Written Analysis Final Project

Getting along with same sex marriage by EYE written Analysts Ms. Bawd I have read a few articles. I have had many discussions with some of the very conservative religious students I work with. I have been trying to figure out if the main front of the opposition to same sex marriage has a logical argument or if it is just a knocker reaction because religious conservatives think everyone that participate or even allows it is going to hell. I had the chance to interview Mr.. James, a student of a local Baptist college on his viewpoint of the subject.He indicates he eels that it is a sin and against Gods will, but that God gave man free will and he can choose his own fate. And, while he feels the need to try to help and educate homosexuals, if they disagree with those ideas, forcing the issue will only drive them further away. In his words, â€Å"forcing the Bible down someone's' throat is no way to build a flock†. The impacted population of the opposition to same sex marriage is all of the gays and lesbians of our country, studies estimate around 3. % or roughly 9 million people. Monsoons) Studies suggest lower general health among same sex peoples, one theory is this is due to one partner who has health insurance from their employer that cannot cover the other because they are not married and therefore not legally related. (Miller) Why we have this issue is because many people, notably Christians, feel that homosexuality is a conscious decision rather than an emotional attraction, because God said it was a sin.Leviticus 20:13, states, â€Å"If a man also lie with mankind, as he elite with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death† (KAVA). This was reaffirmed by the Pope, leader of the arrest group of Christians, who ironically dresses like Liberace stunt double. The problem here is 79. 5% of the U. S. Is Christian. Or close to 247 million people. (Fairchild) This seriously outnumbers the numbers of homose xuals looking to marry. Some feel it as a personal attack on their beliefs; others feel the need to save the homosexuals from the impending doom of eternity in hell.Although they are probably taking things out of context, I feel the bible was written to speak to the people of the day, and customs were different; there was less understanding of the perversity of the world then. Conservative folks back off the legal tactics. Laws that target only one group are unconstitutional. Former President Bill Clinton recently made a statement, â€Å"When I signed the bill, I included a statement with the admonition that ‘enactment of this legislation should not, despite the fierce and at times divisive rhetoric surrounding it, be understood to provide an excuse for discrimination. Reading those words today, I know now that, even worse than providing an excuse for discrimination, the law is itself discriminatory. It should be overturned. (Weber) Our First Amendment protections on the free dom of speech and religion, apply to all. By all means speak your minds, tell others how you feel about the issue. This is what is so great about this country, you can do that. Realize though, that same law that gives you the right to speak your mind, also give others the right to not listen. Please, the same law that protects you also protects everyone else.While you have the right to speak your mind, most will agree your rights stop at interfering with others' rights. Christian conservatives, you are so intent on having our way, but the more you push your views upon everyone the more you push them away! Remember Mr.. James, the Baptist student ministers' statement about forcing the Bible down someone's throat is no way to gather a flock. Yes, convey your ideals, but you cannot educate someone if they do not want to listen. And, offending them is a good way to close their ears and minds.In the argument about everyone's rights there was a compromise offered of a â€Å"civil unionâ € . This gave same sex couples some of the rights they were looking for, becoming a family making health insurance extendable to the partner, child custody between partners, survivorship of property in the event of one partner's death. This was not upheld at the federal level, only a handful of states accommodated. Somehow this was not enough; you had to have â€Å"marriage† and not a â€Å"civil union†. (GLAD) Same but separate somehow. It is not so much the word as it is the idea.I was hung up on why â€Å"marriage† was so important; the civil unions were on the right track. But if you were to say to me that Which was not a real religion, I would very likely go off on the discrimination of conservatives. Like many things, though, it takes time. The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified December 1865 to abolish slavery. There are still pockets of racists who would chain up blacks if they could. â€Å"Only' two years ago, Which was recognized by the Veterans Adm inistration, then the rest of the government as a legitimate religion.Still there are evangelical types who still get in my face and try to save me from imaginary (to me) monsters. I was raised in a catholic household. Since the majority against this are Christians and I know what it means to be Christian, I want to know how you can UT this much energy into complaining about same sex marriage when there are still homeless people, starving children, all over our country and the planet to take care of. How can you put complaining about homosexuals on a higher priority than starving children?I think even Jesus would say homosexuality is wrong, but spend his time feeding the children, preach but not force. Homosexuals, Offer a compromise, take the unions and get your foot in the door. Even though one law wiped out slavery, the civil rights movement took a long time, and it came in stages. Even when other regress was made, interracial marriages still had to be overcome. Get the civil uni ons, push to get it to the federal level, get more equal footing, then when it is almost the same, push to call it marriage.I think you have to work on people a few at a time. Pushing against that many people all at once isn't going to get you far. Logically, why should same sex marriages be outlawed? How many religions are out there, and how many claim to be the one true way to God? There are a few that don't recognize only one god, then there are the atheists who believe there is no god. If we re not going to dictate a religion, we cannot endorse any religions views on marriage.If our laws state that government and religion must be separate, why then, are we even debating the notions that the marriage defined in the bible is the only acceptable definition, when marriage is a legal institution? Unfortunately humans are an emotional creature. Some people so believe there is going to be hell to pay for homosexuality, those people have that right. Others believe that first group is ou t of their minds, they are within their rights. People are beginning to realize the ideals of he past don't hold up to intellectual scrutiny.Some, well many, people are trying to hold on to a tradition, one that they have believed in since they can remember. Every step we move away from that as a society, chips away at the foundations of their beliefs. Change is hard for some; they may have to accept the changes reluctantly. We are getting there though, these same people who are trying to hold on to outdated ideas, which are thousands of years old, have accepted women are out of the kitchen and the colored are out of the fields and the earth is round and goes round the sun.

In Another Country Essay

War is the worst thing a mankind can face. For me, war is always associated with sadness, loss, grief and people’s bravery. And all these themes are brightly unfolded in the story â€Å"In Another Country† by Ernest Hemingway, which is under consideration. Hemingway is an American author of the 20th century, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. The ones of his famous works include The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, The Old Man and The Sea. The popularity of Hemingway’s is based on the themes, which are love, war, wilderness and loss, all of which are strongly evident in the body of work. The title of the story is puzzling, as it has two meanings: direct and indirect one. At first glance, â€Å"In Another Country,† refers to the fact that the American narrator is indeed in a foreign land-Italy. But the other side of it is that the main hero is culturally, emotionally in another country. He is at War, the country of the ‘so-called’ sickness and injuring. Now let me give you the brief reconstruction of the events. It was fall in Milan, a group of soldiers wounded in World War I received treatment at a hospital. There, one of the main characters, the narrator of the story, wounded in his knee, saw three Italian soldiers, but felt a great wall between him and them, because he had received his medal for being an American, and they actually performed feats of bravery to receive theirs. Another main character, the major with the withered hand taught him Italian. One day, the major became angry when Nick mentions about marriage, he burst out, because the major’s wife had just died. The major could not resign himself to the loss of his wife. He was crushed, shattered by the news. While reading the story we can state several key-points, which help us to understand and analyze the context. And the main of them, to my mind are war and bravery. First, let me dwell upon the bravery. The attitude towards bravery is different in terms of the characters of the story. The personality of the narrator is described indirectly, through his thoughts . He wasn’t a brave man during the war. â€Å"I was very much afraid to die†¦ and wondering how I would be when I went back to the front again’. As for the three soldiers, there was no notion of the bravery in the targets of any of these persons. The narrator calls them â€Å"hunting hawks†. They were hunting for medals, material values, given by the government, not for the faith. The attitude of the protagonist and the soldiers are also specific due to attitude towards the war, so was the major. We get to know from the story that they are Italian. They are very patriotic people, and their duty was to protect their country, as the war was on their territory. And the narrator was just an American, Let me quote : â€Å"I had been given the medals because I was an American†¦being wounded, after all, was really an accident. † He didn’t understand why people die, what they fought for. The problem of the ‘lost generation’ arises here. The fact is that Americans were indifferent to the war. Their aim was just to participate and being wounded. As the result, the relationship between the narrator and the soldiers were specific. Let me quote: â€Å"I was a friend, but I was never really one of them†¦ they have done different things to get their medals†, â€Å"I wasn’t a hawk†. As for the major, he didn’t believe in bravery at at. And Through his loss we understand that for the narrator the major was the bravest man of all, as he possessed a strong mind and tried to cope with his feelings like a brave soldier. We are to admit that the author uses different stylistic device, what makes the story more expressive, captivating and interesting to read. First of all it is the usage of foreign words, for instance â€Å"Signor Maggiore†, â€Å"A basso gliufficiali! †, which reflect the Italian atmosphere, where the action takes place. Other stylistic device is symbolism, which, to my mind, prevalent in this story. The recovering machines are the symbol of false promises and hopes. I quote: â€Å"†¦ there were large framed photograps around the wall, of all sorts of wounds before and after they had been cured by the machines†¦ I do not know where the doctor got them†, and this symbol also implicate with irony, e. g. â€Å"You will be able to play football again better than ever†. Other symbols, â€Å"roasted chestnuts†, â€Å"charcoal fire†, are the hopes for the better, because they mean light and warmth. The story makes use of repetition to emphasize the narration â€Å"In the fall the war was always there†, â€Å"It was cold in the fall in Milan and the dark came very early. † He repeats this idea with a slightly different emphasis at the end of the paragraph: â€Å"It was a cold fall and the wind came down from the mountains. † This description of nature here is also rather symbolic. It makes me feel the atmosphere of death and hopelessness. In conclusion I can say that it is smth bloody and sad. But through all these disasters we are to stay humans and bravery ones. The war will finish, but the human nature is eternal.

