marketing is merely a rebirth of the marketing practices of the pre-industrial period when consumers and producers interacted directly with each other and built structural and emotional bonds in their economic market behaviors. History shows that marketing was init ially based on production orientation. This was the marketing concept that was applicable during the industrial revolution. According to this marketing concept, the focus of marketing was based on efficient production and distribution. Marketing has undergone many changes over the years. It has become apparent that as new technologies emerge, consumer behaviors also changes. As a result, marketing managers must be able to respond to the changes appropriately for the companies they manage to survive, otherwise they will be faced out.

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Business law - Essay Example This security can be regarded as enforceable if the value has been given and the debtor has authenticated a security agreement that offers a description of the collateral which is a car. The collateral is a certified security and the security certificate is in the possession of the secured party who is this case is Frank under the RCW 62A.8-301 pursuant to the debtors security agreement. The enforceable security interest is a security agreement that becomes effective in order to create a security interest in the person’s property which is Edie’s car in this case. Frank can make other creditors of Edie know that he has interest in the car through the security agreement that he signs between him and Edie. The† security agreement† between the debtor and the secured party is defined under the U.C.C 9-102(a) (73). Which stipulates that further reference both to the definition of â€Å"security interest† and to the definition of the â€Å" agreement†. Drafter require additional evidence of the existence of a security agreement as a condition to it

The Richard Bruno Hauptmann Trial Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Richard Bruno Hauptmann Trial - Case Study Example After two days, the body of the baby was found dead leaving no suspect. The investigation of the crime which includes the autopsy and the ladder has lead to a conclusion of inside job. But two years after the crime was committed, gold certificates were reportedly being used in New York. After how many days, Richard Hauptmann was tracked down and was arrested but stated his innocence in the crime. He informed the investigators that he got the gold certificates from the properties of a friend but he was still charged with the case because more gold certificates were found in his house. Prosecutors laid three aspects involving Hauptmann in the case. First is the ransom bills hidden in Hauptmann's garage. Second is the link of the beam from Hauptmann's loft to the ladder used by the kidnappers and third is the claim of handwriting experts that the handwriting used in the ransom notes were written by the suspect. The 20-month old victim, Charles Lindbergh Jr., was the son of the famous aviator, Charles Lindbergh, and poet and writer, Anne Lindberg. Charles Lindbergh is considered as one of America's hero and is the first man to fly in Atlantic using a one-engine airplane. After the kidnap-murder of the 20-month old Lindbergh baby, many had pitied the family and had supported the investigation up to the trial of the case. But after Hauptmann was sentenced to death, many have doubted the fairness of the trial. The trial of the Lindbergh case was questionable in terms of the following: (a) The missing and distorted evidence. Hauptmann claimed that he worked at the Majestic Apartments at 72nd Street and Central Park West during the day of the crime until 5:00 P.M. giving him no time to travel to New Jersey and commit the kidnapping. The contractor of the accused had signed a receipt proving that Hauptmann was on his work until 5:00 P.M and it was submitted to the Districts Attorney. But during the presentation of the records, the receipt was nowhere to be found. Documents showing that the accused was employed before the day of the crime, were distorted. Also the prosecution changed their testimony that the accused had worked before the crime was committed instead claimed otherwise. (b) Voice recognition When Charles Lindbergh was first asked if he had recognized the voice of the kidnapper during the giving of the ransom, he stated that it is impossible for him to recognize the voice. The following day, when he was again asked, after hearing Hauptmann saying the words said by the kidnappers, he claimed he was very sure that Hauptmann's voice was the kidnapper's voice. (c) Nearly blind eye witness Why would the court allow

Three methods of measuring the health of the Australian population and Essay

Three methods of measuring the health of the Australian population and use these to compare the health status of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian adults - Essay Example the indigenous people are defined â€Å"as an individual of Torres Strait Islander or Aboriginal origin that identifies as a Torres Strait Islander or Aboriginal and is accepted as such by the society in which he or she lives.† They were the first inhabitants of Australia. They have a less population compared to that of non- indigenous persons. Australias aboriginal population was estimated to be 669,900 people in 2011, which was 3% of the total population (ABS, 2013). There is an extensive gap between the health of the indigenous and the non- indigenous persons that’s contributed by various factors leading to the inequalities between them. The indigenous group is more disadvantaged as compared to the non-indigenous as stipulated by the AIHW (Australian Health 2014). The importance of this essay is to identify and describe three methods that can be used to measure the health status of both the indigenous and the non-indigenous populations in Australia. It will also help make a comparison between the two Australian groups. The methods will bring out the inequalities that exist between the two groups their differences. The three methods for the measurement of the health status in Australia that will be described in this essay are mortality and life expectancy, circulatory disease, and health risk factors. Life expectancy is an arithmetical measure of how long an organism or person may live. The statistics are obtained from mortality patterns and give information on the well-being of the community. It is given in terms of the number of years one is expected to live too but not the years of the remaining life (AIHW, 2012). In Australia, the indigenous group has a lower life expectancy as compared to the non-indigenous group across all the age groups (AIHW 2011). The death rates for the adults are higher in an indigenous group than in the non-indigenous Australians. They are vulnerable to illnesses that eventually lead to their death. Most of the indigenous deaths

Inside and Out Essay Example for Free

Inside and Out Essay A Compare/Contrast Essay about the advantages and disadvantages of  hanging out at home vs. going out to have a good time as a young adult. We all like to have a good time. Whether it is with our friends, significant others, or our families, we all need to relax. Being a young adult myself I have learned to make wiser decisions about my party time based on prior experiences. After having gone to the clubs, the bars, the pool halls, and the raves I now know that where the real party is at is inside the comfort of your own home where you are the one in control and are not subject to some of the expenses that going out can bring. I think the biggest two aspects that I have to decide between now in my life is going out to dinner and a movie versus hanging out with the same people at the house. Being in control means not getting yourself into predicaments that you normally wouldnt put yourself in. The first predicament I can think of putting myself in when going out is my money situation. Being the young person that I am I have not been given the opportunity yet in my life to be making the mega bucks. Thirty to Forty dollars a night to go to dinner and a movie may not seem like much to some, but for someone who makes on average two-hundred dollars a week and has some hefty bills to pay, thats a big deal. Why would someone want to go out, spend twenty dollars on dinner then $8.50 per person on a movie when they could just as easily stay home rent a movie for about $4.00 for everyone to watch, and cook a meal that cost twenty dollars to feed everyone? On the other hand, when you do go out, although you do spend a little more, it is also a less time-consuming process and easier on the host or hostess. Instead of having to go to the store to get the ingredients for dinner, going to rent a movie then coming home and preparing dinner, you instead just scout from place to place and do what you have to do. Also, going to a restaurant can be a little relaxing from time to time because you have someone to serve you and you have nothing to worry about but basking in good  conversation. There is no mess to pick up or dishes to do once the dinner is over. Another advantage would be that at the theater there is a bigger screen. Im not too sure if bigger is better to everyone, but I do enjoy a good theater flick from time to time on those oversized screens. Also, when in the theater you get to savor the rich buttery popcorn that only the theater can provide, although it costs another pretty penny. Another great advantage to staying in is the people. Its such a good time when you have people who are appreciative of you as their host or hostess. Renting a good film and serving a fabulous meal is the epitome of a good night for me and my family and friends. Be it a nice southern barbeque dinner or fancy chicken cordon bleu that I prepare, it seems as though my guests always feel satisfied. It makes a person feel good and is often times relaxing to realize that something theyre doing brings joy to others. To know that you are the one that put the smile on their face or the one who made sure they had a good day is an awesome feeling. Not many other feelings top that one for me. Whether you stay in or go out be sure to relax and have a good time. Thats really what being with the ones you love and care about is all about. Make sure to mix things up a bit so that it doesnt get too monogamous staying in. Also when going out make sure to take just enough money that you can afford to spend or youll wind up broke until pay day. Whatever it is that you do, make sure it is not stressful. Remember, having fun means relaxing, no matter how you do it.

