The Implication of Cultural Diversity in American schools Essay

The Implication of Cultural Diversity in American schools - Essay Example majority of the population diversity was white alone that was represented 72% while the minority was American Indian and Alaska Native represented 0.9%. However, the African American census made up about 13% and the Hispanics numbering totaled 16%. The Asian population increased faster than other groups. Despite the changes in the education sector within the last decade, we still needed to concentrate the ethnic diversity in classrooms. That means we cannot eradicate the immigration’s issues by segregated the students, on the contrary; it is most significant to integrate different cultural ethnic. Actually, the educator must have various styles of teaching that he/she will have to educate children from different backgrounds and beliefs. So that, the teachers and the education programs with each other can work to create modify which is helpful for the different groups of learner in the schools. No doubt, educators will face some challenges to educate different students from dif ferent cultures (De 88). In retrospect, cultural diversity in American schools is the surest way of eliminating cultural discrimination since learners grow up into holistic individuals who appreciate cultural diversity in the society. As the students interact among themselves, they overcome some of the existing stereotypes thereby create social circles that are culturally diverse. This way, they share values and learn to respect each other despite the diversities in their respective cultures. Every cultural group always uses its cultural values to judge other cultures a feature that may often lead to discrimination (Phelan 76). With cultural diversity on the other hand, the students experience other cultures thus creating a cohesive system especially given the fact that schools just as any other organization often create systematic organizational

How the East Has Created Opportunity In Adversity for Uniting And Research Paper

How the East Has Created Opportunity In Adversity for Uniting And Reinforcing Its Community - Research Paper Example more, reports have been made of the total abandoning of the indigenous Chinese music, which was otherwise expected to serve as the dynamic community identity of the people of China (Nicholls, 2013). In other countries of the East, there are prevailing influences of foreifn language in the core educational curriculum of their schools where native languages that used to be the lingua franca and medium of instruction no longer exit (Hyer, 43). There is also a prevailing situation characterized by total neglect for the core Eastern culture of manners and courtesy that was rooted in the type of family system that was practiced before (Zhang, 2013). In such countries, the nuclear family system has taken the place of extended family system and thus led to an individualistic society being created. Effect of Western influence on the East With multiple cases and instances of the overflow of Western culture in the East, particularly in areas of music studies in schools, debate has gone on as to what the possible effects and repercussions of the phenomenon could be for the East. In the opinion of some commentators, the effect has actually started already and is negative effects. Leffer (98) has for example stated that the East has currently lost its cultural identity, which could be nurtured into a very important economic competitive advantage for the region (Prakash 35). Indeed, there is sufficient evidence to back this claim, even though counter arguments exists. A typical evidence of this is the fact that when the East is able to consolidate its community through the preservation of its cultural entities, it would be in a position to brand most of its products and services as peculiar brands, that would have had trade patronage for the fact that it was unique to the East. A... This article stresses that there has been other form of opportunities that the East has created in adversity for uniting and reinforcing its community. One of these is by coming out with a number of groups, organizations and agencies that gather the collective community identities of the larger East into a common forum or platform, where there can be a larger representation of the ideas and ideals of the East. This paper has been a very useful academic exercise in identifying the state of the East in terms of the preservation of the values of its community, as rooted in the exhibition of Eastern culture. Generally, it has been realized that globalization has taken a very bad side of the East, whereby it has brought about a penetrated urge for cultures of non-Eastern origins to take dominion of the Eastern community. It can be concluded that as much as globalization and trans-cultural existence may have its own advantages and merits, these advantages can never be compared to the benefits that the East derives by holding on to its own cultural heritage, values and principles. The benefits are actually estimated to be diverse and take all forms of Eastern civilization including political importance, economic importance, social importance and environmental importance. It is not surprising therefore that various advocacy groups have showed up in a bid to help in the promotion and reinforcement of the East as a community.