A Life In The Day Of (creative writing)

My mother knocks. The door opens. Bright light blasts into my consciousness; I cannot see. I leap out of bed to reduce the longing to return and the cold hits me like a slap. As you can probably tell, I am not a morning person – I never have been. I have learnt to hate them over the years. We have never had heating on until Mid-November because my parents insist that they can't afford to heat the whole house. This makes mornings a nightmare! Once I'm up, I can just about manage. I dress and eat breakfast to music. Music is a significant thing for me. My parents used to be in a band together and my mother is still trying to get a record-deal. She always likes to think of herself as a young and trendy mum. She is really into the house and garage music scene, but me†¦I'm a different story. Everyone in my family has opposite views on music. My mother and one of my little sisters, Heidi, like pop and garage music. My father, my youngest sister, and I like rock and Heavy Metal. This causes terrible arguments over what to listen to in the car or whilst eating dinner. However, the one band that we all agree on is Nirvana. I am a massive fan of Nirvana and have flags and posters of them all over my room. This is why I listen to Nirvana in the mornings – because nobody minds. By the time I get to school, I am (almost) fully awake. I have to walk to the station and get the train to school so I arrive at school feeling like I've been up for ages. Once I get my brain in gear it doesn't slow down. I constantly think – about everything! I occasionally come out with a random comment, completely off the subject because I've been thinking about it while everyone else is speaking. People have therefore got the impression that I'm slightly mindless because I never know what people are talking about. Although I don't like to admit it, I am fascinated by Philosophy. It takes up much of my precious thinking time. How can anyone not be fascinated by everything around them? Everyone takes so much for granted – like life. What is it? What is reality? Even simple things like how do I know that the table in front of me exists – how can I prove it? All this fascinates me. When I am an adult, I want to work with people's minds. I would like to be a phyciatrist or a therapist. I don't believe that anyone is born evil or with a mental disorder. If they are, I believe that their condition can be resolved. Everyone is capable of leading a perfectly normal life if they have a fully functional brain. Maybe I could help a lot of people solve their problems and make life more enjoyable for them. As I sit in my lessons, I try to comprehend everything I'm told. I think the best method of revision is not to have colourful post-its on every page. I refuse to use anything like that because no matter how exciting you try to make a boring subject – it will still be boring. Instead I go through the year trying to understand what I am taught as I am taught it. If you read through the textbook before the exam and try to understand everything it says, it is a lot better than frantically trying to memorise a list of words and numbers. Lunchtime approaches and I anticipate the bell. Lessons can be enjoyable but I'm starving. Lunchtime symbolises a period of time where I have no excuse but to socialise. That is one of the few things in life I find really hard because I lack self-confidence. People find it strange that I always have a tissue with me. My parents think it is like a comfort blanket for me. I think so too. My life at the moment is torn between work and play; it is really hard to juggle both. In order to keep your friends, (if friends they are) you have to seem as if you don't care about work – even if you do. In lessons when they try to disrupt you, you can't tell them to be quiet because that will show that you are really interested. Instead, you have to grit your teeth and pretend you are listening to both teacher and friend. I've found that if you nod occasionally to your friend, they will get bored after a while. Actually during the lunch break there is another crisis. How can you ever know what to talk about? I am fine when I'm in a one to one – but in a group, like at lunch, I panic! However, I can often be an extrovert. I survive in crowds by encouraging them to laugh at me. If I intend for them to laugh at me, it can't humiliate me but if I try to get people to laugh with me, I could be confronted with an uncomfortable silence. I enjoy making people laugh now and I have acquired an image with some people as being almost like a comedian or a clown. I enjoy this image and it boosts my self-confidence. I don't mind being laughed at if I am hoping that my thoughts will be funny to someone. Some people laugh at me because I feel so strongly about things that don't matter to many others. I find now, in secondary school, people don't often laugh cruelly and make fun of you. I don't have to worry as much about what people think of me. I like that. I am usually in a good mood when I start the afternoon of lessons. That is, if my confidence hasn't failed me during lunch and I ended up sitting alone. The afternoon lessons usually shoot by and it's three-thirty before I know it. I pack my bag to go home with eagerness and set off for the station. Usually, all the way home we get caught up in one debate or another. Once, we started discussing the theory of relativity and what it was. That debate didn't finish until nine o'clock that night because one of us had to look it up in Britannica. I am usually the loudest member of these debates because I have an opinion on almost everything. When I get home and I've finished my homework, I usually start reading. I have always enjoyed reading and have now become quite fast at it. This is not only a chance for me to relax, but also a chance for me to get lost in a different world where I shrink into insignificance. I love to read fantasy books where there are exciting adventures. ‘Lord of the Rings' by J.R.R. Tolkein is probably my favourite. There are four adventures all rolled into one and a completely new world is created where even the people are different. Without reading and music, I could never switch off. They give me new things to think about. I am a very emotional person and I let myself become totally involved in any task at hand. When I read a book, I am really there. When I listen to music, I can do whatever I like. My life becomes unimportant and I can forget about my problems and concentrate on other things. I get ready to sleep, and wonder what my life will become. My one ambition is to go to Africa or Brazil, and help disadvantaged families there get themselves out of the well of poverty. Why does it really matter if a good friend of mine decides that she doesn't care about me any more? Who cares about my self-confidence levels? I just hope that I can make a positive difference in the world somewhere. I know I will someday, nothing else matters. I can't just sit and pray for people because I am an atheist. At last, I drift off into mindless slumber, in my safe and insulated world of duvet.

Principles of accounting 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Principles of accounting 1 - Essay Example Recently, the standards and principles of GAAP have been transited to IFRS with the aim of having a single set of accounting principles with universal applicability. It provides the rules along with regulations in compliance with which, financial statements and reports should be prepared. The accounting standards and principles that are included in the IFRS are universally identified, which implies that every entity, on a global context, must evaluate and represent their accounting information in accordance with the determined rules and regulations of IFRS (Needles, Powers and Crosson 24-25). The essay thus intends to discuss the advantages that can be acquired from a single set of accounting principle. Moreover, the discussion henceforth reveals the disadvantages attached with multiple accounting principles on a global context. The discussion also emphasizes on detailing the accounting standards adopted by IFRS for universal applicability, further detailing the accounting principles that business units operating in United Arab Emirates (UAE) adopts. ADVANTAGES OF IFRS 3 The accounting principles and standards adopted and implemented under the GAAP form the common set of standards and principles developed for recording financial transactions and information in an appropriate manner by publicly listed companies worldwide. Additionally, ‘International Financial Reporting Standards’ (IFRS) have formulated accounting standards and principles, which are adopted as common accounting practices in all the countries. It is identified in this regard that GAAP and IFRS are two different sets in relation to accounting principles that are used in different countries. Both the GAAP and IFRS work with a common objective of guiding companies through a set of common accounting principles on a global context. The accounting principles are principally based on the notion that financial reports with common objectives act as the tool to ensure that financial informatio n are evaluated and recorded in a transparent manner. Moreover, the management team and employees of a company entrusted with the responsibility of analyzing and preparing financial reports is likely to develop accounting reports in a simple and consistent manner. The recording of financial information under a single set of accounting principles can further facilitate in providing better information to worldwide investors along with creditors so that the stakeholders are able to acquire reliable and appropriate information (Wong, â€Å"The Trend of IFRS Conversion: What you need to know about the transition from GAAP to IFRS†). It is worth mentioning in this regard that the principles of GAAP have certain rules along with regulations that lack completeness in relation to several circumstances. In this regard, a single set of accounting principles is developed by the IASB with the objective of developing a transparent procedure of recording and communicating accounting informa tion in order to minimize accounting frauds and misrepresentation of financial statement assisting users, such as the employees of companies, to obtain adequate in relation to the employment benefits they are entitled with. Furthermore, a single set of accounting standards and practices on a global context will facilitate business organizations of different countries to compare their financial performances in an impartial manner providing significant information about the performances of a company

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Short analys about illuminati - Essay Example However, the controlling hand on both these parties is that of the Illuminati (Shore 2010). It is no coincidence that all the presidents of the United States are related to each other, with the majority of these candidates members of the pro Nazi covert society of Yale College called Skull and Bones (Shore 2010). An example of political manipulation is the war in Iraq for oil. Bush Sr. owns the company Carlyle Group, which is the world’s largest war corporation (Shore 2010). Bush Jr. started pushing for a regime changeover in Iraq as soon as he attained his post as the President (Shore 2010). The war in Iraq made Carlyle Group and Rumsfeld’s Bechtel Corporation billions of dollars, while Vice President Cheney’s oil company Haliburton Corporation was given the control of Iraq’s oil, worth trillions of dollars (Shore 2010). Another example of Illuminati control is the $1.3 trillion tax cut, out of which $1.2 trillion were distributed only among 43,000 families, including those of Bush and Cheney (Shore

Slap Stick Comedy and American Novelists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slap Stick Comedy and American Novelists - Essay Example Cartman, mocking the hungry by showing his desire only for the sports watch and not for helping a hungry nation, finds himself lost in a third world country. Another similarity between Grandmother and Cartman is that neither of them are more concerned about others or their surroundings than they are with themselves. Grandmother has her own reasons for not wanting to go to Florida. She uses her family’s safety as an excuse not to go, claiming that there was the chance that the Misfit might catch up with them. However, the safety of her family is the least of her worries. Furthermore, when the Misfit is having his men carry off her family into the woods to meet their end, the Grandmother can do nothing but plead for her own life. She only displays the slightest bit of concern that her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren are not being returned to her. Cartman could not care less about the conditions of starving people in third world countries, even one of their occupants is d elivered to his doorstep. He is more concerned with getting his watch. Then, when he is starving along with the other Ethiopians, he is still more concerned with his own welfare than of those around him. Grandmother and Cartman both rely on the help of God when all else has failed.