How Is the Holocaust Represented in Films Essay Example for Free

How Is the Holocaust Represented in Films Essay ‘The Holocaust’ was the massacre of nearly six million Jews in parts of Europe controlled by Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party leading up to and during World War II. When the Nazi party first came to power in 1933 they began building on the anti-Semitist feelings in Germany; introducing new legislations that gradually removed the Jews from society such as the Nuremberg Laws which prohibited marriage or extramarital sexual intercourse between Jews and German citizens and required Jews to wear an armband with the Star of David on it so they could be identified as a Jew. Encouraged by the Nazi’s, people began to boycott Jewish ran businesses and in the November of 1938 they were openly attacked, these pogroms became known as ‘Kristallnacht’ which in German translates as: â€Å"the Night of Broken Glass† because of the vandalised shops and broken glass windows. During Kristallnacht over 7,000 Jewish shops and 1,668 synagogues (almost all of the synagogues in Germany) were destroyed and the official death toll is ninety-one although it is assumed to be much higher. In 1939, after the invasion of Poland, small areas of towns were sectioned off from the rest of the population where Jews and Romani were forced to live in confined and overcrowded spaces. These were known as ‘ghettos’. The largest was Warsaw Ghetto, in Poland (where ‘The Pianist’ was set), with over 400,000 people living within its walls. Although it contained at least 30% of the population of Warsaw it occupied only 2.4% of the citys area; this meant that the residents of the ghetto were forced to cram in an average of nine people per room. From 1940 through to 1942 starvation and disease, especially typhoid, killed hundreds of thousands. Over 43,000 residents of the Warsaw ghetto died there in 1941. On January 20th, 1942 a â€Å"final solution to the Jewish question in Europe† was devised by the Nazi leaders. Death camps were built in Eastern Europe with new railway systems that were made to transport Jews from other countries to these remote areas. Jews, as well as other ‘undesirables’ such as Romani, Soviet prisoners of war, Polish and Soviet civilians, homosexuals, people with physical or mental disabilities, Jehovahs Witnesses and other political and religious opponents, were rounded up from all over Europe and forced into tightly packed rail freight cars like cattle. If they survived the journey, a small fraction of the Jews were deemed fit to work as slave labour. Everyone else was sent straight to the gas chambers which were disguised as shower rooms to prevent the victims panicking or trying to fight back. People were packed into these ‘shower rooms’ where the doors were bolted shut and a small but deadly pellet of Zyklon-B was dropped in and was activated by the heat of hundreds of human bodies crammed in together, those inside were dead within twenty minutes. By the end of the war six million Jewish men, women and children had been killed; this was more than two-thirds of the Jewish population. We have watched three films based around the Holocaust. The first of the three ‘The Pianist’ is a film based on the true story of a Jewish man, Wladysaw Szpilman: a famous pianist who worked for a polish radio station, living through the Holocaust. The beginning of the film shows the German invasion of Poland, in which Szpilman’s radio station is bombed, and the anti-Jewish laws that the Germans enforce in Poland, for example, when Szpilman is refused entry to the park or the cafà © with his polish friend and made to walk in the gutter to let polish people get primary use of the pavement. Szpilman and his family soon have to move to the Warsaw Ghetto where death became commonplace due to starvation, disease and attempt to rebel against the Nazi’s. The Nazis treat the Jews appallingly; they forced some Jews to dance to humiliate themselves for their own entertainment, a little boy is beaten to death for trying to scavenge some food for his starving family and, in one scene, Szpilman watches from an opposite flat as Nazi soldiers tip someone in a wheel chair out the window because he couldn’t stand up when they ordered him to. After several months in the ghetto, Szpilman and his family are chosen to be taken to the Treblinka death camp, however, Szpilman is saved from boarding the train by Itzak Heller, a Jewish police officer, while his family board the train never to be seen again. Szpilman is then put to work under gruelling, abusive conditions with the ten per cent or so of the Jews that the Nazi’s kept alive to use for slave labour; tearing down the walls that use to separate the ghetto from the rest of Warsaw and rebuilding the houses for new, non-Jewish residents. The Jews who are still alive are planning on rebelling Szpilman helps; smuggling guns into the ghetto. But after almost being caught by a Nazi soldier who suspects he is concealing something in a bag of beans, Szpilman decides to attempt an escape and take his chances hiding in the city. His friend, Dorota, and her husband hide him in an empty apartment near the ghetto wall where he can get by on smuggled food; however he must not make a noise or go outside as there are other, non-Jews living in the building to all believe the room to be empty. From his apartment window he helplessly watches the Jewish ghetto uprising from the 19th of April 1943 to its unsuccessful end on the 16th May. He lives silently in the abandoned apartment for another few months until he accidently smashes a shelf of china plates. Although Szpilman is unhurt the noise alerts other residents to his presence in the abandoned apartment; he is forced to leave his hideout. Szpilman is hidden once more, with the help of people from the Polish resistance, in another abandoned flat but the man supposed to be providing him with food disappears with the money from generous and unwitting donors, pocketing it all for his self. Dorota and her husband find him gravely ill from lack of nutrition but luckily he recovers in time to witness the Warsaw Uprising. His flat gets bombed during the uprising and Szpilman escapes to the abandoned ghetto where he is found by a merciful Nazi officer, Captain Wilm Hosenfeld. Szpilman plays the piano for him to prove that he is a pianist and the soldier, moved by his playing, finds him food and allows him to remain hidden there. Szpilman hides out here until the end of the war when the German Nazis are rounded up and polish prisoners released. The freed prisoners yell insults at the Germans and Hosenfeld, upon hearing that one of the freed prisoners was a violinist, asks him to contact Szpilman; to ask him if he will return the favour of saving him. However, Szpilman is unable to help Hosenfeld as the camp of Nazi prisoners had been moved and Szpilman returns to playing the piano for the Warsaw radio station. As the movie finishes the closing captions on screen tell us that Hosenfeld died in 1952 in a prisoner of war camp but Szpilman continued to live in Warsaw until his death in 2000, aged 88. The second film we watched was ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ this film took a different, perspective of the Holocaust than ‘The Pianist’. This film is shown through the point of view of Bruno, the eight-year-old child of a German Nazi officer; he doesn’t really see the Jews as any different to himself yet despite his innocence Bruno still becomes a victim of the Holocaust†¦ At the start of the movie Bruno and his family are moving because his father got a job promotion as Commandant of a Jewish extermination camp. Bruno is upset and lonely because he was forced to leave his friends in Berlin so when he meets Shmuel, a Jewish boy the same age as Bruno, sitting on the other side of the fence, in the death camp, Bruno immediately befriends him. Shmuel tells Bruno that he is a Jew and that the Jewish people have been imprisoned here by soldiers, who also took their clothes and gave them the striped camp clothing, and that he is hungry. Bruno is confused and starts having doubts about his father being a good person. However, Bruno regularly returns to the fence bringing Shmuel food and playing checkers with him through the fence. When Bruno’s Mother realises what’s actually happening at the camp through a comment by one of the younger