Database System Development Exam

Database System Development Exam Adam Warsame Course: FDSc Computing Module Title: Database Systems Assignment Title: Database Systems Assessment Introduction The task for this assignment is to develop a database for a local garden centre. To understand the system better and what way it should operate; it was a good idea to review other examples of databases online. From these reviewed examples, was able to gather a rough understanding of what the database should withhold. Analysis The following tables were chosen for this database: Customers:- Customers table is used to hold all the vital information about a customer, such as: full name, address, email and feedback/reviews. Delivery:- Delivery table is used to withhold all the necessary information needed such as shipping date, order information, arrival date and delivery company. Plants:- Plants table is used to store all the information about plants such as popular name, type, features, description etc. Orders:- Orders table is used to hold all the information needed such as order date, delivery information, plant quantities and total price. The following tables (including attributes) were required as a minimum: Customers table; Full Name Address Email Feedback Deliveries table; Order information Shipping date Arrival date Delivery company Plant table; Garden Plant case Latin name Popular name Colour of foliage Colour of flowers Flowering period Height Spread Type of plant Full description and more Orders table; Order date Delivery information Plants quantities Plant prices The database will let staff/admins have a range of rights over the system and will be able to do things such as, edit plant list, create plant list, delete plant list, oversee customer details, monitor orders and check delivery information. Customers will also be able to do a range of things such as, register, make orders, check available plants and choose plants according to its type, attributes or position. Basic commands like edit, delete or save will allow the customer and staff members to quickly accustom to the database and discover things while doing so. As this is an SQL database, we can automatically assume that it will be constantly in development; both in expanding and editing form; which are the simplest of objectives for this type of database. A backup option is implemented to reduce and in due course; stop data loss. Simple password protection will also safeguard customers and staff from identity theft. The requirements are to create a database for a local garden centre called â€Å"Lincoln Garden Centre†. The system should provide the selling facilities, oversee and keep track of customer, plants, orders and staff. Below there is a data flow diagram which displays how the system will allow the customers/users to make orders and what type of processes are included until they have their order. Once the user has registered in the database, they will have the opportunity to scroll through the list of plants and/or select the exact features in which they are interested in most. When they finally decide about their order, they will be able to place an order which in turn will then be seen by a staff member who can store the customer’s order and shipping details and allocate them in the order table. Customers will be able track their orders and identify the estimate dispatch/delivery dates. When the orders are released, the staff can update the plants list if necessary. The whole system is built for this and will easily be able to trace orders, most popular plants, inventory and all related operations. Entity-Relational Model Normalisation 1NF 1NF is the most basic of all the normalisation processes but 1NF can only work if all tables have different entity types. Meaning, no relationships between 2 or more can be developed; otherwise it would break the rules for 1NF. The other rule is that all tables need a primary key, or else that would also go against the rules. 2NF One of the rules within 2NF process is that, only 1 row can have the same details stored. For example, when searching for a postcode, it would also show the town, county etc. To get around this then postcode will need to be created in its own table (postcode being the primary key also a foreign key in other tables) thus completing the need for relations in 2NF. 3NF Values that have the potential to be changed, in a 3NF database, need to be within a table, as a single order may alter the stock levels by creating an order. If not removed, the normalisation rules cannot be met. Within a 3NF system there shouldn’t be any rows/columns that have the exact same information; this is because it should go into a new table. SQL statements for implementation and manipulating database 1) Database: `199209-garden` 2) CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Customers` ( `Customer_ID` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, `Full Name` varchar(25) NOT NULL, `Address` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Email` varchar(50) NOT NULL, `Feedback ` varchar(255) DEFAULT NULL, PRIMARY KEY (`Customer_ID`) ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 AUTO_INCREMENT=13 ; data for table `Customers` 3) INSERT INTO `Customers` (`Customer_ID`, `Full Name`, `Address`, `Email`, `Feedback/Reviews`) VALUES (1, Jo Millan, 7 Windsor Road, CHESEFIELD, FH1 9LA, [emailprotected], NULL), (2, Harry Hugo, 4 Colywn Bay Road, WANEKE, BA91 8FS , [emailprotected], NULL), (3, Alice Payton, 2 Moor Way, PRESTATYN, NF44 1GB, [emailprotected], NULL), (4, Paul Hudson, 19 Johnno Rd, POSSING, PV33 0FLL, [emailprotected], NULL), (5, Tessa Godknock, 79 Butler Lane, HAHISON, DC10 5LF, [emailprotected], NULL), (6, Abdi Armed, 41 Wool Rd, GONZAGAE, BF35 64S, [emailprotected], Nice website!), (7, Masteran Katrina, 3 Bopping Rd, BEALUMONT, FP3 8TE, [emailprotected], NULL), (8, Ryan Starr, 99 Trevor Lane, LOUIS, ZX25 4GL, [emailprotected], NULL), (9, Ben Augustine, 61 Llaneli Street, BALLYMENA, OA38 8FB, [emailprotected], NULL); ); CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Delivery` ( `Delivery_ID` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, `Shipping Date` datetime NOT NULL, `Delivery Information` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Arrival Date` datetime NOT NULL, `Delivery Company` varchar(255) NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY (`Delivery_ID`) ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 AUTO_INCREMENT=5 ; data for table `Delivery` INSERT INTO `Delivery` (`Delivery_ID`, `Shipping Date`, `Delivery Information`, `Arrival Date`, `Delivery Company`) VALUES (1, 2011-04-16 15:00:00, Order_ID 1, 2011-04-22 12:00:00, Royal mail. 1st class), (2, 2012-10-21 14:00:00, Order Number 2, 2012-11-07 14:00:00, Ups), (3, 2012-01-11 11:00:00, Order Number 2, 2012-01-22 13:00:00, Royal mail. 2nd class), (4, 2013-11-09 13:00:00, Order Number 3, 2013-11-30 12:00:00, Ups); ); CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Orders` ( `Order_ID` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, `Order date` datetime NOT NULL, `Order information` text NOT NULL, `Plant quantities` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Price` varchar(255) NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY (`Order_ID`) ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 AUTO_INCREMENT=5 ; data for table `Orders` INSERT INTO `Orders` (`Order_ID`, `Order date`, `Order information`, `Plant quantities`, `Price`) VALUES (1, 2013-01-10 00:00:00, Rosa Falstaff, Balkan cranesbill., 1, 21.98), (2, 2012-12-28 13:00:00, Abyssinian gladiolus,Ginger lily,Striped bloody cranesbill, 1, 31.89), (3, 2013-01-07 00:00:00, Skyscraper lily, 2, 7.98), (4, 2013-01-07 18:00:00, Striped bloody cranesbill, 10, 79.90); Table structure for table `Plants` CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Plants` ( `Plant_ID` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, `Name` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Latin Name` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Type` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Colour` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Features` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Flowering Season` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Scented/Unscented` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Groundcover` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Sun Level` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Soil Type` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Orientation` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Special conditions` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Position` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Description` varchar(5000) NOT NULL, `Price` varchar(255) NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY (`Plant_ID`) ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 COMMENT=Plants Table AUTO_INCREMENT=11 ; data for table `Plants` INSERT INTO `Plants` (`Plant_ID`, `Name`, `Latin Name`, `Type`, `Colour`, `Features`, `Flowering Season`, `Scented/Unscented`, `Groundcover`, `Sun Level`, `Soil Type`, `Orientation`, `Special conditions`, `Position`, `Description`, `Price`) VALUES (1, Rosa Falstaff, Ausverse, Rose, Purple, Excellent cut-flowers, Summer, Scented, No, Full sun, Fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil, North, No special conditions, Front of border, One of the best crimson/purple roses bred to date. The large, cupped, double flowers have a powerful old rose fragrance. The rich, dark crimson flowers eventually turn to a lovely rich purple colour., 13.99), (2, Narcissus , Canaliculatus, Bulbs, White petals with a yellow cup, Low maintenance, Spring, Scented, Yes, Full sun or partial shade, Well-drained soil, South, No special conditions, Next to an entrance, windowboxes, front of border, in a pot, Plant this at the front of your border, in a pot or in your windowboxes where you can enjoy the small, scented flowers up close. This variety produces several flowers on each stem so they are really colourful. The flowers have white petals with a small yellow cup and they look best in bold clumps., 3.49), (3, Balkan cranesbill, Geranium macrorrhizum, Perennials, Pink, Non poisonous, May to September, Aromatic foliage, Yes, Full sun or partial shade, Fertile, well-drained soil, West, Dry shade, Front of border, Clusters of small, saucer shaped, purplish pink flowers are held on slender stems above strong aromatic, light green leaves from May to September. This is one of the most versatile and useful geraniums, as it will thrive even in dry shade. The deeply cut, semi-evergreen foliage also spreads quickly to form low hummocks that suppress weeds for most of the year. It looks lovely with strongly shaped perennials, such as bergenia, or polemonium, or planted en masse under trees, and is also valuable for hiding the foliage of spring bulbs as they die down. The leaves often turn red in the autumn too., 7.99), (4, Sulphurea, Oenothera stricta, Evening primrose, Creamy yellow, Non poisonous, May to September, Evening, No, Sun, Acid, South, Coastal, Middle of border, Reliably flowering for many months, this showy evening primrose may be short-lived, but it usually self-seeds very freely. It produces large, pale yellow, almost cream flowers that will open in the evening and fill the air with their incredible, heady scent. It is very tolerant of poor soils and is generally very easy to grow., 1.59), (5, Clematis, Clematis cirrhosa var. purpurascens, Climbers, Cream, Winter colour, All year round, Scented, No, Sun, Light sandy, West, No special conditions, Walls and fences, Scented, bell-like, cream winter flowers heavily speckled inside with reddish-brown freckles and glossy, dark-green leaves. This evergreen clematis is ideal for training over a sunny pergola or arch. This is the best way to appreciate the distinctive freckle-like markings, which are less visible when the plant is grown against a wall., 14.69), (6, Skyscraper lily, Lilium Bonbini, Bulbs, Cream, Non poisonous, July, Scented, No, Full sun with light dappled shade at its base, Fertile, reliably moist soil, South, No special conditions, Middle of border, full sun with light dappled shade at its base, 3.99), (7, Ginger lily, Hedychium densiflorum, Bulbs, Orange-red, Architectural foliage, July and August, Scented, No, Full sun or partial shade, Rich, moist soil, South, No special conditions, Middle of border, Forming a slowly spreading clump of lustrous foliage, this compact ginger lily is one of the hardier forms. The slender spikes of fragrant, orange-red flowers appear early in the season and tend to open in one impressive flush., 5.99), (8, Abyssinian gladiolus, Gladiolus murielae, Bulbs, White, Non poisonous, Augsut to October, Scented, No, Full sun, Moist, well-drained soil, South, No special conditions, Middle of border, Delightlful spikes of nodding, funnel-shaped, highly fragrant white flowers, with a prominent burgundy blotch at the base of each petal, seem to dance on the breeze at the ends of their slender stems from late summer. It is a delightfully elegant plant that is ideal for adding movement to a sunny border. Plant it in clumps throughout the beds, or pot them up and keep them on the patio next to a seating area or often-used pathway, where you will be sure to make the most of the heady scent. , 4.99), (9, Lily, Lilium Dimension, Bulbs, Deepest red, Non poisonous, July to August, Scented, No, Partial shade, Moist, acidic soil, South, No special conditions, Middle of border, Branching, near-black stems carry clusters of upward-facing, dark claret-coloured flowers from midsummer. An asiatic hybrid, the tepals that make up the trumpet-shaped flowers, become more re-curved as the flower ages., 5.99), (10, Striped bloody cranesbill, Geranium sanguineum var. striatum, Mediterranean, Light purple, Non poisonous, June to August, Unscented, No, Full sun or partial shade, Fertile, well-drained soil, West, Dry shade, In a rock garden, fertile, well-drained soil, 7.99); ); CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `Staff` ( `Staff_ID` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT, `Full Name` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Address` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `Phone number` varchar(255) NOT NULL, `DOB` date NOT NULL, PRIMARY KEY (`Staff_ID`) ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 AUTO_INCREMENT=8 ; data for table `Staff` INSERT INTO `Staff` (`Staff_ID`, `Full Name`, `Address`, `Phone number`, `DOB`) VALUES (1, Dean Beale, 3 Crennop Road, CRENSHAW, C52 4ND, 077 8192 8493, 1973-11-19), (2, Isabell Edwards, 29 Beddie Road, PORTERS, CA1 0AS, 079 1028 9487, 1965-01-01), (3, Coutinho, 8 Hohlong Street, TREVENDALEIO, KL41 1LE, 070 5878 0006, 1966-02-17), (4, Mirak Klose, 81 Trollige Road, MAGGIE, DG7 2AH, 075 4832 1123, 1988-10-08), (5, ‘Toni Kroos’, 4 Menaos Lane, PORT TRAK, PA4 1FD, 078 5466 6665, 1956-05-31), (6, El Ahmadi’, 49 Kosovo Street, YEOVILSON, NG1 2HG, 077 5477 7908, 1985-09-13), (7, Gary Hooper, 53 Johnsonia Road, PITIFALL, PF15 3VB, 079 2122 5767, 1990-11-02); 4) DELETE FROM ‘GARDEN-CENTER’,’CUSTOMERS’ WHERE ‘Customer’,’Customer_ID’=1 UPDATE `GARDEN-CENTER`.`Customers` SET `Address` = 7 Windsor Road, CHESEFIELD, FH1 9LA WHERE `Customers`.`Customer_ID` = 1; 5) CREATE USER Staff@localhost IDENTIFIED BY GardenCenter; GRANT INSERT, DELETE, GRANT OPTION ON PLANTS TO USER STAFF 6) CREATE USER Staff2@localhost IDENTIFIED BY GardenCenter; GRANT INSERT ON Customers TO USER STAFF2 7) REVOKE INSERT ON PLANTS FROM user STAFF