Yahoos industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Yahoos industry - Essay Example With time and advent of another search engine Google, Yahoos popularity is now confined to Yahoo News, Sports and Finance while Yahoo is now-a-days is not a preferred choice as a search engine and Google has emerged as the most preferred search engine for web searching, electronic messages (e-mails), chats, blogs etc because of its user friendly approach and fast results. Visitors do visit Yahoo especially for those attributes which are not offered by Google else if Google offers them they have a preference for Google over Yahoo. The underlying concept is Google appears to be the chief set of connections for maintaining follow-up of diverse social associations, acquaintances and interfaces. The chief reason that could be assessed- most of the individuals have MyBlogLog, MySpace, Facebook and other social accounts which aid in staying in contact with friends and acquaintances. Yahoo offers sites for commercial purposes such as Finance, Yahoo Answers : Q&A, Backlink Reporting, Flickr for photo uploading as well as sharing, for entertainment, privacy and local search. Yahoo is therefore preferred for its wider domain and for the features which are lacking in Google and least preferred for the features that are present with

Accounting Scandal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Accounting Scandal - Essay Example Due to Enron’s scandal, the core principles of auditing have dynamically changed. This paper will seek to portray the keen principles of Enron’s root cause of its downfall and the potential impact it made that has crippled other companies. Choose an accounting scandal (from the link below) and summarize it.   http://www.forbes.com/2002/07/25/accountingtracker.html   Please include the following in the summary:   1) A brief description/background of the company.   One of the biggest frauds that has ever taken place in the modern 21st century commerce was the case with Enron. Enron’s scandal without a doubt has been the focal point for one of the biggest busts in the history of American entity. The Enron Scandal and the Neglect of Management Integrity Capacity Enron was a very prosperous and prominent firm that was an American energy company established in Houston, Texas. Enron was formed in 1985 by Kenneth Lay after he had acquired two other gas companies in his quest to become a conglomerate in the American history. Nonetheless, after Enron’s biggest scandal, shareholders lost around $11 billion as the company continued on the downward spiral. Enron finally filed for bankruptcy at its $63.4 billion in assets were completely diluted. Many of the stockholders got measly pennies back for the huge investments they had in the company. 2) When the scandal was (or is believed to be) formed.   ... The continuous spiral of modifying the financial statements became a continuous habit and the lead cause of the downfall for the company. Undoubtedly, managers in corporate America have to protect the interests of the corporate executives along with the goals of the stakeholders. The management clearly neglected responsibility of overseeing the unethical practices that were plaguing the corporation. The Enron scandal continued to grow worse every year as it became a problem that was out of control. The primary motivation for Enron was to keep their gross income high along with cash flow while diminishing their liabilities and long-term debts. 3) An in-depth analysis of the accounting scandal.   As mentioned before, Enron ran a Ponzi scheme that continued to over-inflate the revenues that they were actually earning. Enron and other energy suppliers earned sales by providing services such as electricity, natural gas and providing other risk management products. Traditionally, compani es similar to Enron such as Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch used simple pure â€Å"brick and mortar† model for reporting income. However, Enron took upon a new model known as â€Å"the merchant model.† This model was however not adapted by Enron as they utilized the merchant model, which was aggressive, risky and was based on a subjective representation of revenues that were estimated. Although the system did thrive as Enron continued to promise huge compensations for its executives, it also lead to the downfall for the company. For instance, the company’s revenue from 1996 to 2000, Enron’s revenues were grossly inflated to be increased by 700%. This extensive inflation was highly unjustified as the market for

Reporting Panics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Reporting Panics - Essay Example One of such factors that readily come to mind is the issue of technology, which has come to enhance both the efficiency and effectiveness of the work of journalists (Winslow, 2011). One important thing about journalism is that it is not all journalists who do the same kind of work. This is perhaps the world is highly diverse and so news that must be picked from different sectors of it must be diverse. As much as the work of every other type of journalist is very important and respectable, it may be valid to argue that science journalism or science reporting in general is particularly important. This could be because of the importance that science as a concept in today’s world carries (Slosson, 2010). Regardless of the importance of their work and the factors that have been said to make journalism, and for that matter science journalism more advanced, there continues to be some criticisms against journalists for distorting science news. In this paper, it will be argued and agreed with that this claim that journalists distort science news simply overlook the various factors that shape the reporting of science. By this, reference is being made to the fact that the writer will argue that there are several factors that hinder accurate science journalism that critiques of science reporting have not critically considered. Should some of these factors be given serious consideration, the best that can be done would be to resolve those factors so that the way will be paved for science journalists to be more accurate with their work rather than distorting science news. This is because there is sufficient evidence to the effect that journalists have gone every breadth to ensure that their w ork is highly esteemed and comes with the reputation it deserves (Slosson, 2014). Whiles the paper discusses the various factors that shape the reporting of science, the role that journalists themselves can play, as well as scientists can play in making science reporting

The Westboro Baptist Church Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Westboro Baptist Church - Essay Example On the afternoon of November 27, 1955, the church held its first open ceremony (Lieblich 1). This paper will look at the Westboro Baptist Church, the church’s activities, and the first amendment. The Westboro Baptist Church has been enthusiastically engaged in events against gay individuals since 1991, when it begun concentrated efforts on a gay event at Gage Park near the church. In addition, the Westboro Baptist Church members carry out anti-gay remonstrations at military interments, picketing at celebrity funerals, and public activities that may easily attract media interest. Additionally, the Westboro Baptist Church has also held protests against Jews, and the members have also stomped on the flag of United States of America (Lieblich 1). The Bill of Rights of the United States contains the First Amendment which forbids the creation of laws that restrict the free utilization of religion, violates the freedom of the media, proscribes the petitioning for an administration remedy of objections, valuing an institution of religion, reducing the freedom of speech, or impeding the right to peaceably convene. The Westboro Baptist Church members take part in every day picketing in Topeka and tours all over the country to picket the memorial services of gay victims of gay-bashing, gay victims of murder, or individuals who have perished from complex situations associated to AIDS. They have also protested in events linked to homosexuality and live pop events. As of 2009, the Westboro Baptist Church claims to have taken part in almost forty one thousand protest in approximately six hundred and fifty cities since its creation (Lieblich 1). The Westboro Baptist Church has established its position by protesting against gay individuals in funerals and different unexpected places. Even though their choice to protest at these somber situations is unpleasant to a number of individuals, the rights of the religious group, however offensive and

The Last Graduation (film) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Last Graduation (film) - Essay Example To stall this eventuality in the life of a prisoner, education is the best answer. It helps his reformation and rehabilitation processes. The movie, â€Å"The Last Graduation,† directed by Barbara Zahm, makes the viewer ponder deeply about some serious issues confronting the prison administration. The 1971 uprising of the prisoners at Attica, hastened the reforms process in USA prisons, the results of which proved to be crucial in the future management of the prisons. The downward march of a prisoner in the path or criminality can be reversed to take him to the upward march and ultimately make him a worthy individual and a citizen who would contribute to the progress and prosperity of the nation. Barbara Zahm worked as an instructor in a prison college program in the early 1990s and her practical experience in the prison environment inspired her to get involved in the movie project. The graduation program in the prisons, progressed well until the 1995 National Crime Bill, gave a telling blow to the initiative and this set the right-thinking people to do something tangible to challenge the government. The movie explores the relevant issues from the introduction of higher education to the prison population to the last graduation from the Marist College program at New York’s Greenhaven Prison in 1995. The issues dealt with in the movie may not be to the liking of the general audience, which mainly seeks adventures and entertainment. Basically, prisoners do not evoke sympathy and understanding from the society; rather they are disliked, as people have a feeling that they get in the prison, what they deserve for their crimes. This is a lopsided view and indicates poor understanding about the root cause of the problem. By reforming an individual, you are reforming a generation! With the entry in to the four walls of the prison, the psychologically shaken prisoners get completely shattered and the hard core ones turn more vengeful and become stone-hearted. With