soldiers â€Å"They smell even worse when they burn, she is shocked and appalled as she believed it to be a labour camp. She argues with her Husband, insisting that she and the children should move elsewhere, eventually the Mother wins out but Bruno doesn’t want to leave anymore because of his friendship with Shmuel. Shmuel tells Bruno that his father is missing. Bruno gives him the bad news that he will be moving away for good the next day after lunch. Wanting to make up for letting Shmuel down and naive that his father has likely been murdered, Bruno agrees to help Shmuel to find his father, and returns the next day with a shovel to dig a hole under the fence to get into the camp, and Shmuel will bring an extra set of camp clothing; Shmuels suggestion that he could leave the camp through the hole is rejected by Bruno, who doesn’t know what it’s really like inside the camp and is determined to find Shmuel’s father. Whilst still searching Bruno and Shmuel get caught up in a crowd of people being marched to the gas chambers where both Bruno and Shmuel are murdered with the other Jews. In the meantime, Bruno’s Mother tells his Father, who was in a meeting about increasing the capacity of the gas chambers, that Bruno is missing. They find Brunos clothes next to the hole under the fence and realise that he got into the death camp. His Father runs throughout the camp when he reaches the gas chamber, he realises that Bruno has been brought to the gas chamber with the other Jews, but when He arrives it is too late, the boys are already dead and he is devastated. Upon hearing the Fathers cry of Bruno! his Mother and his sister, Gretel, realise what has happened and are equally devastated. The ending of this film has an element of retribution as Bruno’s father, who has killed thousands of Jewish children, finally gets a taste of what it’s like to lose his child. Finally, the last movie that we watched was ‘Life is Beautiful’. This film was set in Italy about the main character, Guido, a young, Jewish, man who at the opening of the film moves to the city with his friend to work at his uncle’s restaurant where he meets his future wife, Dora, although neither knows it yet. During the beginning of the film you can see how the anti-Semitist feelings built up it Italy for instance when the school children are meant to be lectured on ‘the superior race’, when someone paints â€Å"Beware, Jewish horse† on Guido’s Uncle’s horse, the sign on the shop reading â€Å"No dogs, no Jews!† and, later in the film, when Guido and Dora are married, despite the fact that Guido’s a Jew and Dora’s Italian, people trash their house. On Joshua (Guido and Dora’s son) birthday the Germans arrest Guido, Joshua and Guido’s uncle are taken onto the train to be taken to the death camp Dora insists on going with them even though she isn’t a Jew eventually the Nazi gives in and puts her on the train where she is included with the other Jewish women. Guido is devastated to see his non-Jewish wife board the train. Protecting his son from the horrific truth, Guido tells Joshua that they are simply on a big holiday camp, and he turns the camp into a big game for Joshua, saying that they must win 1000 points to win a real tank and leave. Luckily Guido’s quick thinking saves Joshua from the truth when a German officer requires a translator. Despite not speaking a word of German, Guido steps forward and makes up the Regole del Campo from the Germans body language, claiming that tanks, scoreboards and games of Hide and Seek litter the camp, while cleverly stating that Joshua cannot cry, ask for his mother or declared hes hungry, resulting in the loss of the game, in other words, death. Joshua later refuses to take a shower (repeated from an earlier part in the film), and unknowingly escapes being gassed, so Guido hides him with the help of other Italian prisoners, since there are no other children. Playing messages over the speakers for Dora, kept prisoner on the other side of the camp, let’s Dora know her son and husband are alive, while the Nazi’s don’t speak Italian. With the help of Guidos former German friend, Herr Lessing, Guido hides Joshua amongst the German children, while waiting the German Officers meals. Hiding Joshua in a junction box for the last time, telling him that everyone is looking for him, Guido jeopardises his own survival to prevent the Germans discovering Joshua, while he attempts to free Dora, giving his own life away at the same time. Once the German’s realise they’ve lost the what they desert the camp, closely followed by the surviving Jews escaping, then, when the Americans break into the seemingly deserted camp the following morning Joshua comes out of hiding just as a tank pulls around the corner so Joshua believes that he has won ‘the Game’. Hitching a lift out, Joshua spots his mother reuniting as the film ends. Although all three of these movies are based on the Holocaust each one uses different themes and different view points. Firstly, ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ is filmed from a very innocent, child view point. Bruno is very young and the difference between Jew and German doesn’t matter to him; he doesn’t understand what might be considered wrong in befriending Shmuel. A similar viewpoint is used in ‘Life Is Beautiful’ where Joshua doesn’t know what’s going on because his father told him it was a game. I think that this perspective very effective in displaying the horrors and injustice of the Holocaust and, personally, it makes for a more entertaining film as it uses the audiences’ sympathies to make them more emotionally involved with the plot. However, in displaying historical fact within the film this take has disadvantages because what makes the main characters so innocent is their lack of understanding of their situation which naturally makes it harder for the film to be both educating and entertaining. ‘The Pianist’, however, has a much more grown up approach as, being based on a true story, it sticks to the facts and I felt that I learnt more from that film then I did from the other two. A similar theme that emerges in all three of these films is family. In ‘The Pianist’ Szpilman loses his family early on in the film, although he seems quite close to them before, and he struggles to survive without them probably feeling lonely all those month in hiding with no one with him for company. In ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ you see how Bruno’s family are driven apart by their conflicting opinions of the Holocaust; Bruno’s father is a strong believer in Nazi policy and the commandant of the death camp, however, his Mother is quite shocked and appalled when she learns the truth of what’s happening at the death camp and insists on moving away with the kids, whereas Bruno is young and confused as he’s been brought up being told that Jews are basically evil and German soldiers, like his father, are good but when he befriends Shmuel he realises that some Jews are nice, like Shmuel, and begins to doubt his father. Contrast to this, in ‘Life is Beautiful’ you see how Joshua’s family grow closer together because of the Holocaust; they stick together for each other and Guido even sacrifices himself in hope of saving Joshua. Although we often assume that all of the Nazi soldiers were evil, the issue of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Germans is brought up in all three of these films. Firstly, in ‘The Pianist’ although most Germans are portrayed as evil, the Nazi officer, Captain Hosenfeld, saves Szpilman from starvation or being found and, towards the end of the movie, when he’s a prisoner and begging for help you begin to sympathise with him a bit more, especially when it’s revealed that he died on the caption. Then, in ‘Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bruno befriends Shmuel, and Bruno’s Mother and Grandmother openly disagree with Nazi views, which makes you think not to stereotype all Germans as ‘evil’. And lastly, in ‘Life I Beautiful’ although no German steps out and helps Guido and his family, you do see a doctor (who Guido knew before he was forced to work at the death camp) beginning to lose his stability because the work he is forced to do goes against all his moral values. This adds another layer to the ‘evil Germans’ assumption because maybe not all of them were doing it willingly so therefore does that make them bad?

Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Middle-Aged

Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Middle-Aged Community Care Plan: Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Middle-Aged to Elderly Populations in Mesquite Assessment Community Nursing DX: Increased risk for cardiovascular disease in middle aged to elderly populations in the Mesquite (75150) related to the behavioral health habits as evidenced by leading cause of mortality statistics (heart disease, dshs.state.tx.us), higher rates of smoking/excessive alcohol consumption relative to state (countyhealthrankings.org), increased rate of physical inactivity relative to state (countyhealthrankings.org), prevalence of sedentary occupations (factfinder2.census.gov), the inadequacy of nutritional status and fitness facilities (city-data.com; countyhealthrankings.org), and a lack of programs that offer educational materials about the disease [no programs found in Mesquite (75150) via online search]. Community Goal: There will be a decrease in Dallas County (which includes 75150) in behavioral risk factor surveillance percentage for cardiovascular disease from 8.6% (in 2010 survey) to 8.0%. Nursing Interventions Rationale Community Outcome Criteria Evaluation Possible Solutions Leading cause of mortality is heart disease; 3,218 deaths/13,966 from all diseases; behavioral risk factor surveillance for 2010 for MI 4.5 % which is highest of all metropolitan areas in TX; for CV disease 8.6%, which is within the top 3 (dshs.state.tx.us) Management, business, science and art occupations constitute 27.8% of occupations; sales and office occupations constitute 30.4% (other occupations more active than these sedentary occupations; factfinder2.census.gov); 9 parks in 75150 (city-data.com) Adult smoking- 16%, BMI over 30 31%, persons over 20 years reporting no leisure time physical activity 25% binge plus heavy drinking 14% (countyhealthrankings.org) Need more information to assess nutrition besides income ($46,788; residents below poverty level 12.1%, city-data.com); data needed in regards to city rather than county access to recreational facilities 7, limited access to healthy foods 8%, fast food restaurants 53% (countyhealthrankings.org) 8.3% unemployed; 82.5% high school or higher; 19.4% bachelors or higher; 5.8% graduate/professional degree (city-data.com); Preventable hospital stays -59 | ratio of residents to PCPs 1,585:1 | uninsured 31% (countryhealthrankings.org) Assess for for risk factors such as family history, sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity, imbalanced diet, smoking, access to appropriate medical care, and health literacy level; also provide primary prevention by assessing middle aged and older populations without cardiovascular disease. Assessment of risk factors is essential for early detection of heart disease. Hearts For Life: A Community Program on Heart Health Promotion (2003). Retrieved from http://health.mo.gov/ data/interventio nmica/HeartDisea seandStroke/3118 .pdf Residents will be screened for factors contributing to cardiovascular disease at local churches, senior centers, nursing homes, assisted living, libraries, recreation centers, etc. Nurses will provide proper follow up and referral for results of concern as well as provide education in regards to specific risk factors and how to control modifiable risk factors. Middle-aged and elderly residents will be asked about their known risk factors on initial screening during Fall 2014. Residents will also be asked about how they can personally change their modifiable risk factors in regards diet, behaviors, exercise. Will request follow up on health status at next available screening time (every 6 months at a specific location; varied locations for screenings and assessments throughout the year). Will also request that families attend with younger members to initiate primary prevention and aid in care and involvement in elderly residents health. Residents at higher risk will be assessed further and provided with references to a preferred clinic site or physician depending on each residents financial status. Refer to assessment data above; More information needed on specific HTN prevalence, high cholesterol prevalence; Personally observed data at CC-Young Retirement Community: Many residents unaware of what medication they are taking, especially if they are not self-administering, some even unaware of having HTN or high cholesterol. Conduct blood pressure screenings at local churches, senior centers, nursing homes, assisted living, libraries, recreation centers, etc. Reducing risk factors for CV disease include evaluation of BP. Example of Evidence Based Interventions at a Glance (n.d.). Retrieved from http://health.mo.gov/ data/interventionmica/Heart DiseaseandStroke/index_5.html Residents will be screened regularly at listed locations on a monthly basis for blood pressure. Resident will be told and educated about normal and abnormal ranges, signs and symptoms to watch out for (chest pain, SOB dizziness, fatigue, sweating), and how to self-assess with a sphygmomanometer if at higher risk/have abnormals. Residents will also be provided follow up and referral locations if higher risk/have abnormals. Residents will be quizzed verbally on normal/abnormal blood pressure readings at the end of screenings on that same day. They will also be able to list at least 3 adverse signs and symptoms associated with cardiovascular disease, at the end of screening that day. For higher risk residents, will have them demonstrate how to take blood pressure. Will request resident to bring family members to come to next screenings so they can also learn to take blood pressure. Those residents at higher risk will be assessed further and provided with references to a preferred clinic site or physician depending on each residents financial status. If possible with funding for supplies, provide free supplies for self-checking. More information needed about programs offered at said locations, need to advertise to public. 9 parks in 75150 (city-data.com); 4 recreation centers in Mesquite (cityofmesquite.com) Exercise programs offered at local churches, senior centers, nursing homes, assisted living, recreation centers, fitness centers, etc. FAME fitness program show to be effective in reducing CV risks. Example of Evidence Based Interventions at a Glance (n.d.). Retrieved from http://health.mo.gov/ data/interventionmica/Heart DiseaseandStroke/index_5.html Residents will be able to participate in exercise programs and calculate a target heart rate and taking pulse for exercise. Instructors will provide evaluations of exercise skills taught during classes as well as surveying the frequency of residents personal exercise schedule. Residents will be evaluated of their physical progress over a 6 week time span for achieving their target heart rate during exercise. Provide incentives to return to exercise classes, such as rewards for achieving target rate like gift cards or prizes. Refer to assessment data above; More information needed on specific nutritional food access, dietary choices, height/weight, daily food consumption. 1 Wal-Mart, 1 Kroger, 1 Albertsons in 75150; other listed business include many fast food restaurants (city-data.com) Dietary education at local churches, senior centers, nursing homes, assisted living, recreation centers, libraries, fitness centers. CARDES dietary programs have shown to be effective in decreasing rates of CV disease. Example of Evidence Based Interventions at a Glance (n.d.). Retrieved from http://health.mo.gov/ data/interventionmica/Heart DiseaseandStroke/index_5.html Residents will be able to give 24 hour recall for assessment of diet and be recommended appropriate portions and amount of food based off of MyPlate. Portions, ingredients, etc. will be modified for those with HTN and diabetes. Will also offer referrals to dieticians. Residents will give an example of a healthy meal by drawing and/or verbalizing their own MyPlate. Residents will inform on how the food was prepared, where the ingredients would be bought and if those ingredients are within their budget. For those who may not be able to afford at the typical grocery, will offer information on local food banks and food stamp programs. Finding locations where nutritional foods are offered. Assessing locations that give away free food such as churches and senior centers for nutrition is important; providing instruction about preparation of food in a healthy manner is critical to dietary health. Refer to data from above in regards to smoking rate in Dallas county; More information needed on tax funds used from cigarette purchases and accurate pricing of average cost of cigarettes. Cheaper brands of cigarettes, ~$4; more expensive brands ~$5 (city-data.org/forum) Work with law makers to increase prices of cigarettes and use of increase in net tax for antismoking education campaign. Study of the impact of $0.25 increase in price with California Tobacco Program that allocated $0.05 for anti-tobacco educational campaign. Showed a decrease of 2.93 deaths per 100,000 per year and decrease in amount of packs smoked to 2.72. New York Academy of Medicine (n.d.). A compendium of proven community- based prevention programs. Retrieved from http://healthyamericans.org /assets/files/NYAM_Compendium.pdf Residents who smoke will cut down the amount of packs of cigarettes bought per week. In an anti-smoking campaign, will educate residents on how much money could be saved by cutting down. Will also offer education of alternatives for quitting in antismoking campaigns like nicotine patches and gum. Referring to local government data on cigarette sales to evaluate the amount of sales (if not decreased), noting for the increase in price, and use of net tax funds for allocation of educational programs. Petitioning with support of local residents for distribution of tax funds towards educational programs on smoking. Also working with public health center to work with government to offer incentives to cigarette companies to raise prices can be a possible solution. Personal experience of finding information and programs offered regarding CV disease and health in 75150 and Mesquite: poor, not much information via internet, radio or TV; only current mass public media span observed regarding health are acetaminophen precautions. More information needed on listings in local newspapers. Mass media campaign; commercials about health statistics regarding CV disease, educational programs, aspirin/NTG medication education over billboards, radio, TV, newspaper, internet. The Stanford Five-City Project mass media program along with other programs saw decreases in BMI, HTN, glucose and CV risk factors. New York Academy of Medicine (n.d.). A compendium of proven community- based prevention programs. Retrieved from http://healthyamericans.org/assets/files/NYAM_Compendium.pdf Residents will be more informed about reducing CV risk via information through the media about dietary changes, exercise, etc. Evaluation via use of government data on decrease in mortality rates, statistics. Also if using online media, provide surveys for feedback of helpfulness. Increased awareness in the media driven society can affect peoples perspectives on health. Currently there is only a ban on just bars and restaurants in Mesquite; there is no state wide regulated ban on workplace (no-smoke.org; smokefreetexas.org); More information needed on lists of specific businesses and workplaces that do allow smoking. Working with lawmakers to ban smoking within all enclosed workplaces. A worksite intervention program targeting individuals who smoke saw a decrease in the amount of people who smoked, reduction in diastolic BP and reduction in cholesterol. New York Academy of Medicine (n.d.). A compendium of proven community- based prevention programs. Retrieved from http://healthyamericans.org /assets/files/NYAM_Compendium.pdf There will be a decrease in the prevalence of smoking in the workplace. Evaluation will not be done if enacted into law; evaluation by law enforcement and fines. There are surveys and petitions that can be taken in support of banning smoking in all workplace facilities; there is a current survey that indicates widespread support of state wide law (smokefreetexas.org)