Saving Private Ryan Historical Review Essay -- essays research papers

Saving Private Ryan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I chose Saving Private Ryan, the 1998 movie directed by Steven Spielberg about the invasion at Normandy and a special mission that follows, as the topic of my paper. The mission is for eight men to go behind enemy lines and rescue a soldier who’s brothers have died in battle and bring him back.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie starts with the D-Day invasion at Normandy Beach, a very tragic and great day at the same time. Allied troops were being shot the second the landing vehicles opened, mortars were dropping all over, there was no cover, and those who sought refuge in the water were drowned by the weight of their equipment. As all of this happens, we follow members of one unit as they struggle to make their way on shore. Bodies are dropping everywhere, the wounded are piling up, and things are looking down. After intense battle and effort, however, the Allied forces finally take the beach, but not without a high cost of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From what I know and have heard about the D-Day invasion, the movie was very accurate on it’s portrayal of the attack. The action was so intense at the movie theater I first saw it in that a veteran got up and left for a while because he was crying so bad. I later found out that he had actually been there and that seeing it so vividly on screen had brought back too many bad memories. If that doesn’t convey realism, I don’t know what does.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ...

Civil Disobedience in an Unjust America

Ahmed Syed Professor Ravy Eng 112-536 04/27/2010 Civil Disobedience in an Unjust America According to the infamous essay by Henry David Thoreau, civil disobedience is the conscious and intentional disobeying of a law to advance a moral principle or change government policy. Throughout the essay, Thoreau urges the need for individuals to put their personal and social consciousness before their allegiance to their government and its range of policies. Thoreau believed that if a government is unjust, citizens should simply refuse to follow the law and eventually begin to distance themselves from their government in a variety of ways.Although published 105 years one of the most turbulent and crucial times in American history, the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement saw the congruence between their plight and the teachings in Civil Disobedience. The protests led by legendary activist Martin Luther King and the watershed event of Rosa Park’s infamous bus ride were just two instance s in which civil disobedience came to fruition in modern day America. The following quote by Thoreau laid the groundwork for the basis of the actions of many civil rights activists, King and Parks included, â€Å"I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward†¦The only obligation which I have is the right to do what I think right. † (Civil Disobedience 475). The aforementioned quote reveals Thoreau’s belief that it was a citizen’s obligation to withdraw from participating in an unjust and evil government and gives support to future opposition to the American Government as scene during the 1950s and 1960s. Thoreau argues on several issues throughout his essay which include disassociation and reform, however one overarching and undeniable argument that is present throughout his essay is that the American government is an unjust government that must be corrected.This belief was also held by civil rights activists. Through this research paper, the foundation of Thoreau’s ideas and their penetration into modern American history will be explored. The social context surrounding Thoreau and his work includes two prevalent issues: slavery and The Mexican-American War. During the 1840s, when Civil Disobedience was published, the North and South were at odds over the issue of slavery. During the same time, many Americans also believed it was their â€Å"manifest destiny† to claim parts of Mexico as the United States.Based on these two issues, Thoreau argues that the United States is an evil and unjust government. Thoreau and Paul Power’s Civil Disobedience as Functional Opposition both argue that if the government were not evil in its objectives and agenda then the idea and practice of civil disobedience would not have been needed nor created. According to Powers, â€Å"due the established evil of our government, there are both moral and ideological grounds for justifying civil disobedience,† (Powers 37). This is because civil disobedience is a reaction to unjust government.Although many argue against civil disobedience by saying unjust laws made by a democratic legislature can be changed by a democratic legislature and that the existence of lawful channels of change make civil disobedience unnecessary, Thoreau and Powers would argue that the constitution and said laws are the problem, not the solution. According to Thoreau, governments are often â€Å"abused and perverted† (Civil Disobedience 249) so that they no longer reflect the needs and opinions of the common people.The American government showcased the aforementioned abuse and perversion during Thoreau’s time in their partaking in the Mexican-American War. The main objective of the war was the take land from Mexico in order to create a larger and more powerful America. According to Thoreau, the American government achieved these objectives through an unfair armed conflict that was reminiscent of the long arm of European monarchies Thoreau also argued that the American government was unjust in its total support of slavery.Thoreau believed that citizens of the United States must stop slavery and the war with Mexico, even if it costs them their existence as a people. In order to truly make his arguments effective, Thoreau used ethos and pathos to persuade the people of his era. His use of ethos is evident throughout the entire essay. Thoreau establishes that he is a credible source as he himself has practiced civil disobedience and has been imprisoned for doing so. Thoreau says, â€Å"I have paid no poll-tax for six years.I was put into jail once on this account, for one night; and, as I stood considering the walls of solid stone†¦I cold not help being struck with the foolishness of that institution† (Civil Disobedience 249). In the aforementioned quote, not only does he build his own credibility as a sort of martyr for his cause, but he discredits the opposition, the government. Thoreau engages the audience by way of pathos as he speaks on such an emotional level about pressing issues that almost every American had an opinion on, the war and slavery (Civil Disobedience 243. Thoreau’s use of ethos and pathos was so successful and convincing that that it resonated with Americans over 100 years later. Thoreau’s teachings helped to form and energize the American civil rights movement. His ideas and teachings were applied to sit-ins at lunch counters, the freedom ride to Mississippi, peaceful protests in Georgia, and the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. All of these defining moments were the outcome of Thoreau's insistence that â€Å"evil must be resisted and that no moral man can patiently adjust to injustice† (Thoreau 244).Thoreau also uses sensory imagery to convince and reach his audience in the following quote: â€Å"If the injustice has a spring, or a pulley, or a rope, or a crank, exclusively for itself, then perhaps you may consi der whether the remedy will not be worse than the evil†¦Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine† (Civil Disobedience 248). This quote applies Thoreau’s somewhat abstract theories and ideas about evil and injustice to tangible and common objects, allowing all members of his audience to understand the major arguments of his essay.The use of the concrete words machine, spring, pulley, rope, and crank allow Thoreau’s audience to take what he is saying and apply it to common processes and mages that they understand because they are parts of their common and everyday lives. Columnist Bob Herbert, of the New York Times, recently wrote an article about Martin Luther King’s opposition to the Vietnam War, which can be compared with Thoreau’s thoughts on the Mexican-American War. Herbert cited King as saying the United States Government, in regards to their war efforts was, â€Å"Corrupt, inept, and without popular support,† (Herber t 2010).Herbert went on to further to say, â€Å"Dr. King spoke about the damage the Vietnam War was doing to America’s war on poverty, and the way it was undermining other important domestic initiatives. What he wanted from the U. S. was not warfare overseas but a renewed commitment to economic and social justice at home. As he put it: â€Å"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death,† (Herbert 2010). Not only did King agree with Thoreau on the social, piritual, and moral wrongs of war, but he also practiced civil disobedience and was sent to jail just as Thoreau was. In April of 1963, King was imprisoned in Birmingham, Alabama for his participation and leadership of the Birmingham campaign, a planned non-violent protest conducted by the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights and King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference against racial segregation (King). While imprisoned, King wrote a Letter from a Birmingham Jail, which is equivalent to Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience in that he demonstrated that he was in Birmingham in the first place because injustice resided there.Within the letter he also stated the sole reason for his imprisonment was for protesting those injustices. Letter from a Birmingham Jail was the root of King’s views on civil disobedience. As the primary leader the Civil Rights Movement, King was known for his views on the value of civil disobedience as a way to achieve political attention and change, similar to Thoreau. Specifically, King studied and used methods of Thoreau’s civil disobedience to combat and change segregation laws.King’s thoughts on civil disobedience raised similar theoretical questions to Thoreau’s about the relationship between an individual, their government, and one’s moral and political duties in upholding their personal social contract with the US governm ent (Melendez). Within the letter, King utilizes the same ethos and pathos that Thoreau used 100 years earlier. King builds his credibility and rapport by explaining himself as a reliable, competent, activist who has the utmost respect for his audience's ideas and values. This can be seen as he writes, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B. C. left their villages and carried their â€Å"thus saith the Lord† far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid† (Letter from a Birmingham Jail 207). In conclusion, while Thoreau and his disciple Martin Luther King Jr. ncourage the need for individuals to correctly and justly prioritize their individua l conscious and the laws of their government, they essentially argue that the reason for the institution of civil disobedience is because the American government is and will always be an unjust government. Thoreau believes this is true not only because of their involvement in the Mexican-American War and their firm support of slavery, but because the American government’s actions are derived from the needs, opinions, and desires of a small group of citizens who fail to represent the majority.