Exploring the Concepts of Karl Marx and Mao Tse-Tung Essay Example for Free

Exploring the Concepts of Karl Marx and Mao Tse-Tung Essay Karl Marx believed that in an industrialized society, the working class, known as the proletariat would revolt and take over the ruling class, and would in effect, create a classless society. Karl Marx believed this could only happen in an industrialized society. Once it became apparent that the working class would not rise above, Lenin intervened and confirmed Marxism obsolete in Russia. Since the late 1920s the Chinese Communist Party has altered Marxism in China. It became a peasant party with an anti-Marxist petty-bourgeois viewpoint and through all the fluctuations of the left and right turns of world Stalinism, it kept a utopian and reactionary perspective; in Marxist terminology, reactionary refers to people whose ideas might appear to be socialist, but, in essence, contain elements of feudalism, capitalism, nationalism, fascism or other characteristics of the ruling class. It kept a nationally based and classless socialism, or peasant socialism,† as worded by Trotsky. To call Mao Tse-Tung’s communist or Maoist, philosophy socialism is an understatement. Though encompassing many Marxist values, China has done a more effective job of forcing the Maoist agenda through more ruthless violence by utilizing the multitude of peasants residing within its borders as a powerful force, unlike Marxism which calls for a series of revolution by means of class struggle and uprising in the proletariat. Though the Maoist ideology had subsisted in China for some years after his time, today it is an important economic force, but is government-run, leaving it unstable without government regulation as the economy is dominated by large state-owned enterprises, but private enterprises also play a major role in the economy. State-owned enterprises are a major source of profit and power for members of the Communist Party of China and their families and are largely favored by the government. Karl Marx wove economics and philosophy together to construct a grand theory of human history and social change. His concept of alienation, for example, first expressed in his Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, plays a key role in his criticism of capitalism. Marx believed that people, by nature, are free, creative beings who have the potential to totally transform the world. But he observed that the modern, technologically developed world is apparently beyond our full control. Marx condemned the free market, for instance, as being â€Å"anarchic,† or ungoverned. He maintained that the way the market economy is coordinated—through the spontaneous purchase and sale of private property dictated by the laws of supply and demand—blocks our ability to take control of our individual and collective destinies. Marx condemned capitalism as a system that alienates the masses. His reasoning was like this: although workers produce things for the market, market forces, not workers, control things. People are required to work for capitalists who have full control over the means of production and maintain power in the workplace. Work, he said, becomes degrading, monotonous, and suitable for machines rather than for free, creative people. In the end, people themselves become objects—robot-like mechanisms that have lost touch with human nature, that make decisions based on cold profit-and-loss considerations, with little concern for human worth and need. Marx concluded that capitalism blocks our capacity to create our own humane society. Marx’s notion of alienation rests on a crucial but shaky assumption. It assumes that people can successfully abolish an advanced, market-based society and replace it with a democratic, comprehensively planned society. Marx claimed that we are alienated not only because many of us toil in tedious, perhaps even degrading, jobs, or because by competing in the marketplace we tend to place profitability above human need. The issue is not about toil versus happiness. We are alienated, he maintained, because we have not yet designed a society that is fully planned and controlled, a society without competition profits and losses, money, private property, and so on—a society that, Marx predicted, must inevitably appear as the world advances through history. Here is the greatest problem with Marx’s theory of alienation: even with the latest developments in computer technology, we cannot create a comprehensively planned system that puts an end to scarcity and uncertainty. But for Marxists to speak of alienation under capitalism, they must assume that a successfully planned world is possible. That is, Marx believed that under capitalism we are â€Å"alienated† or â€Å"separated† from our potential to creatively plan and control our collective fate, but if comprehensive socialist planning fails to work in practice it is an impossibility. In consequence of China’s sizable rural population, the greatest point of conflict between the two lines of thought is Mao’s inclusion of the peasantry in the proletariat differing greatly with the Marxist-Leninist view that the beginning of socialist revolution should come from the urban working class. The Maoist faith in revolutionary enthusiasm and the positive value of the peasants lack of sophistication as opposed to technological or intellectual elites fueled the Great Leap Forward of the 1950s and the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 70s. The disastrous consequences of both upheavals led Maos successors to abandon Maoism as counterproductive to economic growth and social order. Maoism, since then, has been embraced by insurgent guerrilla groups worldwide. The Communist Party of the Philippines has adopted the ideas and concepts of Maoism which promote the use of revolution to obtain their goals. Professor Jose Maria Sison, the Chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines states, â€Å"Mao is indubitably correct in identifying the revisionism of degenerates in power in socialist society as the most lethal to socialism, and in offering the solution that succeeded in China for ten years before it was defeated in 1976. The disintegration of the Soviet Union and the full restoration of capitalism in revisionist-ruled countries in the period of 1989-91 have vindicated Mao ´s position on the crucial importance and necessity of the struggle against revisionism and the theory of continuing revolution under proletarian dictatorship.† The Philippines today practices modern democracy. This shows the sharp difference of ideology within countries. It is shown by Sison’s diction that he is passionate about Communism to the degree that he strongly adheres to Maoist theory by promoting revolution in the proletariat. In 2008, the New People’s Army in the Philippines managed to make 200 tactical offenses and captured 200 high powered rifles. Ka Oris claimed that the group has managed to return to the level of activity of when it was at its peak in the 1980s. The NPA, the armed wing of the CPP, remains the biggest threat to national security according to National Defense Secretary Gilbert C. Teodoro Jr. This shows how Maoism only subsists with sheer violence. They seek to implement their agenda by compromising national security and putting many lives in danger. In order to form a fully Maoist society one needs to realize that the only means of achieving this is by deteriorating the conditions within a county. â€Å"The history of the NPA in Mindanao dates back to 1971 when a handful of inexperienced but determined communists established two cells one in Iligan and the other in Davao. The years that followed saw it exploit widespread poverty among both indigenous peoples and poor peasants in the countryside, as well as among many Christian settlers.† As one can see, poverty was a result of the attempts made by the NPA to form a communist/Maoist nation; therefore, the effects of revolution in the name of Maoism only worsens the well-being of the people as violence is utilized to oppress the people. Maoism is characterized by an extreme eclecticism and by subjectivism in theory and voluntarism in politics. Many traditional views of ancient Chinese political and philosophical thought have helped nourish Maoist ideology. From the anarchists Mao Tse-tung borrowed such principles as the absolutization of violence (â€Å"Power grows out of the barrel of a gun† and â€Å"To rebel is justified†) and reliance on nonproletarian, declassed elements and politically immature layers of young people to â€Å"organize† revolutions without regard to whether there is a revolutionary situation. According to Maoist declarations, similar revolutions, which in fact are a form of total purging and suppression of the real and potential enemies of Maoism, should be repeated periodically. If the inherent violence that Maoism encapsulates should be repeated, it would lead to the suffering of many people, which makes it unstable to the degree that the government forces outnumber the Maoists: a force that keeps them at bay. The Maoists cannot obtain their goal without the use of hostility, making it immoral and unstable. â€Å"Since 1978 hundreds of millions have been lifted out of poverty [in China] – yet hundreds of millions of rural population as well as millions of migrant workers remain unattended: According to Chinas official statistics, the poverty rate fell from 53% in 1981to 2.5% in 2005.† However, in 2009, as many as 150 million Chinese were living on less than $1.25 a day. The infant mortality rate fell by 39.5% between 1990 and 2005, and maternal mortality by 41.1%. Access to telephones during the period rose more than 94-fold, to 57.1% as did in many developing countries such as Peru or Nigeria. This shows inconsistency with data to instill communist propaganda. They only show what they want to. They never display the harsh violence committed in order to execute their agenda, which is also in the roots of Marxist theory. In consequence of Mao’s recognition of the peasan try as a powerful source of revolution, his political endeavors were largely aimed at rural China and less on urban industrialization. There is a strong emphasis in Maoism placed on the capability of conscious human action to overcome a lack of material resources. This is in reference to what Mao saw as great feats of endurance, such as the Long March and the resistance against Japan during the Sino-Japanese War. According to Mao, the success of such campaigns rested upon the commitment of man, without the aid of technology or material involvement. Complementary to such experiences, Mao naturally developed a theory that highlighted success as a product of the mind, not matter. As such, material goods were not constituent of, or significantly important to Maoism. It should be pointed out that in the present conditions, agriculture occupies first place in our economic construction. Mao was mainly concerned with agricultural production as a means of survival, and saw no political gain from mass industrialization. In fact Mao believed that industrialization weakened the proletarian movement, by creating further means fo r factory owners and management teams to exploit workers. However the Marxist-Leninist approach to socialist reform which contrasted against Mao’s agrarian views, relied heavily upon the encouragement of advanced industrialization in order to strengthen the sense of proletarian repression. In this sense there was a strong point of conflict over industrial and agricultural production values between Mao and the Russians, which was in direct consequence of the peasants over workers dispute. A fundamental facet of classical Marxist ideology is economic determinism; a concept whereby social change is driven by the economy. However Mao placed a much larger emphasis on the shaping of humankind, and the capacity to change human nature through sheer will power. Mao’s real conflict, of course, was not with Russia nor with revisionism, but with human nature. He believed that the ordinarily extended process of change could be hastened with appropriate stimulation; a positive political frame of commitment and action. While Marx also believed in the evolution of human nature, in contrast to Mao he regarded it to be a process beyond the control of man. Marx developed the theory of material determinism, which suggested that the economy is essential to social change and the development of human nature, a relationship almost ignored by Mao. Features of society such as classes, politics and ideologies were seen by Marx to be outgrowths of economic activity, whereas Mao regarded changes to such features as a result of human will. [Mao’s] process of remolding human beings†¦[is] almost in defiance of orthodox Marxist historical and material determinism. However what is generally agreed upon by Marx and Mao, despite the way in which it is done, is that this remolding of humankind could take many revolutions, which led to the development of the ‘continuous revolution’ theory, a concept whereby the proletarian’s struggle against the bourgeoisie is everlasting. Basically, the goals of Mao, Lenin and Marx were alike in terms of achieving a classless socialist society; there were distinct contrasting elements within the paths chosen to achieve these aspirations. Mao believed in the revolutionary and violent power of the abundant peasantry class, whereas the Marxist-Leninist approach to socialist revolution was to lead from the urban working classes. Resulting from this major disagreement came differing views on industrialization and urbanization, Mao tending to pay closer attention to agricultural development which was a large factor in China, and the Russians to urban development. There was also ignorance on Mao’s behalf of the nature of economics, a subject of which Marx was an expert which is most likely the reason why there is little on economics found on Maoism. Marx recognized the economy as a major driving force in social development, whereas Mao regarded human nature as something that could be changed by will. However while Mao may not have attempted to achieve socialism as Marx intended, a great difference between Russia and China during the twentieth century made such a turn away from classical Marxism to some extent. One could claim that Marxism has never truly been achieved in any setting, and with both China and Russia now leaning more towards capitalism, it leads one to question whether given the nature of humankind, such change is even possible; however, it can be concluded that both doctrines encapsulate instability and hostility, creating an oppressive environment.