Perceptions of Marriage in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales :: Canterbury Tales Essays Chaucer Papers

Perceptions of Marriage in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales      Ã‚  Ã‚   Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales demonstrate many different attitudes toward and perceptions of marriage.   Some of these ideas are very traditional, such as that discussed in the Franklin's Tale, and others are more liberal such as the marriages portrayed in the Miller's and the Wife of Bath's Tales.   While several of these tales are rather comical, they do indeed give us a representation of the attitudes toward marriage at that time in history.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   D.W. Robertson, Jr. calls marriage "the solution to the problem of love, the force which directs the will which is in turn the source of moral action" (Andrew, 88).   Marriage in Chaucer's time meant a union between spirit and flesh and was thus part of the marriage between Christ and the Church (88).   The Canterbury Tales show many abuses of this sacred bond, as will be discussed below.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For example, the Miller's Tale is a story of adultery in which a lecherous clerk, a vain clerk and an old husband, whose outcome shows the consequences of their abuses of marriage, including Nicholas' interest in astrology and Absalon's refusal to accept offerings from the ladies, as well as the behaviors of both with regards to Alison.   Still, Alison does what she wants, she takes Nicholas because she wants to, just as she ignores Absalon because she wants to. Lines 3290-5 of the Miller's Tale show Alison's blatant disrespect for her marriage to "Old John" and her planned deceit:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That she hir love hym graunted atte laste,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And swoor hir ooth, by seint Thomas of Kent   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That she wol been at his comandement,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Whan that she may hir leyser wel espie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Myn housbonde is so ful of jalousie   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That but ye wayte wel and been privee..."      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the contrary, Alison's husband loved her more than his own life, although he felt foolish for marrying her since she was so young and skittish. This led him to keep a close watch on her whenever possible.   The Miller's main point in his story is that if a man gets what he wants from God or from his wife, he won't ask questions or become jealous; he is after his own sexual pleasure

Amerigo Vespucci Essay -- essays research papers fc

Vespucci was the one person for whom North and South America was named after. Vespucci had a wonderful life and found many things on his voyages. Amerigo Vespucci was born in Florence, Italy in March of 1451, and grew up in a considerable mansion near the river. As a young boy, Amerigo's happiest moments studying the stars. He excelled in mathematics and his hobby was copying maps. His dream as a young boy was to travel and get a better picture about what the Earth looked like. Amerigo spent half of his life as a business man hoping to strike it rich so he could explore. Amerigo was the third son, there were two older brothers, Antonio and Girolamo, the youngest was Bernardo. The parents were Stagio and Elisabetta Vespucci. Italy, at this time was not yet a civilized country. Italy was a bunch of city- states each self governed and looking for money for it's own purposes and not for the benefit of the country. Florence, where Amerigo was born and grew up, was in the city-state governed by the powerful Medici family. Later in Vespucci's life he ends up working for this family helping govern the city-state. Italy, at this time was not a good country as it is today. In 1492 Vespucci left Florence for Seville, Spain because Italy had the monopoly and didn't need, or want, exploration. Well into his forties, around 1495, Vespucci became the director of a ship company that supplied ships for long voyages. This was the first opportunity Vespucci had to make voyages and he was very ...