Current Issues in the Philippines Essay

According to the Greek philosopher, Plato, â€Å"Nothing is more important in human life as education. It is an indispensable necessity for mankind.† Education is the key that levels the playing field of opportunity between the rich and poor, amongst social classes and races. In the Philippines, the lack of education is the primary reason why it cannot move forward towards progress, and has led to social problems such as: scarcity of job opportunities, impoverished family life, and lack of environmental concerns among the marginalized members of our society. The lack of education of Filipinos living in the slum areas in major cities of the country is the void that keeps the gap between the rich and the poor. It is one of the major contributory factors that has caused the Philippines to remain as a third world country, aside from corruption in government. Our president, Benigno C. Aquino III, strongly believes that education is the first step that will lead the Filipinos to the â€Å"tuwid na daan.† The lack of education can be equated to poor job opportunities. Job hiring, nowadays, is highly competitive among fresh graduates. In fact, the degree or course of an individual is not only the basis for getting a good paying job, but from what university or college he/she graduated from. Hence, since good job opportunities are scarce for those who have not gone to school, low paying â€Å"blue-collar jobs† is the only means to survive. Most often, these people are the victims of contractualization from which they do not receive benefits as compared to regular employees, and the protection from the abuses of companies that give below daily minimum wage that is set by law. In the survey conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in 2011 on Child Labor, it showed that out of the 29.019 million Filipino children aged 5-17 years old, about 18.9 percent or 5.59 million were already working, usually in hazardous conditions. For parents who lack education, they actually pressu re their children to work. Instead of sending them to school, they force them to do so in order to help in the family’s financial needs. It works to the advantage of companies, those cost-cutting with their labor over-head, to employ children at a low cost. In reality, even these children themselves are unaware of their rights. They choose to work because they witness the poverty in their own family for which they feel the responsibility to help. In the remote provinces, young women who lack  education are victims of white slavery or women trafficking, either domestically or abroad. They are forced by their parents who are bribed by recruitment agencies, without knowing that their daughters will be turned into sex slaves by foreigners or even local sex dens in key cities in the country. Out-of-school-youth is increasing every year as the population increases. There have been crime syndicates preempting these children to commit crime since they are protected by the â€Å"juvenile law.† Minors at the age of 15 who commit crime will not be charged of the crime committed in a regular court, but will simply have to undergo rehabilitation in the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Because of this, crime rates committed by minors have increased in the past years since the conceptualization of this law. Another social impact of the lack of education is poverty. Since job opportunities are deficient, the financial status of the family suffers. Such condition leads to poor family planning, malnutrition, and juvenile delinquency. The lack of the basic knowledge on family planning has led to population explosion among the poor families. Statistically, large family size comes from the underprivileged families of the society. This is the result of the myth that the more children they have, the more chances they will have to be free from poverty if one of their children is fortunate enough to find a job that pays well. According to Plato, â€Å"No man should bring children into the world, which is unwilling to persevere to the end in their nature and education.† Parents must be mindful of their responsibility of sending their children to school in order for them to have a brighter future, and not by means of luck. The lack of environmental awareness is another detrimental effect caused by the lack of education. These poor families are also known as informal settlers that reside in slum areas. They have created environmental problems such as air pollution, water pollution, flooding and congestion. Since they are formed in an environment where exposure to all kinds of pollution is highest, they usually operate outside society’s norms where environmental laws are not strictly enforced. They are situated along river lines or seashores which are frequently affected by typhoons, rains, erosion and sea  surges. Not only does is this harmfully affect their environment, but also their health. The risk of over-crowding along rivers and the narrowing of our floodway system, the garbage pollution they contribute everyday lead to disease outbreak like dengue, flooding, and casualties during typhoons and heavy rains. For a family of a deprived household with more mouths to feed, children also become victims of malnutrition. Improper nutrition affects all body systems, from physical growth and vision, brain vigor, and immunity. According to the survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), Filipino children suffer from micronutrient deficiency: Vitamin A, iodine and iron. The lack of Vitamin A affects eye health, while iodine affects cognitive functions and iron for fighting anemia. These defects have been mostly rampant among children of distressed families. Lack of education is one of the major reasons why there is poverty in the country. To level the playing field of opportunities to every Filipino, I suggest that the government provide free and quality education to every child. The K-12 program in our educational system is one of the best initiatives this administration has done. The underprivileged children can now compete with children in exclusive schools, since they now have the same foundation of nursery and kinder education in preparation for a free grade one to seventh grade education given to them by the government. The passing of the RH bill is also a positive move the present government has done to address overpopulation. Relocating informal settlers to a safer community environment is a long term remedy for the issue of over-crowding, flooding and health risks. As mentioned, education is the only way to level the playing field of opportunities between the rich and the poor. As Plato said, â€Å"Every boy and girl must be educated to his/her limit. Education, therefore, should be provided by the state not by parents.† The government’s K-12 program shows its determination to provide every child the right to education. What matters here is the full implementation of the programs that would benefit every child, especially those in the farthest corners of the country. Plato perceived education â€Å"as the total development of a man: mind, body, and soul by using every possible means.† Knowing the capabilities and ingenuity of every Filipino, through education, we can help the Philippines become one of the leading countries in Asia in the coming years. REFERENCES: Ballesteros, M. M. (2010). _Linking poverty and the environment: Evidence from slums in philippine cities._ Retrieved on December 19, 2013 from http://dirp3.pids.gov.ph/ris/dps/pidsdps1033.pdf. Castillo, T. (2013). _Pinoy kids micronutrient deficient._ Retrieved on December 19, 2013 from http://tempo.com.ph/2013/06/pinoy-kids-micronutrient-de%EF%AC%81cient/#.UtSTrzfnimR. Cousins, B., Fry, S. (2002). _Health of children living in urban slums in asia and the near east: Review of existing literature and data._ Retrieved on December 19, 2013 from http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNACQ101.pdf. Salaverria, L. B. (2013). _Revised penal code revised: Criminal age lowered to 13 in house bill._ Retrieved on December 19, 2013 from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/465181/revised-penal-code-revised-criminal-age-lowered-to-13-in-house-bill. Tesha, J. (n.d). _Plato’s concept of education._ Retrieved on December 19, 2013 from http://sdsmorogoro.com/common/My%20pages/Research%20Papers/Plato%27s%20Concept%20of%20Education.html. Tubeza, P. C. (2012). _5.50 million child laborers in philippines, says ILO survey._ Retrieved on December 19, 2013 from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/218947/philippines-has-3-m-child-laborers-nso-ilo.