Coases Theorem of Coase and Cattle

Coases Theorem of Coase and Cattle After familiarizing myself with Ronald Coases theory of economic efficiencies in economic externalities, I have discovered that Coases theorem is greatly debated amongst scholars who study law and economics. I have discovered the two schools of legal thought which are torn apart because of their opinion on the validity of Coases theorem. Basically, Ronald Coase declared that when there are no transaction costs, bargaining between neighbors will lead to an efficient outcome, regardless of the laws on property rights. The theorem is saying that when the transaction costs are low and somebody trespasses onto anothers property, in this case, cattle, neighbors are more likely to resolve the dispute by forgiving the trespass or by repaying the trespassed with a small reward. Since he has made it clear that this theory works when transaction costs are low, I agree absolutely with Ronald Coase. Ronald Coases theory that, when transaction costs are minimal, bargaining powers of people will re sult in an efficient outcome is correct. In Robert Ellicksons article, Of Coase and Cattle, he mentions a story about Frank Ellis and Larry Brennan. Larry Brennan lost approximately seven tons of baled hay to Frank Ellis cattle while they were roaming in open range. Brennan could have taken Ellis to court to reclaim a monetary value of approximately $500, but instead, he decided to notify Ellis of his cows wrongdoing. Ellis offered to give Brennan some of the hay that was baled in his barn, but Brennan declined the offer. Instead, Brennan knew that it would be in his favor in the future to have Ellis indebted to him, incase a situation arises where Brennan would need a favor performed. Since the transaction costs were pretty low and there was close proximity between Brennan and Ellis, the situation was resolved with efficiency. This is pretty common in rural areas since people of the small townships and farming communities live by the motto â€Å"live and let live.† The people who repeat this motto know they should p ut up with small imbalances in their accounts because they perceive that their future interactions will provide adequate opportunities for settling old scores. The fourth chapter of â€Å"Economic Foundations of Law,† by Stephen Spurr, has a great analogy of the Coase theorem that relates it to a Pareto-optimal efficient outcome. The example describes a conflict between a cattle rancher and a farmer who have adjoining properties. Since they have adjoining properties in an open range system, the cattle owned by the rancher are more than likely going to wander around within the farmers property—since it is almost impossible to tell which direction or how far cattle are going to migrate in the open range. With the herd of cattle grazing and walking around on the farmers crops, the farmer sustains a loss. However, the Coase theorem would make it simple for the farmer and rancher to come to terms and decide a remedy for the farmers loss. Stephen Spurr says, on page 67, â€Å"The socially optimal number of steers is the number that maximizes total social benefit minus total social cost, that is, the profit to the cattle rancher min us the damage to the farmer.† Essentially, this is saying that damage could be controlled by controlling the amount of head are in a herd of cattle which will in turn reduce transactions costs by reducing the amount the farmer will lose in damaged crops. From the pair of examples above, it is fairly easy to understand the Coase theorem. However, in Of Coase and Cattle: Dispute Resolution Among Neighbors in Shasta County, lies a vast story about a dispute between Frank Ellis, a new cattle rancher, and Doug Heinz, another cattle rancher. Since Frank Ellis was in an open range ordinance, he let his huge herd roam free. Ellis herd consisted of thousands of head of cattle and his property was approximately 15,300 acres, making it easily the largest farm in Shasta County at the time. Ellis hired a group of Mexican cowboys to take care of his handiwork, which included tending to the herd and doing whatever necessary farm tasks were required. Since his herd was situated on an open range, his cowboys â€Å"deliberately crossed the unfenced private lands of others, but also used those lands as free pasture,† as quoted by Ellickson. His exploitation of the laws of the open range sent anger flowing throughout the community, eventually enr aging a man named Doug Heinz. Doug Heinzs farm was situated right next to Ellis property, so the two were technically neighbors. While Heinzs farm was greatly smaller, approximately only 12 acres, Ellis herd was always destroying the fence that Heinz constructed in order to keep other cattle off of his land. When Heinz noticed some of Ellis cattle breaking through his fence, he decided to call Ellis and complain. To make a story short, Ellis sent a few of his cowboys out to retrieve the cattle. Their method of retrieving the cattle ended up destroying more of Heinzs fence and damaging even more of the crops. The cowboys took off more quickly than they came and Heinz never saw any sort of repayment for the damage done to his property. This caused Heinz to protest to the county supervisor and round up signatures on a petition to make the area, coincidentally around Ellis land, closed range. However, Heinzs petition to make the region closed range was never passed and Heinz was never r ewarded for the damage done to his property and had to suffer from more abuse at the hands of Ellis herd. Due to Heinz not receiving just compensation for his trouble, the Coase theorem cannot be applied here. The transaction costs were very high, with most of it coming from the damage done to Heinzs property, and the rest coming from the time that was spent circulating a petition to close the range. A Pareto-optimal resolution was not reached either, which is why Of Coase and Cattle attempts to explain the flaws in the Coase theorem. However, the author of Of Coase and Cattle does not take into account the transaction costs of the Ellis-Heinz conflict. The article also discusses conflicts between Traditionalists and Modernists, both of which are styles that ranchers use to take care of their herd. In Shasta County, California, these two neighboring styles are the scene of many conflict and episodes which convert the open range ordinances into closed range. The open range favoring Traditionalists believe their cattle can roam freely without any interruption in the land because they shouldnt have to fence in their cattle to remain on their property. The Modernists believe exactly the opposite; that ranchers should keep their cattle behind fences to prevent damage to neighboring property owned privately. The Traditionalists follow the practices of cattle ranching that were predominant in Shasta County in the 1920s. Traditionalists in the county believe that a rancher shouldnt fence his property because during the summer months, it would take an inefficient amount of land to make sure a herd as little of 200 cattle would be able to be nourished. Thus, the ranchers would let the cattle roam freely as to find nutrients around the mountainous regions of Shasta County. Just by stating that doesnt paint the entire picture, though. Traditionalist ranchers purchase grazing leases through the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, as well as timber companies. The inefficiency of this is that a Traditionalist with a herd of only 100 cattle would need to lease a forest equal to the area of the city of San Francisco. Traditionalists would also need to construct fences to keep their cattle within the boundaries of the grazing lease areas, but since harsh winter storms and intense summer heat destroy their fences; its obvious that the most cost effective way to combat the phenomenon is to not erect a fence. The Modernists, who are typically younger than typical Traditionalists, see the Traditionalist way of ranching as primitive and out dated. The Modernist view is that their cattle do not belong on other peoples property, and vice versa; other peoples cattle do not belong on theirs. Not only do they wish to reduce the risk of damage done by their herd on anothers property, they also see it easier to administer nutrients, protect their herd from being impregnated by bulls, protect their herd from predators, and to watch over their herd during the dangerous winter months. The fenced boundaries are more of a sign to â€Å"stay out,† which adds privacy and value to the land. However, the cost of fencing off the boundary of an entire property by Californias standards is very costly. The statute that defines a legal â€Å"fence† efficient enough to house cattle calls for three tightly stretched strands of barbed wire stapled to posts situated approximately one rod, or 16 and one half feet, apart. Since Shasta County residents typically use four strands of barbed wire and steel posts instead of cedar, the cost of the fence has gone up. Ellickson gave the quote of the materials necessary to construct a four-strand barbed wire fence in the year 1982 as $2,000 per mile, which doubles if private firms are called in to perform construction. If, for example, Doug Heinz wanted to fence off his property, it would have cost him $18,000 for materials and another $18,000 for labor in the year 1982. A total cost of $36,000 in the year 1982 to enclose ones own property does not seem as efficient as being able to dedicate some of your time to help your neighbor replant damaged crops. Period maintenance on fences may also prove to be costly, especially in the weather of S hasta County. The point of comparing Traditionalists to Modernists is summed up by the first story of Ellis and Brennan. Modernists are willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars to make sure theyre investment, which could be the herd of cattle or the rest of their property, is slightly protected. The illusion of safety and security is heavily present in their ideology, which always isnt the case. Traditionalists believe they could remedy whatever problems arise by offering their assistance in fixing whatever damage takes place, whether it is to re-fence an area of land or to replant crops that were damaged by stampeding herds. It is much more cost effective to live the way of the Traditionalists. However, there are two sides to every story. One could consider Ellis to be a Traditionalist since he let his herd graze in open range. But, since a typical rancher in Shasta County does not have nearly the amount of cattle that Frank Ellis had, we can consider it an anomaly. Ellis caused thousands of dollars of damage and tallied up huge transaction costs in the effort that it took to circulate petitions by both parties, Ellis and Heinzs. Traditionalists can also solely be blamed for provoking Shasta County to enforce closed range policies in different areas. The stories discussed in Of Coase and Cattle not only prove the Coase theorem to be correct, but also proves Ellickson wrong. Ellickson wanted to prove Coase wrong by performing a tremendous amount of research in a county in California that has its problems when it comes to property law. Ellickson describes many different scenarios, all of which can easily be determined to be efficient or non-efficient. Ellickson simply states that Coase is wrong in his theory, but does not take into account the transaction costs for any of the stories. He may present the costs to each party involved in an incident, but he does not deduct that the costs arent necessarily high or low. To break this down further, we can reexamine Ellis versus Heinz and Ellis versus Brennan once more. Ellis versus Heinz was not Pareto-optimal because the transaction costs involved in resolving the incident were extremely high. If transaction costs arent defined simply in monetary terms, they could be described as stress and time spent on resolving a situation. In other words, transaction costs could also have the same definition as opportunity costs. Ellis herd cost Heinz tens of thousands of dollars that were never repaid, and thousands of dollars to other farmers which were also never repaid. However, the costs dont end there. Heinz and his allies spent a lot of time, grief, and money to go out and find people to sign his petition to get Ellis ranch on a closed range ordinance. Ellis did the same, to spend time to find people to sign a petition to keep his range open. The transaction costs in this example are extremely high since Ellis spent a lot of time and grief in attempt to fight Heinz and vice versa. To make the case even more interesting, Ellis was forced to fence off his land, which didnt benefit him in the long run. Therefore, the Coase theorem doesnt apply to this situation. At the same time though, Ellis versus Brennan resulted in an efficient outcome, since Brennan refused to take up Ellis offer of replenishing his supply of hay. There are a few schools of thought who think Coase was wrong in his theory. But, after reading Of Coase and Cattle, it becomes obvious that Ellickson was incorrect in his thesis that Coase was wrong. He is incorrect for a number of reasons, with the main one being that he doesnt take into account the transaction costs for the conflicts that he reports on. The main element of this paper was about Ellis versus Heinz, which proves that Ellickson was incorrect. When the transaction costs are low, the Coase theorem is 100-percent accurate. Ellis versus Brennan is a good example of that, as well as the quotes from ranchers in Shasta County. â€Å"I dont believe in lawyers [because there are] always hard feelings [when you litigate]† was said by Owen Shellworth, a Shasta County rancher. Another quote, by Tony Morton, states â€Å"being good neighbors means no lawsuits.† It is clear that neighbors would be more willing to settle conflicts on their own when the transaction costs are small. However, if the transaction costs are high, as in Heinzs case, the outcome will be inefficient. Of Coase and Cattle is a great read if you want to learn about property rights, dispute settlements, and the Coase theorems application to modern times. Of Coase and Cattle proves that with minimal transaction costs and defined property rights, the Coase theorem is accurate in predicting outcomes.

The African Identity | History and Concepts

The African Identity | History and Concepts According to the Lexicon Webster Dictionary an Identity is referred to as the condition or character that distinguishes a person or a thing (Lexicon Webster, 1981). The main distinguishing conditions or characteristics (the identity) that the slaves had were that they were black and Africans. Africans who were ripped from their homeland and brought into a new world to live under the rule of the white man (Europeans), who believed that they were inferior and whom they viewed as an oppressor. Question, did that Identity survive this oppression? Did that sense of being a proud, black, African get diminished by the slave trade? Agreeably, it would have been hard to maintain that identity, but I strongly believed that the strength of the African people, the strength that made them qualify for the labour required on the plantations, was the same strength they tapped into to hold on to every sense of I am an African. In this paper I would present ways in which they slaves would have been ab le to embosom the African Identity and reasons why many would think it was lost. Also I would confer the evidence present today to support that this identity survived long enough to have been transferred from generation to generation and is today, very present in the lives of the offspring of slaves. The slaves had to struggle to hold on to their Identity; a struggle that started as they were being forced from their homelands (Clarke, 1995). This struggle continued in the Americas. It was a brutal but not fatal assault of the black African slaves sense of self. They were being forced to accept a new identity; but did they really? Or was it just an idea? Although the slave masters restricted all forms or African culture from being practised and enforced their cultures, the slaves found creative ways of resisting this. A simple method such as masking it under the practises of the whites at least to keep some semblance of it alive was adopted (Saharan Vibe, 2007). Yes it would have been hard to maintain identities given that they were punished for doing so. However there are times when they could have interacted without the watchful eye of the slave master catching them (at nights, at church). There was always a defiant few whose bond to the sense of African identity was so strong that even these minimal moments were used to resist against the whites by keeping alive any forms of the identity possible and at least pass it on to other generations when they can (Lashington, 2011). There are numerous practises that we engage in today in the Caribbean and the Americas that are deeply rooted in African culture that even we dont realize. These support the fact that the Identity survived and lives today. It was so prominent it was called Africanism, the fight of the Africans to keep Africa Alive. This they did in different cultural Expressions: Religion, Music, Dance, Festival, Folk tales, Language, and customs. The extent to which the culture was kept alive was different from island to island because of the time the plantation system was started in the particular island and how many slaves were there (Phillip, 2010). I can personally attest to having participating in various expressions of traditional African culture. As a dancer I have been privy to learning the Bele dances a native African dance that is usually danced to the music of drums, shack shacks and sticks; a totally African combination. The Religion: having relatives that actively worship as Spiritual Baptist I was exposed to the Shango and Saraca which was accompanied by the same African instruments. I have witnessed customs such as the placing of black and red or blue Maljo beads on babies when born to ward of the evil spirits and attended many wakes in my short lifetime. I was taught in school of the Anansi stories that originate from Western Africa and other Moral stories. I have been in a su su before and have had many days of eating Ashum around all saints time. If I have experienced and is still experiencing elements of African culture today, how is it that it is said to have not survive the slave trade (Phillip, 2010). The foods we eat also stems from the African Identity. Examples of this are the ground provisions and salt fish (though the salt fish is more associated with slavery rather than African culture) but it was passed down. Going to the market early on a Saturday is another trait (Phillip, 2010). To focus on the expression of music to show how strongly some aspects were kept as compared to others. Just as music was used as a form of communication for the slaves during colonialism so it is today in the form of Calypso (especially in Trinidad) as social commentary and Reggae (mainly in Jamaica) is used to protest against forms of oppression. In some islands/colonies because the African music was not freely allowed there was a dilution with that of the Europeans. The same was for the language; hence the amalgamation of English and African to give patois in the British colonies and the French and African to give Creole language in the French colonies. The emergence of these new or modified languages did however play a pivotal role in the success of rebellions and resistances that were held in the Caribbean (Take Five, n.d). As a result of the traits of the Africans view that they will one day be free and return to the motherland that has been passed down, we are now experiencing today in the form of reggae music that reeks of the yearning of black people to return to the homeland. Well known reggae artiste Richie Spice in one of his latest albums In the Streets to Africa has two tracks on the album that pay tribute to the African heritage. One such track, Black like tar, where spice sings of being proud to be black and acknowledges Africa as the Motherland. Another of his tracks Motherland Calling sung as a chant to strong drumming music, Spice again acknowledges Africa as the motherland and the belief that even today the motherland is still calling; Africa is still waiting and one day will welcome all her children back home (Rastaman Vibrations, n.d). Then there is the Legendary Bob Marley who fought for black or African liberation from oppression. His songs spoke of Liberation and Unity. In the track Zimbabwe he urged the black man to get up and fight for be freedom/liberation and to have rights. The same for Get up stand up another call to get up and fight for our rights and to never give up on that fight. In another of his tracks Buffalo Soldier the words stolen from Africa, brought to America, fighting on arrival, fighting for survival; recognizes the fact that Africans were forced into slavery and have fought against the oppression of the colonialist systems to keep the African identity alive throughout (Rastaman Vibrations, n.d). The powerful message brought on by his songs continues with Marleys song Chant down Babylon. Babylon to Africans or black people symbolizes the spirit of those who enslave, commit genocide, slave labour and grind the poor less advantage peoples of the world. Marley also recognize the need for unity in the world. With this realization there came songs One love and Africa Unite a call to the people of the world to unite for the betterment of all people; especially Africans as they did during slavery. Lastly, there is the famous Redemption Song- the song of freedom. A song whose intent is to reassure the people that freedom is possible but that they must free minds before true liberation is realized. This is clear evidence that the same spirit of the African slave to be free and to return to their home land Africa still manifest in the lives of the Black people of the Caribbean and the Americas today. The reasons that many believe that this identity did not survive was because the great attempts of the Europeans to suppress any forms of the culture; because of the dehumanization instituted by slavery in the British colonies. These activities distorted the notion of what Africans thought of themselves to be but it did not eradicate it. This was the reason why the slaves rebelled and resisted against the inhumane treatment brought on by the European slave Trade; and the cultural domination it was instituting on the Africans (Bolland, 2002). I agree that there are elements or practices that would have been lost but to say generally that the Identity itself was lost is wrong. If it did not survive why then do we here chant of Kumbayas ringing from black churches today? Why kids are still taught with Anansi stories in the schools? The answer to these questions is simple because these things were passed down from our ancestors; slaves (Saharan Vibe, 2007). Another reason why it is believed that it was virtually impossible for African slaves to have a sense of identity was because it was never really acknowledged and when it was it was misrepresented as the white man was responsible for documentation of it (Clarke, 1995) This wasnt a happening only in the Americas. African history was shaped by external influences for centuries. From the Muslim historians from the eighth to fifteenth centuries to the accounts of European travellers during the age of exploration to the dreadful portrayal of Arica as a continent of eternal blackness by German philosopher G.W. Hegel in the nineteenth century. Thus it has been very difficult even in light of the decolonization movements of the continent. Continuing along that line, even native writers urged Africans themselves to come to terms with African Identity in relation to the wanton violence that had been imposed through post colonialism and that continues to plague Africans in post colonial times. In a painstaking recreation of how the western world created Africa as a historical construction, from backward, hostile and uncivilized portrayed by Hegel into the twentieth century Europes adoption of these older views (LeFlem, 2008). As a result of instances as these coupled with institutions such as the caste system that existed in the colonial plantation days that forced upon the slaves that blacks are inferior to the superior Whites, there was the emergence of a mentality that still lives on that have black people thinking that the white mans country, colour, culture etc is much better than ours (Baker, 2011). It is sometimes very easy when thinking of the African identity to equal it to Caribbean Identity or African American Identity. This is in no way true. If one tries to explain this concept of Caribbean Identity, an apt description of the typical Caribbean person is that he or she is part-African, part-European, part-Asian, part Native American but totally Caribbean; to understand this is to understand creative diversity (Midrelief.com, 2007). Again, this shows the survival of the African Identity; it was amalgamated with other influences (identities) to form the Caribbean Identity (Midrelief.com, 2007). A similar conceptualization can be concluded for African Americans. An important factor in this quest to determine the survival of the slave Africans identity is to understand that it has been exposed to Globalization. I strongly believed the remaining traits of that identity is being further diminished by this phenomenon. The culture that many fought to keep alive for so many years is becoming more and more obsolete by the broken down barriers in communication and travel and the many advances in technology (Take Five, n.d). Conclusion Though slavery raped us of the authenticity and pureness off the rich African culture that was once the boast of any African it was the strength of the African that helped him to keep to the struggle to emancipate himself from the shackles of a colonial legacy and not be captives in that evil system (Take Five, n.d). It is with certainty that I say that the African Identity is very much animate in the lives of many individuals, communities, nations, and continents because it has truly survived the attempts of colonialist to eradicate the sense of Africanism that was kept living in the hearts of the African natives throughout the duration of slavery and is still is present in the everyday lives of this generation whether we are aware of it or not. Agreeably the traces of the culture that is present today shows that it could not have been lost. Diluted? It is possible. Hidden in fusions with practices from colonial countries? Yes. But to say that the African Identity was lost because t hey were not in their homeland is not right (Midrelief.com, 2007). The onus is on us this present generation to keep what has survive to today and/or reformulate with what we learnt about the culture of our ancestors. We need to always remember how truly a proud, courageous, and intelligent people our African ancestors were, and that we must claim their spirit. All that is left is for us to use it to fully emancipate our minds! (Take Five, n.d)

Industry Analysis: Banking Essay example -- Essays Papers

Industry Analysis: Banking The banking industry has come under increasing pessimism of late because of rising short and long-term interest rates. The banking industry's market capitalization made a substantial decline. Most investors are concerned with whether the industry can sustain continued profitability as a result of these factors. Banks have responded in recent years to these problems by diversifying away from interest sensitive products and services. But interest rates are the fundamental aspect of any financial services. Therefore, I believe the financial services industry will be deeply affected by rising interest rates. Banks have experienced good business factors over the past two years. Interest rates were low, credit quality was good, and inflation was low. These factors are usually predictive of the types of earnings banks should report. But good times can't continue because interest rate hikes cause reduced lending activity, damaged credit quality, and reduced values of bond portfolios. Porter's Five Forces Analysis: 1. Rivalry among competing sellers: The banking industry is continuing to restructure and position itself for our changing economy as a result, many mega-mergers have occurred in recent years. Citicorp and Travelers Insurance agreed to merge in April 1998 at a value of $70 billion. Bank of America and Nation's Bank also agreed to merge shortly afterwards which became the largest bank in the United States. Bank merg...

Emancipation :: essays research papers

Emancipation has been defined as the pursuit, expansion, and security of freedom. I believe that most people including myself would say successful emancipation has taken place when freedom has been pursued, expanded upon, and secured. What makes peoples views of emancipation different is not its definition, but what is freedom? Freedom shows a lot of faces throughout the times and environments studied in both the Haitian and Jamaican Revolutions. Freedom for myself is a peace of mind. I feel that a person who wakes up with a peace of mind has experienced successful emancipation. Successful emancipation does not mean that everything is perfect and the way it should be. Perfection does not exist in this world; everything has its flaws and downfalls including emancipation, justice, and freedom. I think we all work towards the day we have established who we are and find comfort with our role in society. I also feel it is hard for us to be as thoughtful and passionate about emancipation as the slaves of these times were. Our minds can’t conceive the true feeling of what is like to be treated like something other than a human being. I feel our lifestyles are far beyond a slave’s view of what emancipation is. Slaves in both Haiti and Jamaica did not rebel in order to live a lifestyle we live today. They were willing to settle for far less than we have today. Slaves were willing to die in order to experience what they felt was successful emancipation. Successful emancipation for slaves was not be confounded to land or owned by whites. Slaves simply wanted the opportunity to work their own land, start families, and enjoy life. Although most people in Haiti and Jamaica of African descent were slaves, there was a small minority of free people, which consisted of mulattos and free blacks. Even though these free people witnessed first hand the experienced of slavery the compassion and empathy for it was definitely disappointing. Their understanding of emancipation was totally different than that of slaves. The free people already experienced and had what slaves desired and viewed as emancipation. Free people had their own land to farm, build houses on, and start families. Thus giving them a totally different perspective on emancipation and freedom. Despite free people had their own land, they still were not close to sharing the same rights as the whites.

The Philosophy of Filipino Culture

Philosophy of Filipino Culture May 20, 2010 Crossing Cultures: A Philosophical Reflection on Filipino Culture and Cultural Transition Experienced by Third Culture Kids Oh it's a mystery to me. We have a greed, with which we have agreed†¦ and you think you have to want more than you need†¦ until you have it all, you won't be free. Society, you're a crazy breed. I hope you're not lonely, without me. – Eddie Vedder (Society) In a world that is becoming increasingly smaller as globalization takes its universal toll on countries and cultures, the sentiments expressed in the lyrics of this song often resonate with the individual trying to find a sense of identity through society and feeling overwhelmed by it. As we have learned in class, an individual tries to concretize him/herself by acting in the world as a â€Å"dynamic X. † This characteristic, as explained by Max Scheller, is a universal factor inherent in everyone that drives us as humans to try to find our identity in a world that is constantly changing around us. Being a â€Å"Dynamic X† we ourselves are constantly changing, and we triangulate our sense of identity by comparing ourselves to the society around us to try and develop a sense of who we are through achievement, careers, personal preference of music, movies, literature and – most importantly – our name. It is through our name that we present ourselves and our capacity for historicity to the world. It is also through our name that we are known and recognized as part of a society. Considering the inherent characteristic of being a â€Å"Dynamic X† and how we use it to derive a ense of identity, the most influential factor which we use as a reference to triangulate our identity is culture. Culture, as we have learned in class, tells us how to be a person amongst others. The culture to which we are born into is something that we are affected by without having a conscious choice in how it affects us. As we develop into adults, we imbibe the cultural values, c ustoms and traits around us and form who we are through them. This process of imbibing a culture is forever ongoing, giving merit to the characteristic of being a â€Å"Dynamic X†. In its most general definition, culture can be seen as a code of systems and meanings which are unique amongst different diversities of people. Generally, most people are born and raised in one dominant culture to which they identify with as their own. Reflecting on this definition of culture and how we go about imbibing it as we develop our sense of identity, the question that this paper will attempt to answer is â€Å"what happens if a person grows up in several different cultures and how does it affect their own sense of identity? Falling into this unique and growing demographic, I personally have experienced growing up in several different cultures around the world. Being the son of a missionary couple, I have lived in three drastically different countries and cultures throughout my life. Having spent my early childhood years living in Jos, Nigeria, I assimilated into my identity certain â€Å"African† characteristics that I still feel have a hold on who I am today. Spending the bulk of my educational and developmental years here in the Philippines, I have also categorized my identity as being half-Filipino, an epiphany of sorts that only took place in my life after having experienced life alone in Philadelphia, PA U. S. A. All my life I have grown up with the mentality that the U. S is my â€Å"home. † Even though my mother is a full blooded Filipina, we were conditioned as children to believe that the U. S is where we would ultimately settle. This shaped my sense of identity significantly while growing up as I utomatically assumed that because I was an American citizen at birth I was 100% American. All that changed, however, when I graduated high school here in the Philippines and started college in the U. S. I soon found myself to be far different from the Americans around me. Several aspects of American culture, one that I associated as my own growing up, became increasingly difficult to relate to. I finally decided during my sophomor e year in college to move back to the Philippines to finish my studies. I regard that decision as one of the best ones I have made in my life. As I moved back here however, I also felt a severe distance and separation from the culture around me. This feeling led me to the realization that I was considerably different from people born exclusively into Filipino and American cultures. It was during my first months living back here that I realized I was a textbook example of what is known as a Third Culture Kid. According to sociologists David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken, a â€Å"Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a signfificant part of his or her developmental years outside the parent’s culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK’s life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background. † Throughout the last half of the 20th century, the TCK demographic has been growing significantly as international travel and commerce have been made extremely convenient. Being a type of identity, however, the TCK experience does not fully encapsulate what it means to be an individual, as the second sentence in the definition above points out. Lacking the option to â€Å"own† a culture or be fully recognized as a member of a society definitely affects the sense of individual identity of the TCK growing up. As experienced by me, the longing to be a fully integrated member of a culture or society can create extreme insecurities and dysfunctions in a person if they do not focus on the advantages of what a TCK identity has to offer the world. Using my TCK identity as a framework for understanding the Filipino culture, hich I consider now to be the closest to my heart in terms of who I am, I will attempt to reflect on certain aspects of it that I found difficult to relate with and transition into my own sense of identity. Looking at these difficulties I experienced while transitioning back into the Filipino culture, a better sense of who I am – the fundamental question of philosophy – can be achieved. Also, in regarding these observations as lessons learned on my part, I can better understand how I interact and deal with people here in the Philippines, which has been a longing of mine for quite some time now. The first aspect of Filipino culture that struck me as cultural barrier was Language. Even though I grew up here in the Philippines for the majority of my life, I was raised in an English speaking home and school system. Although I can understand Tagalog fluently, and speak it well enough to get around the city and hold casual conversations, my accent is what ultimately distinguishes me apart from other Filipinos. Filipino culture, while heavily influenced by American culture, is at the point were to fluently spoken English is somewhat looked down upon by the majority of the masses living here. A reason for this can obviously be found in the shift from English to Tagalog as the language used in the educational system that took place a couple decades ago. This attitude towards English speakers has also been enhanced due to the rise in BPO and call centers here in Manila. Having trained communication skills in two different call centers here, I can say with conviction that people who work there, a large and growing percentage of workers aged 19-35, have a subtle disdain for the language that makes it difficult for fluent speakers of English to be accepted as members of this culture and society. This, obviously makes sense since the national language of this country is and should always be Tagalog. It does, however, create difficulties when trying to transition into this culture; difficulties aided all the more by the fact that casual joking about English speakers (i. e. nosebleed jokes etc) have practically become a social norm. ( Reflecting on this cultural barrier as a TCK and Filipino citizen, I’ve come to realize the importance of language as a tool for the transmission of culture and values, as was stated in Berger and Lukmann’s article on Institutionalism. Having undergone two years of being made fun of (lightly) for my Kano accent while speaking Tagalog, I have also realized that my identity as a TCK can adapt to the cultural bantering with a healthier attitude now days. I no longer feel insecure about my â€Å"baluktot† Tagalog and have come to accept that the Filipino culture pokes fun of me without any malice – a characteristic of our culture that I have come to admire. Another aspect of the Filipino culture that I have had difficulty relating to and integrating into my own identity is the Shame-based aspect of it. Having gone to an American based international school system, my attitude towards confrontation and humor was definitively American. This differs drastically from the Filipino culture, where shame is regarded as the ultimate social taboo. In American culture, there is a mutual understanding that confrontation and directness is the norm when addressing issues between people. This trickles down into the humor of Americans, which is based on practical jokes and oriented more towards embarrassment. This difference in mentality can create a lot of offense to Filipinos. On the other hand, the shame based cultural aspect of the Philippines can also create confusion to Filipino-Americans like me, who have experienced instances where a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† might not necessarily mean it. The confusion caused by this aspect of Filipino culture has dissipated over the time I’ve spent integrating myself into it. I feel now that my humor is more Filipino than American, and I can understand the dynamics of the shame based culture works. In general, I feel that overcoming this transition into Filipino culture has significantly helped me understand who I am as a Filipino-American. All in all, these aspects of Filipino culture, which have been overcome and assimilated by me have made me realize how much my identity is inclined and oriented towards this culture. Another aspect of culture that we learned about in class was that it changes after behavior changes. Being passed down from generation to generation, this characteristic also defines culture as constantly changing. The most significant realization that occurred to me about my identity as a TCK in relation to this definition of culture was that I have been more prepared to adapt and tackle change. As technology develops faster and faster, the rate of change in cultures worldwide increases. The unique advantage that I have as a TCK is that change and transition has been occurring in my life ever since I could remember. With the culture of ours gradually morphing into a culture of pressure to achieve, others who are not used to change and transition might not handle it as well as I can. This is the main advantage of being influenced by multiple cultures while growing up and I can say that as the world continues to demand individual responses to change, I am perhaps better equipped to handling them because of my TCK experience.

Natural Hair and the Lack of Hair Care Essay

Natural pilus has be start very popular among African American women, myself included, within the last x years. Finding the whisker give cargon crossroads required is al more or less impossible. There are no commercials on important stream TV or advertisements in magazines. If you want to manage anything about what products are avail suitable, the meshing is your ruff bet. With the help of Natural Hair bloggers and the YouTube vloggers, who created their carry to dish out selective information, women with cancel tomentum cerebri bemuse been able to get the necessary information on what products are available to them for use. Bloggers and vloggers peck products from different companies, review them, and then share their experiences with opposites in the natural hair community. These weensyer companies assist the bloggers and vloggers in hopes they provide an portentous review of their product, which in turn, leads to reaching the customers of their taper market. E ventually the larger companies soon natter this as a way to set up their products as well and followed suit.Pros of the IssueThe meshing and social media hand opened promotional doors for small companies such as Sundials Shea Moisture Hair Care crinkle and Mixed Chicks. These are just both companies who have a market respite in natural hair tutelage products. By sending samples to bloggers and vloggers, customers with natural hair started to inquire about their products at the local anaesthetic retail stores. Not long after, initially we began to see print ads in magazines targeting African American women, like Essence, Ebony and Jet. As the market started to grow ads began appearing in more than mainstream magazines like Womans Day, Allure, and eventually mainstream television.Commercials began to air on station like BET, TV One and Centric, which are geared to the African American community. A major promotional boost for these small companies came in 2010 and again in 2 011as iodine of the largest retail chains in the country, Target, invited companies that were selling merchandise on line to come and provide a presentation on their products, with the possibly of macrocosm picked up for sale in Target stores. Target resolved to showcase six natural hair care brands, placing them in prominent vagabond on the aisle and away from other ethnic hair products to allow them to stick up out (http//www.bloomberg.com/bw/ phrase/2013-06-20/startups-target).With the triumph natural hair care product companies were having, larger companies like LOral and Procter & Gamble, who ruled the $7 meg U.S. hair care market, decided to sum the curl trend. Because theyve cultivated a divided sense of identity with their customers, the smaller own companies continue to dominate (http//www.bloomberg.com/bw/article/2013-06-20/startups-target).Cons of the IssueWhen the major hair care companies realized that natural hair for African American women was here to stay they wanted a piece of the action and jumped into the natural hair care market. With more specie and larger advertising departments, the larger companies were able to hire advertising firms to produce bloom nonch commercials and print ads to for the market. Their ads were seen on main stream television and in more main stream magazines when compared to the smaller generally black owned companies. As these smaller companies continue to grow, hopefully so ordain their promotional dollars. There is a emergency for more commercials that will be seen by the masses.My Position on the Issue cosmos of African American decent, and also corroding my hair natural, I remember at the start of my journey the problem of non being able to find products or should I say, the right products to care for my hair. This took me to the internet and YouTube where there are lots of hoi polloi promotingproducts for natural hair care. Products are being used and reviewed for both the smaller compani es and more or less of the larger ones. I would love to see more promotion from both sizes of companies on main stream basic television.As the natural hair community continues to grow, the require for products will also grow. By not advertising across all spectrums of ad media, companies are missing a unit of measurement target market. I purchase most of the things I do, because I either have seen a commercial or by word of mouth. Perreault, Cannon & McCarthy (2010) tell us that Promotion is communicating information between the seller and potential buyer or others in the channel to influence attitudes and behavior.ReferencesDwoskin, E. (2013, June 20). Yale and Evin Bloomberg violin Home. Retrieved from http//www.bloomberg.com/bw/article/2013-06-20/startups-target Perreault, Jr., W. D., Cannon, J. P., & McCarthy, E. J. (2010). Promotion-Introduction to Integrated market Communications. In Essentials of Marketing (12th ed., p. 322). New York, NY McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

The Effects of Drugs on Our Society and Youths

While most quite a little character medicines to help, some discern to aversion them. This is what leads to curse, and it affects our kids and high society. The increasing phenomenon of drug ab physical exercise in society impacts American society in ways that economically cost society almost $100 billion a year. Illegal drug use has to sack It hurts the society, it hurts us, and mainly, it hurts the user. Drug users feed of societys money, insurance, and taxes. If we let this behavior continue the crime appreciate will shoot thrash about high. Drug use has increased oer the years at an alarming rate and can be fatal to a soulfulnesss health.In this paper, I take overnt chosen to clarify on any particular drug just drugs in general and the do they have on our society and our youths. A survey was conducted and showed that most people put it to be true that youths between the of 14-22 use recreational drugs. Recreational drugs atomic number 18 non limited to any partic ular company in society, meaning that a precise wide variety of people choose to use the drugs including immaturers, parents, business people, and often very dedicated students.As we possess an bet in how drugs affect a matter of social groups. These groups range from teens to high-class remote individuals who will have different reasons. It is broadly speaking known that most drugs do have negative returns on people. No matter race, sex, or age. Addiction is unreasoning Drugs are substances used without medical watch to alter a persons feelings, or behavior, especially teens with a family history of substance abuse. Most drug use begins in the preteen and teenage years.During these years, teens are faced with difficult tasks of discovering their self-identity, learning to recognise with authority, and searching for something positive that would give their life meaning. One of the most important reasons of teenage drug usage, is peer pressure. This is what represents s ocial influences that effect teens. It could have a negative or positive effect, depending on a persons social group. References The Journal of proterozoic Adolescence, Vol. 14, No. 1, 24-48 (1994), Retrieved August 4, 2009 from http/drugsandyouth. adolescence. com