Bush Imposes Gag Rule :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Bush Imposes Gag Rule On January 25, 2001, on his first business day in office (and the 28th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision establishing a woman's right to an abortion), President George W. Bush stupidly re-imposed the Global Gag Rule on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) population program. This policy restricts foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that receive USAID family planning funds from using their own, non-U.S. funds to provide legal abortion services, lobby their own governments for abortion law reform, or even provide accurate medical counseling or referrals regarding abortion. See what damage he is doing! The 1973 Helms Amendment is a legislative provision that already restricts U.S. funds from being used for these activities, but Bush had to get involved for political purposes. About 2 million women die every year from unsafe abortions, a statistic that could be virtually eliminated by the provision of appropriate health information and services and law reform efforts. Despite this, President Bush's Executive Memorandum directs USAID "to reinstate in full all of the requirements of the Mexico City Policy in effect on January 19, 1993." According to this policy, foreign organizations--often the only health care providers in remote, rural areas--are prohibited from using their own, non-U.S. funds for: * providing legal abortions even, can you believe, where a woman's physical or mental health is endangered (the only exceptions are in cases of rape, incest, or where the woman's life is endangered); * providing advice and information regarding the availability and benefits of abortion and from providing referrals to another health clinic; * lobbying their own governments to legalize abortion, to maintain current law and oppose restrictions, or to decriminalize abortion; and * conducting public education campaigns regarding abortion. In addition, even the provision of services that are "permitted"1 on paper, such as life-saving abortions and post-abortion care, are often curtailed because NGOs fear jeopardizing their funding through any association with abortion - what cowardice!! Providers may even be reluctant to dispense emergency contraception--which acts to prevent pregnancy and is not an abortifacient (despite the lies you may hear from the antichoice groups and the Catholic Church --because of the Global Gag Rule.

The problem of anti Americanism

Terrorism has always been a major issue in the world. Every country is trying to put some measures to stop the act of terrorism. There are some remedies that have been put in place to stop terrorism. The problem of anti Americanism is believed to be the cause of terrorism attacks. Introduction The problem of anti-Americanism is a very serious matter and it occurs because people try to be resistant or try to blame America for all its actions. People world over believe that every action Americans take is for the purpose of taking control of other countries for selfish gain and interests.The resistance takes place when non-Americans want to conserve their beliefs and national interests, and do not want to be influenced by the Americans. People put their blame on the Americans because they are jealous and do not want Americans to continue being prosperous (Hoffman, 1998). People should be accountable for inciting violence when they glorify violent acts against America but themselves do n ot engage in it in order to put a stop to terrorism.Such people invest a lot of money to destroy other people’s lives and in fact they should be more punished than the people who physically carry out the acts of terrorism. They are the people who do not want to stop terrorism. (Hoffman, 1998) There are various remedies that are available to the government to deal with schools, mosques, and charities that indirectly support terrorism while not actually engaging in it. There are some laws that have been enacted to counteract terrorism.The laws are divided into several categories like financial act laws, terrorism act laws, airport and transport act laws and the USA patriot act laws. The remedies should be death for those found guilty of terrorism including increased budgetary allocation to the Security budget that will help not only counter any acts of terror but gather intelligence that will help forestall any threat way before it happens (Hoffman 1998). Reference: Hoffman, Br uce (1998)†Inside Terrorism† Columbia University Press

Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Essay

By Gregg Keizer Courtesy of TechWeb News Even as spyware has become a dirty word and users have been bombarded with stories its pervasive,pernicious nature,criminals have dramatically expanded their distribution chhanels and infected and overwhelming majority of enterprise PCs anti-spyware vendor webroot said tuesday as it rolled out its latest stats. The number of malicious sites hosting spyware has quadrupled sense the star of the year,siad Richard Stienon, Webroot’s director of treats research, and now number over 300,000 URLs On average,enterprise PCs have 27 pieces of spyware on their hard drives,a 19 percent encrease in the last quarter alone,while a whopping 80 percent of corporate computer host at least on one instant of unwanted software,whether that’s adware,spyware,or trojan horse. â€Å"The actual maliciousness of it is increasing,†said Stienon. â€Å"there’ssimply more malicious activity per piece of spyware.They’re not satisfied with making their seven cent a click by flooding systems with adware ;now they’re focussing on identity theft,sometimes from within an organization spyware’s is being used by insiders,insane hack their employer or boss.† ll.do the following instruction and write your answer on space provided 1.Press Ctrl+A What happened? The all words that im typing is highlightened. 2.be sure nothing is selected.using the muose,in the first paragraph,select or highlight with out losing the selection,hold the Ctrl key and highlight the other â€Å"spyware†words on the first paragraph. What happened? 3.Position the cursor at the very start of a paragraph.hold the Ctrl+shift key then press the right arrow key 3 or more times. What happened? 4.position the cursor anywhere in the first paragraph.hold the shift key and click anywhere in the 3 paragraph. What happened? 5.position the cursor anywhere in the first paragraph.hold the shift key and click on arrow key 3 or more times. What happened?