visit to earth observatory essays

visit to earth observatory essays Every year the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory holds an open house in which scientists share their studies and really let the public see what and how they do what they do. Scientists at this research center are working together studying different fields of the Geologic sciences ranging from Oceanography, Geochemistry, Seismology, and even Marine Biology share their findings with the public. This year like every other year, they set up deferent exhibits and share the current research, studies and illustrations of the different Geologic processes along with their findings with anybody who is interested. For this assignment, we were asked to describe five of the exhibits from the LDEO open house. The five exhibits that called my attention the most were the Seismology, Geochemistry, Oceanography, Demonstration of Hard and Soft behavior of the surface of our, and the Water Current Exhibit. 1- Seismology in simple terms is the study of earthquakes; it involves observations of natural ground vibrations and artificial vibrations. In this exhibit, the scientists were explaining how and earthquake forms and how it can be detected even hundreds of miles away via a Seismograph. Someone asked the question what is an earthquake. And the response was well, its a trembling or shaking of the ground causes by a sudden release of energy, energy that is stored in the rocks beneath the surface. I thought that was great so then, I asked how is this energy stored? And his explanation was very well illustrated by a simple demonstration. There sere two bricks joined together by a rubber band, at the end of the first brick there was a nylon thread which was being pulled slowly. He said imagine these two bricks are two plates floating on the mantle, as one moves slowly, it is pulling the rubber band that is attached to the other brick and tension is building over time then very sudden a nd quickly the rubb...

Relationship between knowledge and emotion Essays

Relationship between knowledge and emotion Essays Relationship between knowledge and emotion Essay Relationship between knowledge and emotion Essay There can be no knowledge without emotion until we have felt the force of the knowledge, it is not ours. (adapted from Arnold Bennett). Discuss this vision of the relationship between knowledge and emotion.  The role of emotion has, for a long time, been downplayed in majority of our societies; people try to distinguish and thus diminish its significance by attempting to separate it distinctively from other aspects like reasoning. This is possibly due to the fact that peoples emotions do tend to fog our perception and perspective of things at that very moment it is experienced. We know better than to expect an outraged, angry man to reason very well and take right decisions at the heat of the moment. We are more than often advised to be reasonable and to control our emotions rather than be emotional. Being emotional is even taken in a negative way as an insult most of the times. More than often, all our emotions do is unnecssarily obstruct our attempt to make reasonable decisions when in a complicated situation, or prevent us from thinking clearly when making a choice. However, despite our underestimation of emotions, it may strike us as unusual and inconsistent to know that emotion, along with language, reason and perception is regarded as one of the four principle ways of knowing. It is close to impossible for us to deny the fact that our feelings and/or our emotions mean a great deal to us and our daily lives. It is something that we were born with and live with everyday, a significantly integral part of ourselves that we cant possibly ignore. And that is why we feel so naturally inclined to consult our emotions whenever there is a problem or a decision to be made, despite all the dubious concerns we have about it. Regarding the statement by Bennett which says, There can be no knowledge without emotion until we have felt the force of the knowledge, it is not ours, it seemingly suggests that emotion plays a crucial part in the acquiring and the absolute sense of knowledge. But it can be pointed out that the first part of the statement is quite blatantly incorrect. We know all four angles of a square are ninety degrees, which becomes knowledge, and it does not involve or require our emotions at all to know it. But it can be said that in certain cases, such as the justification of something in order for it to be called knowledge, our emotions do guide and influence us in perceiving how we perceive what we hear or see. Nevertheless, it is important for us to control our emotions as well, for we know that if we let our emotions get the better of us and let it roam free, it can delude us, diminishing our power to reason and thus transform the knowledge we obtain. Our emotion is always there, it is difficult to imagine our life devoid any emotions. We describe some people as being cold and lacking emotions, but there is no such thing as a person having no emotions at all. It may be that they prefer not to expose them, have fewer of them or even that they are in complete control of them. But as recent psychological studies have suggested, if a person did not have any emotions, then his/her life would eventually be ruined. Antonio Damasio, a psychologist and the author of Descartes Error, did a case study on a patient whose emotional centers in his brain had been damaged due to an accident. It was later concluded that although the patient mostly appeared normal and remembered things he had learnt prior to the accident, he had lost the ability to make decisions since he had emotions to guide him to do it. Thus he made his decisions on the basis of reason alone and suffered from mental breakdowns. This study tells us how one patients emotions largely determine his ability to make able decisions, and thus the same could apply to more of us as well. It could mean that this sort of impulse comes to us so naturally that we completely take it for granted until something happens and we lose, like Damasios patient. According to Arnold Bennetts statement, he suggests that our emotions control reason, our obtaining of knowledge, or that it fuels reason. It is true that emotions serve as an incentive to pursuit knowledge in an individual. It acts as some sort of drive for us to acquire certain knowledge, so that we long to know and find truth. With passion, knowledge becomes more achievable and desirable. Take for instance, Sir Thomas Edison; his invention has literally brought light to our world, but he failed countless number of times while carrying on his experiment. Yet, he never succumbed to failure and that eventually paid off and the world saw the greatest breakthrough of the century. But what could have been the reason behind Edisons strong determination, his unfaltering resolution on producing what he set out to produce? It couldnt possibly have been the laborious work which he had to develop time and again over a hundred times. No, it was the passion he had behind what he was doing, the emotional drive that motivated him to set out on this never-ending search for knowledge. As he quoted, Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration, the one percent of emotional energy, the passion and will preserved his dedication to his work. It provided the patience and perseverance for him to steadfastly hold on to his determination. The one percent inspiration, however minute that may seem instilled in him the passion and patience to labor hard; ninety nine percent perspiration. So this suggests a parallelism with Bennetts statement. However, Bennett has said, until we have felt the force of knowledge, it is not ours. By ours, could he mean that knowledge can be owned? Can one possess knowledge as ones own? And would it suggest that knowledge without the emotional force felt is not knowledge? Bennetts statement could be argued as being flawed in itself since it suggests that all our knowledge has some sort of an emotive origin, that it is subjective. And subjectivism, as we all know, cannot be justifiable when it comes to acquiring knowledge. However, in the matter of ethics and morals, Bennetts assertion could be held true, for do we really know of any ethical issues that do not involve the human emotion? Most, if not all, ethical situations have an emotive base and thus, give rise to controversial issues such as biasness, etc. We can even take an example in one of the areas of knowledge, for instance, history; history is knowledge that is supposed to be absolutely factual, that is supposed to provide us with the correct information of the past that we can all collectively agree on. However, we humans have always found it hard to detach our emotions with the events of the past. Our emotions and our nature of favoritism influences our decision to believe what event in a history is true, and what is not and should thus be omitted. If we take for example the issue of the Tibetan independence to be more specific, it is believed a lot of events in the history of Tibet have been altered in order to find parallelism with what the Chinese assert is true. However, it should be considered that what a Tibetan believes to have happened in the past greatly differs from what a Chinese would most probably believe because of the emotional attachment the former, as refugees stripped from their country, have with this particular issue. I, myself, being a Tibetan can name several events and happenings that greatly involve my feelings of loyalty to my country and disrespect for the one that took it away. And thus, as is very evident, emotions give rise to biasness and favoritism which intrude in our obtaining of knowledge. But again, if we talk about the Mathematics, we know solving equations involve no such emotions, unless one is working on a monumental theory or maybe simply finding a problem difficult to solve. Ultimately, in studying emotions, even though we tend to and are encouraged to think of it and reason as two separate aspects, in reality we will find that they are so closely related to one another that it is almost impossible to differentiate them as two distinct things. Hence, most believe that reason and emotion work together as one, although at times one may take over more control. Emotion adds and strengthens ones attainment of knowledge, and has an indestructible relationship with it. And despite the many controversial arguments brought up, like the Stoics idea of attaining self-control and pure knowledge by freeing ones self from all destructive emotions, we know our ability to reason would most likely be obsolete. Thus, however much we are discouraged to involve our emotions in our decisions and act of reasoning, the undeniable fact is that it an innate, integral part of ourselves and therefore, will always either be there to help or to intrude.

Argumentative Writing on the Good Effects of Advanced Technology Essay e

The first reason why technology is useful because it helps students have an increased ability to learn. This is because it is an easy way to reach a database that contains information that you would never imagine existed. In the articles that I read it mentioned how technology now allows children to observe things in a classroom in a whole new way, which allows them to be able to understand what they are learning even better than before. why technology is good in the educational field is because it is helping children learn that have a disability. â€Å"Meanwhile, Autism Speaks has launched an initiative titled Hacking Autism, where programmers and developers are invited to work on technology-based ideas to aid kids on the spectrum with learning and social skills.† This is stating how the advanced technology that we hryday lives to be easier and more advanced in a way that nobody could’ve ever imagine, anywhere from an increased ability to educate children and recordi ng data in a computer to saving lives in the hospital using a robotic arm. Works Cited Braiker/Parenting.com, Brian. "Technology in the Classroom: The Good and Bad." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 17 Jan. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. Hornof, Michelle. "The Bellingham Herald." INSIDE OUR SCHOOLS: Technology and Discussions Drive Student Work Classroom. The Bellingham Herald, 26 Nov. 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. Lytle, Ryan. "Study: Emerging Technology Has Positive Impact in Classroom." US News. U.S.News World Report, 14 July 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. Woodley, Robyn. "The Slate Online Is Technology Good or Bad?" The Slate Online Is Technology Good or Bad? The Slate, 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

A Critique on What Determines Humanity and Right to Life Essay

A Critique on What Determines Humanity and Right to Life - Essay Example To start with, the author does not acknowledge the role of genetic humanity in determining moral humanity. Trying to eliminate the genetic component in determining moral humanity appear illogical and ridiculous to me. The genetic component and the moral aspect of a human are inseparable, a person only retain the traits distinguishing them as morally human only if the genetic composition is normal or not distorted. Altering the genetic component of a human being such as the nucleic acids can utterly deny personhood traits such as rationality, reasoning, consciousness, independence, and communicative ability hence humanity in the moral sense. Trying to detach the two facets makes the definition of moral humanity invalid. What is a human without the genes or even nucleotides? According to the author, an infant is accorded full human just because it can be adopted, this argument is void since the possibility of adoption does not make the infants morally human than an eight month old fetu s. The infant should not be considered more human just because it does not fully limit the rights of the mother. This paper is a critique of the article on the moral and legal status of abortion and seeks to establish the invalidity of the traits that determine if any entity is human or not. To support the conclusion that foetus are not morally human, not entitled to any human rights and thus can be aborted, the author gives several reasons. To start with, the author claims that the foetus does not satisfy the traits of humanity in the sense of morals. Another reason is that the unborn can be a source of risk on the mother’s health or even source of unhappiness. In addition, she argues that the right of a human outweighs that of the foetus that is not human and therefore the mother should determine the choice on whether the foetus is entitled to life. The author uses different types of premises to support her argument but mainly relies on the descriptive assumption. In descri ptive assumptions, she depicts and describes several examples to support her point of view. An example is the assumption of how a person visiting a new planet where there are alien beings would use the traits of humanity to discern if the organisms are human or not (Warren 434-440). In evaluative assumptions, the author assesses assumptions made by people on different grounds and evaluates them, some of which she rejects in the conclusion. Evaluation helps to distinguish if assumptions made are realistic or if they make any sense. Those that do not make sense are abandoned when concluding. A good example of evaluative assumption in the article is the one on the tendency of people criticising infanticide while it is not morally a misdemeanour. The author also appeals to general principles for example when she tries to explain why infants could be considered more human as compared to infants. In the example, the author posits that infants do not limit the right to the happiness of the mother since it can be given for adoption. The appeals to general principles are used to support the assumption described. The argument is invalid, since some premises that do not support the conclusion, others are missing, others controversial and in some instances the author appeals to public emotions. Inconsistency between different premises is evident throughout the article. A good example is the author denunciation of foetus as not human on basis of absence of traits defining a human, acknowledging infants also lack these traits and later alluring to people’s emotions in the conclusion by agreeing infants could be more human just because their restriction to mothers liberty is lesser. Another

Psychology- oral presentation-change in family structure Essay - 1

Psychology- oral presentation-change in family structure - Essay Example Sociologists believe that the neutral family developed with the growth of industrialization. A smaller family unit was more practical in urban areas that flourished during the industrialization era. The extended family is a type of family structure that is believed to have been prevalent among agricultural societies. There are two main reasons why this is a characteristic of rural societies. Firstly, in an agricultural society wealth is measured by the amount of land. This kind of wealth may have been in the possession of successive generations so one finds that parents, grandparents, in-laws usually live or stay close to the source of the wealth. Secondly, the labor force needed for the land came mainly from the family members so it was necessary to be in close proximity to the farm. These families are usually self-sufficient. One would find that this is also a patriarchal type of family as the oldest male member is usually the figure of authority. In industrialized societies, in some instances, the extended family may exist to facilitate maintaining cultural traditions as well as being financially viable. A good example is the number of Mexican Americans as well as Asian Amer icans who live as together and share living quarters. Other types of family structures include single-parent, reconstituted or step-family, communal families, and foster families. There have been political as well as socio-cultural changes in the world over the last century and a half that have led to the creation of these family structures. One of the greatest agents of change was the legal reforms in the 1960s that transformed divorces and marriages. Prior to these reforms, the granting of divorce was based on fault where either partner had to blame the other or prove the fault of the other in court. The first state in the United States of America to change this law was California through the enactment

Reader response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reader response - Essay Example Ideally, it is factual that the pursuit to any goal is always very challenging and obstacles can prevent somebody from achieving the desired goals. Doubts will always jeopardize our chances of succeeding. Notably, perseverance is what distinguishes winners from losers and quitters never win. With utmost dedication and perseverance, we can overcome all the challenges in our journey to success and emerge as victors. The poem starts with a serious acclamation urging the audience to â€Å"Roll the dice†¦. if you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, do not even start.† This statement seeks to encourage the audience to start the pursuit, take chances, take risks, and make a commitment with a hope to succeed. Ideally, rolling the dice signals the beginning of a game of chances where the player can either win or lose. Nevertheless, despite the possibility of negative result, a dedicated player must make up their mind, start the game, and hope to win. The poet asserts that such a decision should not carry any doubts and the audience must commit themselves to the end. Indeed, trying is always not enough since the end justifies the means. A double-hearted person will mostly lose because they do not believe in themselves and in the system. As such, the poet urges the audience to persevere and go all the way to the end if they dare to try. After all we can only ascertain the end result if the player finishes the challenge. Otherwise, the poet notes that there is no need to start the pursuit if one does not have a commitment to go all the way. Indeed, having double standards, doubts, and lack of confidence will lead to poor results of the pursuit. The poet goes ahead to establish the possible challenges and consequences that might arise from such a commitment. Ideally, in making a serious decision to pursue a certain goal to the end with all means, one must denounce so many things, people, pleasures, and other

Science tells us the truth about reality (or not) Essay

Science tells us the truth about reality (or not) - Essay Example Science is victorious in the curing of doubt because it helps in tracking the real world state. It however cannot tell us the truth about reality. Many people have the belief that science is purely objective (Science and Reality, 1984). That it can be likened to a machine for churning out facts and converting ignorance to knowledge. Scientists are also seen like they are a special breed of truth-discoverers. Their pronouncements are viewed like the gospel. However, in reality, the practice of science deserves a more cynical look. Scientists are human too. They have insecurities to navigate, reputations to defend and careers to progress. They also do not abandon their years-long research programs or theories the minute something bad happens (Thind, 1939). Studies that did not work are run again, equipment is repaired or replaced and assistants of research get fired. It can be a messy job. A person’s best bet might be to appeal to some account of ideal form, citing a privileged relationship to truth if they wanted to mount a defense of science. And so long as it is done right, science deserves our commitment since it exceeds subjective belief and common sense and manages to latch on to ultimate reality in some systematic way. We would be compelled by science if we are committed to reason (Latour, 1999). However, this is where the founder of the school of thought known as pragmatism, Charles Peirce would disagree. In an essay he wrote in 1877, the fixation of belief (Peirce, 1997), he tries to forward the method of science without appeal to rationality, objective truth or reason. He instead argues that science if more like a good trick that happens to trump all other prescriptions. This is what pragmatism is all about. Anyone has uncertainty? Try science. Not for any metaphysical or theoretic reason but on the rounds of pragmatism instead. It just works. That explanation may however be too easy. First we may want to ask

Victims and The Criminal Justice system of England and Wales Essay

Victims and The Criminal Justice system of England and Wales - Essay Example Also ‘Everyone has a right to follow a course of action that others judge to be unwise or eccentric, including one which may lead to them being abused ’according to the document ‘Safeguarding Adults’( page 21). routine activity theory, this being also known as either opportunity theory or exposure theory and is described by David Garson on his web page ‘Routine Activity Theory’ Garson believes that victimization is because of exposure to risks, by which he means that more people place themselves in positions of risk obviously the more they increase their chance of becoming victims. The problem with such theories is that they place the responsibility for lessening risk on the victim alone, rather than placing any stress on the motivation of criminals or the responsibilities of law enforcement officials. Also some factors are beyond the person’s ability to change – females are more likely to be victims as are the poor and those who are obviously different - whether because of their skin colour, mental incapacity or religious beliefs. The Sociology 4099 lecture page speaks about social structure being a factor, the poorer section of society being more likely to be victimized, but the causes are seen as both economic and concerned with power – money speaks and the murder of children for instance, especially females , is described as socio-structural victimization. Although the police and social services will often offer some initial support, simply because they may be the first people involved outside a victim’s family, the majority of support available in England and Wales comes from Victim Support, a government aided charity as described on the You Gov web page ‘Victim Support in England and Wales’. The group offer confidential support, advice and give practical help with such things as replacing locks or making repairs. They also offer a witness support role whereby they do such things as accompanying a victim to the court, showing

Reader response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reader response - Essay Example Ideally, it is factual that the pursuit to any goal is always very challenging and obstacles can prevent somebody from achieving the desired goals. Doubts will always jeopardize our chances of succeeding. Notably, perseverance is what distinguishes winners from losers and quitters never win. With utmost dedication and perseverance, we can overcome all the challenges in our journey to success and emerge as victors. The poem starts with a serious acclamation urging the audience to â€Å"Roll the dice†¦. if you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, do not even start.† This statement seeks to encourage the audience to start the pursuit, take chances, take risks, and make a commitment with a hope to succeed. Ideally, rolling the dice signals the beginning of a game of chances where the player can either win or lose. Nevertheless, despite the possibility of negative result, a dedicated player must make up their mind, start the game, and hope to win. The poet asserts that such a decision should not carry any doubts and the audience must commit themselves to the end. Indeed, trying is always not enough since the end justifies the means. A double-hearted person will mostly lose because they do not believe in themselves and in the system. As such, the poet urges the audience to persevere and go all the way to the end if they dare to try. After all we can only ascertain the end result if the player finishes the challenge. Otherwise, the poet notes that there is no need to start the pursuit if one does not have a commitment to go all the way. Indeed, having double standards, doubts, and lack of confidence will lead to poor results of the pursuit. The poet goes ahead to establish the possible challenges and consequences that might arise from such a commitment. Ideally, in making a serious decision to pursue a certain goal to the end with all means, one must denounce so many things, people, pleasures, and other

Victims and The Criminal Justice system of England and Wales Essay

Victims and The Criminal Justice system of England and Wales - Essay Example Also ‘Everyone has a right to follow a course of action that others judge to be unwise or eccentric, including one which may lead to them being abused ’according to the document ‘Safeguarding Adults’( page 21). routine activity theory, this being also known as either opportunity theory or exposure theory and is described by David Garson on his web page ‘Routine Activity Theory’ Garson believes that victimization is because of exposure to risks, by which he means that more people place themselves in positions of risk obviously the more they increase their chance of becoming victims. The problem with such theories is that they place the responsibility for lessening risk on the victim alone, rather than placing any stress on the motivation of criminals or the responsibilities of law enforcement officials. