2Nd Amendment Essays - Crime, Violence, Free Essays, Term Papers

2Nd Amendment Essays - Crime, Violence, Free Essays, Term Papers 2Nd Amendment The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America asserts, A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. At the time when this amendment was passed, the country was still primarily an agrarian and hunting society, guns were a household item, and necessary for daily life. The armed farmer was the principal soldier in the revolution to establish an independent country. The framers of the Constitution understood that these gun-wielding countrymen were essential to the revolution, and wanted to insure the people would never be defenseless. In recent decades, with the waning practical application of guns in an industrialized nation, the Second Amendment has come under much fire. Living in a technologically advanced country, United States citizens no longer have a need for guns in their everyday lives and, therefore, many Americans have grown up in gun-less homes. The recent rash of violence across the country has shown that the ideals of modern American society have gone awry. Many are quick to blame guns as the reason for this violence. Actually, the problem is not the possession of guns; Americans have had them for over 200 years. Instead, the demise of the morals of society and the lack of restraint of the American public have caused the recent violent trend. Guns are merely a tool. In the hands of immoral and undisciplined people, they are put to evil purposes. The problem lies in the fact that the amendment was created to deal with the muzzle-loaders of the time, and now guns have evolved into killing machines, not just hunting rifles. These new guns however, are no more capable of killing without a man controlling them; guns have been prevalent for literally hundreds of years without being used as weapons for humans against humans, except in times of war. Guns have been in American homes since 1776, and they were not associated with violence until recently. The current trend of school and workplace violence is due to the desensitization of the American people through television, movies and even music. Movie and television producers are businessmen, and they produce what sells, that usually being violence. With the American public watching such films, and loving them, the influence on everyday life cannot be ignored. Statistical facts from other countries show the USA to be much more violent than most other industrialized countries. Last year, Paris suffered less than 25% of the violence that occurred in Washington DC, and Paris is four times as large. The classic society that is present in Europe does not have the same fetish with violence as is present in America. Progressive generations in the American society are in essence regressing; the terms Generation X and the Me Generation have been coined and convey the selfishness that is evident in modern society. The Columbine High School violence spree is simply one of the recent acts of violence, but it illustrates how the countrys troubled youth are reacting to their surroundings. People are taking a more violent approach to try to solve problems than ever before, and that is certainly not solving anything. The recent increase in job related violence can be blamed on the increased stress and desensitization of the average worker. This new approach to workplace problems is very evident, recently in Hawaii and is so common that the term going postal has been created to describe workplace shootings. In the early years of our country, and in most places around the world at a boss or a layoff might have been expressed through yelling or at worst, throwing a chair. The desensitization of the American worker has caused him to take a different approach in very recent times, the approach of violence expressed with the abuse of guns. The issue of gun control is historically split between the two major political parties in the US The Democrats have always pushed for stricter gun laws, and the Republicans have always been for lenient laws. Heavy campaign contributions are made to both parties in hope to push certain groups views with The National Rifle Association leading the way with large contributions to the Republican Party. Regardless of party, most politicians agree that something must be altered in the present equilibrium, because violence is almost becoming routine. The Second Amendment was intended for the purpose of reminding these politicians that they are there to serve the people, and no other reason. Although

Disappearing Tropical Rainforests Research Paper

Disappearing Tropical Rainforests - Research Paper Example Tropical rainforest, the oldest living ecosystem on Earth developed over 130 million years. Hence, this ecosystem is a habitat for millions of species of plants, animals and microorganisms. In addition, â€Å"tropical rainforests play a significant role in carbon sequestration and climate stabilization†; and this ecosystem protects the Earth from contingencies like flood, drought, and erosion. It also provides an abundant supply of timber, medicines, and food. Another advantage of rainforests is that it assists humans to fight issues like land degradation and desertification. It is interesting to note that these tropical rainforests support people for their livelihood and increase the scope of ecotourism. Causes Mainly, man-made intervention is the major reason leading to the disappearance of tropical rainforests. Huge deposits of precious metals like gold, silver and fossil fuels like natural gas are widely found underneath tropical rainforests worldwide. Industrially developed nations and other emerging countries are increasingly in need of those natural resources so as to enhance their economic growth and to meet growing human needs. In order to extract these natural resources, techniques like mining and drilling are used which in turn require a huge area of lands. Evidently, this situation ultimately results in deforestation. Conversion of tropical rainforests to agricultural land is another cause leading to the destruction of this ecosystem (Global Forest Resources Assessment, 2010). In the context of growing demand for agricultural productions, people increasingly clear areas of rainforests in order to produce crops. This issue is growing to be uncontrollable because national governmen ts or environmental protection agencies cannot suggest a potential alternative to meet the increasing land requirements for agriculture. Studies point to the fact that climate change is another major factor contributing to the destruction of rainforests. It is clear that human-made emissions of greenhouse gases lead to global warming which in turn increase the rate of climate change.