Gun Control Argument

Gun Control The gun control debate in the US is often contentious and politically divisive. And with upcoming elections always looming in the near future, we will continue hearing a great deal from the media as well as politicians about what should or should not be done about â€Å"too many guns† in our society. Unfortunately, too many Americans do not take time to truly understand the issues and the reasoning behind both sides of the controversy. To help get a clearer perspective of the problem, there are two very short, but well written pro/con pieces, regarding the debate, by Mitch Albom and Thomas Sowell.Each presents his own rationale for what should be done about gun control. According to Albom’s â€Å"Don’t Shoot Holes in Gun Control Bills,† gun control is something that is needed. He cites several episodes between Los Angeles and Detroit where the availability of obtaining a gun is so easy, that people roll up to someone, roll down a window and sta rt spraying bullets. The argument being made here is that with guns being so easy to obtain, anyone is capable of carrying one. In a lot of cases, self defense is not the issue with them.A lot of gun crimes are out of â€Å"hair trigger tempers with a hair trigger weapon. † The big point being made is that most of these violent crimes with guns are a result of someone blowing off steam. It is not only gang members doing the shooting either. One man was cited as not liking a hamburger he received so he threw it at the clerk at the drive through window. She in turn threw a soda at him so he returned moments later and shot her. He states that contrary to the belief that guns don’t kill people, people kill people, that the weapon that kills is the gun being used.It is the weapon that does the killing. There are some very valid points as to how lack of gun control can allow crime to run rampant, but not everyone sees it that way. On the other side of the argument is Thomas Sowell. His essay â€Å"Mass Shootings and Mass Hysteria† claims that gun control is not the cause of violence. He claims when we are allowed to carry guns for self defense, a mass shooting is less likely to happen as it will be thwarted a lot sooner by bystanders as they will take action upon themselves to thwart the attacker.He states people committing these illegal acts are not going to stop just because guns are illegal. When looking into who would stop these people, another person with a gun is the answer. Sowell also cites the flaw of the waiting period, stating the Columbine incident, involved a couple of kids who waited a long time to plan out their attack, nor would the tragedy have been prevented by a program for troubled youth. The kids committing this mass murder passed their psych evaluations. Some people support gun control just because they don’t like guns.He concludes by saying criminals are less likely to commit a crime when they know the person they a re going after may very well have a gun of their own. He wants to compare the statistics to accidental gun deaths and statistics on gun murders being much less where gun ownership is widespread. On a lighter note, to demonstrate the real irony of the issue, a spring 2006 segment of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, entitled â€Å"Bye, Bye, Birdie,† tackled the gun controversy by satirizing former Vice President Cheney’s accidental shooting of his friend during a sporting event.This makes light of a serious issue but the underlying theme is of a serious nature. They bring to the point how this hunting club allows you to shoot animals that truly cannot escape. It is depicting the event with Vice President Cheney as this is where he was with his friend when he accidentally shot him. While it is humorous, when you look at the real issue it does lay out a serious angle. To the intelligent viewer, this can be very effective. They can become engaged in an entertaining fashion but take the serious message from the satire.To the not so intelligent viewer, this may look like a big joke, which can take away from the effectiveness of the message, even if it brings ratings due to the entertainment value. In the end these sources make valid points from their points of view. There are two very different schools of thought and even when satire is involved, it is a very controversial topic. The perspectives are out there. Now it is time for the viewer and reader to take what they wish from it all.

Reflective Paper on Gay Marriage Essay

Today many people have their own opinions and beliefs when it comes down to the topic of gay marriage. I personally feel that gay marriage should be legalized. Yes God said, â€Å"That marriage is to be between a man and a woman. † My question is, â€Å"What gives people the right to judge or tell another human-being who to love or how to love? † I personally feel it’s insulting to one’s integrity and people should be able to express their love how they see fit. For centuries the United States has been known for its civil rights and freedoms. Many Americans are angered by the idea of same-sex relationships and marriages. The biggest reason to why heterosexuals are against gay marriage is based primarily on their religious beliefs. So I’m wondering, â€Å"What’s wrong with the idea of two people being together who love and care for each other wanting to spend their lives together? † Of course the gay community is greatly misunderstood because many people who aren’t living a homosexual lifestyle just refuse to listen. Most of these individuals would rather be close-minded to the topic, rather than trying to understand the daily struggles and what it means to be gay in America or any other country for that matter. Same-sex couples aren’t asking for special treatment, but just to be treated the same as a straight couple. The ethical theory that provides the most support for same-sex marriage is utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is a natural way to see if an act is the right thing to do (or wrong thing to do) is to look at its results or consequences. Theories allow us the opportunity to identify the problem and then find ways on how to resolve them. One example would happen to be the ninth commandment, â€Å"Thou shall not lie. Given this statement we a human-beings, tend to lead busy lives and in order to not go against what we may have said, we’ll lie. We do this to keep from hurting one’s feelings. In doing this we as people look at the consequences of our actions to determine how we can make the situation better. It also states that there is an obvious solution that is fair and that may be one that appeals to common sense also. If we can mix races and people are allowed t o get married just because. Then why aren’t same-sex couples allowed the exact same opportunity? What makes people so against and afraid of allowing others to love and be with the person they choose? In a utilitarianism mind-set, society can’t say who should have a relationship. Much of the controversy rises from the decision on how one chooses to define or view marriage. Even though, it was between a man and a woman, man and a man, woman and a woman. Relativism is a concept that points of view have no absolute truth or validity. In contrast, people who are supporters of gay marriage tend to look at the glass â€Å"half-full† instead of just basing their decisions primarily on religious beliefs. Both sides have a very valid argument when it comes down to discussing this topic. From past occasions of inequality, gay rights are the next big step to creating change and an equal society. Many people of the Republican Party feel that allowing same-sex marriages will change how people view religion and family values. A large majority of people and organizations that are for gay marriage feel that not allowing same-sex marriage to be legal feel that it’s a violation against the law of the Equal Protection Clause. It’s the clause of the 14th Amendment that prohibits states from denying any person within the jurisdiction of equal protection. So for the laws to not allow same-sex couples marry is going to create a lot of controversy and scrutiny. Homosexuality is defined as the quality of being homosexual or as the erotic activity with another of the same sex. Up until the year of 1973, being homosexual was known to be a mental disorder, which was stated as such in psychology journals. Many often feel that legalizing gay marriage will lead to the legalizing of other things. Such as pedophilia and polygamy which are controversial subjects but not as much as gay marriage. Even though comparing pedophilia and polygamy to gay marriage is a little much, people feel that allowing gay marriage goes against their morals, their views on society, lives they want for their children, and the future. For some violating same-sex couples civil right is worth it in the end only because they want to protect the value of a man-woman type marriage. To deny gays and lesbians the right to marry is in violation of their civil rights as a citizen of the United States of America. Legalizing gay marriage is not to attack how one feels and how they view things, but so that those can have a chance at equality also. Gay marriage is a very emotional topic and is going to be for years to come. So many people feel that homosexuality is wrong and not normal and therefore believe that homosexuals don’t deserve the right to be married. People are going to debate on whether gay marriage is â€Å"right or wrong†, that’s just the way it is. For most of it Christian groups have been the â€Å"chief of state† when it boils down to same-sex marriage. Growing up in a Christian faith home we were taught that God loves everyone. So answer this question, â€Å"Does that circle of people not include gays or lesbians? † The Constitution gives our rights thanks to the founding fathers of our country. As Americans is this country we have many rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of worship, and so many more. Even though there are many rights, some are limited to an extent. In today’s society are government is controlled by politicians who make a majority of the decisions. Even though we are given freedoms for some reason we are scared of using them. The U. S. seems to be huge playing field, but then we have individuals who decide to take away balls, swings, slides, etc. Why do they get to take these things away? Gay marriage will continue to be a critical topic in today’s society, that’s just fact. A recent study shows that there are approximately 2, 900,000 homosexuals living in the U. S. Some chose not to give out there sexual orientation. The only states where gay marriage is legal are Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Maryland, Maine, and Washington. The following countries allow gay partnerships which are Norway, Sweden, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, The Netherlands, France, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, and Finland. A same-sex couple is not allowed to file a joint tax return in order to lower their taxes or allowed to visit a hospital if an illness was to occur. In this case only next of kin are allowed to make hospital visits. I feel that by allowing gay marriage across the country will then give equal rights for an individual. It will decrease the amount on violence among people and will bring the country together. People often ask, â€Å"Why can’t same-sex couples be fine with just the choice of civil union? † They say this because they couldn’t possibly understand the difference between marriage and civil union. Civil union is the legal status that ensures to same-sex couples specified rights and responsibilities of married couples. Marriage is the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage. Civil unions don’t allow the same assurance that marriage does. In our case marriages are known worldwide, as for civil unions they only exist in the state in which the couple live in. Marriage for same-sex couples happen to be way more beneficial in this case. Say for instance in a civil union, if one of the partners passes away, the living spouse cannot receive Social Security or any benefits from the government. This leaves that person in a financial crisis even though they had been with them for years. In a marriage, couples are entitled to receive their spouse’s Social Security or for that case any other benefits in case of death. This guarantees them definite financial security and rights that will protect them. In a marriage, as a couple you can move from state to state, or country to country and still be granted the same rights and protection. Where as in a civil union if you move to another state they’re rights are long being protected, that in which they were when they were living in the state they happened to be married in. One of the biggest benefits of marriage is the right to adoption. Several states don’t allow gay adoption or allow second parent adoption if an event such as loss or separation happened. Adoption is the act or process of adoption a child. Second parent adoption is when one person adopts the child of his or her partner. There are 16 states that definitely allow joint gay adoption which are; Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D. C. , Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. One of the most widely cited arguments that happen to be against same-sex marriage rights is that it will harm children that happen to be raised in the â€Å"silver lining† of these relationships. Studies from social science research show that the evidence from this statement is not a supported argument. Scientific literature shows that children who happen to grow up with one or two gay/or esbian parents cope as well in emotional, cognitive, social, and sexual functioning as children raised in a heterosexual household. The optimal development seems to be influenced more by the nature of the relationship and interactions within the family, rather than by the structural form it takes. Since the year of 2002, studies have shown that children with same-sex parents do as well as children of parents of the opposite sex. This has allowed major psychological and health organizations such as (The American Psychological Association) and many more to support same-sex marriage and parenting. The word GLAAD stands for (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). This organization creates change. GLAAD amplifies the voice of the gay community in order to keep equality at the forefront of America’s cultural conversation. Their impact on newspapers, magazines, blogs, radio, television, movies, and so much more, which transforms attitudes to bring about real change. They hold the media accountable for the words and images they produce. When the media is allowed to be a platform to defame and stereotype the LGBT people, that’s when GLAAD steps in to take action. They leverage 25 years in media relationships and countless hours of media advocacy in order to send important messages against homophobia and discrimination. They strengthen other organizations so that they can leverage media, engage in local communities, and advance social change. Right at this present time GLAAD happens to be working with local organizations in more than 30 states to build support for equality. By collaborating with LGBT leaders and advocacy groups, happens to be the â€Å"key† to increasing the visibility of the gay community, changing hearts and minds, and securing full and lasting equality. Suicide is the third most leading cause of death among adolescents and non-suicidal self-harm occurs in 13-45% of individuals within this age group. This make this particular incident a major public health concern in today’s society. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth are particularly at risk for engaging in these behaviors. Even though, not much is known to what are the specific risk factors associated with suicidal ideas and self-harm behaviors within the population. A history of attempted uicide, impulsivity, and prospected LGBT victimization, and low social support were the reasons behind an increased risk of suicidal ideas. Lesbians are two times more likely to attempt suicide than straight woman, and gay men are six times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Attempts by gay and lesbian youth account up to 30% of all completed suicides. Gay teens are three times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers and gay youth are four times more likely to make a suicide attempt requiring medical attention. The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. This organization was founded in 1998 by James Lecesne, Peggy Rajski, and Randy Stone, who are the creators behind the Academy Award winning short film called, â€Å"Trevor†. That is a timeless coming of age story about love, loss, and to learn how to be yourself. The Trevor Project is determined to end suicide among LGBTQ youth by providing life-saving and life-affirming resources. Which include 24/7 crisis intervention lifeline, digital community, and advocacy/ educational programs that create safe, supportive, and positive environment for everyone. The vision is to provide a future where the possibilities, opportunities, and dreams are the same for all youth, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Inclusiveness is one of their mantras. This organization believe that everyone should be treated like a human-being, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, religious practice, ability, or size. The Trevor Project is also a Champion of Change, an honor that was presented by the White House for their innovative work to save the lives of LGBTQ young people. In conclusion, I don’t think I’ll ever quite understand the argument on whether homosexuals should have the right to marry and live their lives the way they choose. As citizens of this country, we all deserve the right to experience and have happiness. Isn’t that normally part of forming relationships? It transpires when we fall in love and are able to love the one we have chosen to be with. Even, if our partner happens to be of the same or opposite sex. That shouldn’t matter because â€Å"love is love†, no matter how you see it. For me I feel that same-sex marriage shouldn’t have to resort in ethical controversy, it should be left alone. I feel this way because since the age of fourteen I knew that I was gay. Throughout middle school and high school I kept it a secret and didn’t tell anyone. It was very hard because I was scared that if I came out my family, friends, and my peers wouldn’t accept me. I went through phases of anxiety, anger, lonliness, depression, and an attempt of suicide. All because I kept who I truly was locked away all because the fear of rejection. That’s a very big â€Å"pill† to have to swallow. By deciding to keep this a secret I wasn’t able to live out my truth and be who I truly am. Recently at the beginning of this past year I decided that it was time to come out to my family and friends. It was one of the most hardest and scariest things that I’ve ever had to do but I know it had to be done. Now that I have the acceptance of my family and friends I’m now able to live my life and be truly happy. It’s as if I had been suffocating for so long and now I can breathe again. I can’t explain it but it’s the greatest feeling in the world. I want every teen or young adult struggling with who they are to be able to be okay and love themselves on the inside as well as the outside. There’s a saying, â€Å"God doesn’t make mistakes. † So for every person that’s ever been told that they’re a â€Å"mistake† just know that mistakes are okay because no one’s perfect, but never ever lose your passion to express and be who your are. I just feel like I’m finally able to live out my goals, dreams, and ambitions I have for my life. It’s as if I have been given this new lease on life called â€Å"joy†. I refuse to let anyone or anything take it away.