Health Care Plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health Care Plan - Case Study Example Smoking and alcohol both lead to hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The headache for which he takes Panadol may well be associated with hypertension, and he has a history of hypertension (Grundy, et al. 2004). Gordon also has hypercholesterolemia, which independently and in association with smoking, alcohol, and probable hypertension would predispose to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, where deposition of fat in the arterial walls would cause narrowing of the coronary arteries (Davis, 2002). Unfortunately Gordon also has diabetes mellitus, which makes him more prone to atherosclerotic coronary heart disease, would lead to more hypercholesterolemia, would aggravate the effects of hypertension, and would lead to a predisposition of adverse coronary events associated with coronary artery disease. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is usually associated with one or more characteristics known as risk factors. A risk factor is an aspect of personal behaviour or lifestyle, an environmental exposure or an inborn or inherited characteristic, which on the basis of epidemiologic evidence is known to be associated with" the occurrence of disease. The risk of MI is thus doubled in the smokers, or a 200% increase in risk compared with nonsmokers. Higher systolic blood pressure (Nichols, 2003), higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, higher fasting glucose levels and 2-hour insulin values, higher body mass index (BMI), and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are all associated higher mortality in this group of patients (Roth & Laurent-Bopp, 2004). Given this scenario, there must be a measure to assess his blood pressures and blood sugars. Laboratory tests may be included to measure his serum lipid levels. His medication history is important in that over-the-counter medi cation must be stopped. These also may aggravate hypertension. For hypertension regular intake of antihypertensive medication may be necessary. For a steady control of blood sugars abstinence from alcohol is a must along with regular medication, diet, exercise, and regular monitoring of the blood sugars. As expected, in his case, there is a high chance of the lipid profile

Challenges and situations Essay Example for Free

Challenges and situations Essay In our day to day activities, we face different challenges and situations that demand our attention. In order to handle such challenges in a morally acceptable manner, without intentionally causing harm to all the partners involved, we have to be well informed about what morality expects of us. Fundamentally, almost all decisions raise ethical questions that demand ethical answers. Knowledge of ethics hence comes in handy, enabling us to deal with such challenges accordingly. These two situations are part of the dilemmas we face that deserve moral attention to address them. Use of drugs at workplaces is not morally acceptable. Being a friends liaison, I would consult the boss at the workplace and propose that testing for drug use be undertaken. Legally, the employers have a duty to provide safe working environments for all (National Conference of Legislatures, 2009) and owing to the fact that the business world be at stake with regard to production and insecurity, she would be willing to undertake the procedure. Use of drugs at the work place has various implications. One of the major one being that it would lead to in appropriate decision making which would cost the company lots of money. Other effects to the individual would include reduced performance at the work place due to sluggishness or absenteeism which greatly lowers production, financial losses as a result of compensations and health complications, increased incidences of violence at the work place and accidents especially if the culprit is operating machines. This poses danger both to the drug user and the other workers. Ethicists do argue that an action or decision is morally right if it has the greatest good for the greatest majority. This clearly shows that drug use is unethical because at the end of the day, it amounts to pain and suffering. Besides, use of drugs in the country is an illegal affair and ethically, it would be wrong to let other people face the legal consequences and suffer while the same would have been avoided. However, testing of drug use may not be so easy because of the ethical concerns involved. Hence, the boss would in conjunction with all the stakeholders involved, agree on the need to conduct the procedure. Several consultative and informative campaigns, meetings and workshops organized for the same and above all, assurance that the results would be confidential would to a great extent contribute to a positive perception and ultimate agreement by all stakeholders. Legally, the National Conference of Legislatures (2009) recommends that a drug test be conducted by all the employers before employment. Further, it permits for random testing of the employees for drug use at least monthly or every week. This would make the drug users avoid the work place. In addition, it stipulates that the results from testing be kept confidential. With this at hand, the boss then has the legal permission to conduct the test to the employees and apparently, the suspect would be apprehended and the required legal procedures undertaken against him or her. The National conference of Legislatures (2009) also gives the employer a legal right to deny the drug using employee all the benefits that come with job termination. Ethics approve of this as it implies justice; any person should be responsible for the consequences of his or her actions. In addition, in an effort to address the problem at the workplace, the law stipulates that all employers should have a written substance abuse policy. Friends and especially best friends are more often than not basically helpful in almost all aspects of our lives. Somebody can only be a good friend if he or she is genuine and mutually helpful, as well as if the person loves and makes as happy and fulfilled in our lives. Then, it would be the highest level of hypocrisy to let a friend suffer in any way, whether physically or emotionally. We often find ourselves going an extra mile to stand up for the friendship shared on several occasions. This then would not be an exception. In that position, I would tell my friend about what I overheard and urge her to move on and take up the offer at my work place. Aristotle (1976) argues that friendship does occur between two people who are good in themselves and do well for the sake of their friends. In this case, telling my friend about the incident would be for her own good because she would venture further in to other options as her promotion in that particular company is elusive. Besides, telling her well in time would psychologically prepare her for what lies ahead and may make her re-evaluate herself and identify the areas that she might not be performing satisfactorily. Then she would be able to improve on the same, all for her own good. Going an extra mile and informing my friend about the present job offer at my work place implies that I truly care about what happens to her, even as her dreams of getting a promotion are shattered. This option, if better than what she was initially getting, will be beneficial to her as it would mean some better pay and consequent improvement in her lifestyle. Besides, waiting a little longer may make her loose the job offer as the position might be taken up by other applicants. Telling her about this in advance would help her make her application in a timely manner. Friendship also demands that we care for each other. Caring for my friend would mean that I become concerned about what happens to her, including her feelings. Aristotle (1976) affirms this by arguing that perfect friendship entails deep concern, sympathy and care for each other, being able to put the feelings of our friends before our own. No where else would this be demonstrated if I fail to warn my friend about what awaits her in the near future. The above situations, however challenging can be well addressed, without hurting anybody, and for the good of everybody, courtesy of ethics. Morality, by helping us solve our problems, not only helps us avoid problems with the legal officials, but also helps us to stay in harmony with each other. Word Count 1074

The Color Purple :: Essays Papers

The Color Purple The novel, The Color Purple, is an epistolary novel. In the letterforms, Alice Walker gives several ideas, such as, friendship, domination, courage & independence. She impacts readers by looking at the story through the eyes of Celie and Nettie. The book describes the fateful life of a young lady. It tells how a 14 year old girl fights through all the steps and finally she is in command for her own life. Celie is the young lady who has been constantly physically, sexually, and emotionally abused. Eventually she turns into a lesbian. In the book, The Color Purple, "dear God, Nettie, dear stars and trees" are the only people she communicates with. All the letters show that Celie is a very insecure person, and that reflects to her teenage years. All the abusing caused her a scar in her heart, which would stay there and wouldn't go away. Every time she thought about the abusement she felt like she was experiencing it all over again. In The Color Purple, there are many conflicts, which arise from the theme. First of all, Celie is against Pa and Mr._____, that shows the conflict of man Vs man, and unfortunately, Celie doesn't have the power to fight back physically. Secondly, Celie and herself that show the conflict of man Vs him/herself. She can't win over herself and that is why she doesn't have enough courage to stand up and be in command for her own life. Thirdly, the tradition of men had high social status then women. That shows the conflict of man Vs society. At the e nd of the book Celie eventually fight over the tradition. Men are no longer in charge for her life. In the book, The Color Purple, Alice Walker used several symbols and personifications to describe Celie's insecure and painful life. From the view of a reader, the title of the book, "The Color Purple" represents the pain and the bruises that had been given to Celie through her pitiful life. Dear God, Nettie, dears stars and trees show Celie's insecure personality, also Alice Walker personalized the stars and trees to be involved with Celie's communication. By reading through the book, readers would understand the discriminations of men and women's social statuses at that time when the story was taking place, and Celie is just one of those young ladies who has a fateful life.

Impact of AIDS/ HIV

These days, the AIDS/ HIV epidemic is one of the most lethal health crises. As yet, there were 22 million people died, 42 million of people are infected by AIDS. Although professionals nowadays have discovered vaccine for AIDS/ HIV, but there still will be over 40 million people would die because of HIV. In many countries especially Africa, AIDS epidemic is spreading seriously bringing illness, death, suffer and poverty. The epidemic has obligated a heavy burden on families, communities and economies. The misery and devastation already caused by HIV/AIDS is enormous, but it is likely that the future impact will be even greater, as the list of significantly affected countries continues to grow. It is difficult to predict with certainty the future course of the epidemic. There are several impacts on HIV epidemic, such as demographic impact, households and families, firms, health systems, education and economic growth. The epidemic has caused destructing demographic impact especially Africa. People have lost their life and significant lost of population. According to United Nation population’s investigation, there will be more people lost their life cause of the epidemic coming decades. Although impacts of the HIV epidemic in countries other than Africa are relatively average and infection rate is lower, but the population losses are still enormous. Professionals expected HIV epidemic might cause 31 million people died from India and even 18 million people died from China by year 2025. Besides, the epidemic also affects households and families. Households and families bear the most burdens, because they play important roles dealing with the disease and its consequences. Households who rely on patients as breadwinner will face financial difficulties due to loss of income and huge amount of medical expenses. As infection of HIV is most common among young adults, thus the family structure also will change rapidly. In several affected countries, the percentage of female headed households or even households headed by young orphan increases. When a family member dies due to HIV, the family may be disintegrated; children might have to be sent to the orphanage or even forced to fend for themselves. Until year 2001, there were 14 million of children who were under 15 years old died due to HIV or have lost their parents because of HIV. 11 million out of 14 million children live in sub-Saharan Africa. In year 2010, expert predicted the figure of children died due to HIV or have lost their parents might increase. Furthermore, HIV epidemic also caused country’s economic difficulties especially weak economic countries which are prevalent with the epidemic. Studies have been attempted to model the impact of the epidemic on epidemic growth in several highly affected countries. Estimates of the impact of AIDS on economic performance re usually not considered as â€Å"social capital† loss or damage to long-term accumulation of human capital, because HIV have affected education, nutrition and health in a direct and indirect way. Well beyond the time frame of most economic analyses, the effects of lowered investment in the human capital of the younger generation will affect economic performance for decades to come.

Analysis Of David Hume s And John Locke - 1406 Words

The philosophy of identity generally is defined by three distinct approaches: identity of mass of matter, living being, and personal identity. In both David Hume’s and John Locke’s essays they examine the meaning of identity in three concise sub theories. The two agree on certain characteristics, but are dramatically differing on others. As one evolves over time, are they identified as the same person? Hume and Locke have written essays on their specific hypotheses about identity. The authors provide the reader with various examples of their theories, including: are you the same person you were a year ago if you remember, or do not remember, being that person? Are you the same person if you lose a limb or body part, or even change one†¦show more content†¦In his essay, he began by explaining the definition a small mass of matter, then he progressed to his ideals on a human being. According to Locke, if a small mass of matter were to change in the slightest, it would be considered to be something different than it was before the change. Locke’s theory describes that if one’s consciousness in one body is put into another body; they are considered the same person. Everyone has their own thoughts, and this helps distinguish then to be their own self (Locke, 115). Even though the physical appearance is different, that person has the same consciousness, and therefore is the same person. Locke states in his essay, Identity and Diversity† that â€Å"two things can’t have one beginning, because it is impossible for two things of the same kind to exist in the same instant at the very same place. Thus, what had one beginning is the same thing; and what had a different beginning in time and place from that is not the same but diverse†(Locke, 112). What he means by this is there cannot be an exact replica of an object or human, that there is always going to be that single atom that is different. Locke postulates that if one is able to remember themselves as they were younger, that they will still identify as that person. David Hume’s theory is marginally similar to Locke’s. He contends that the basic structure and operations of the human body are comparable to Locke’s theory. Hume’s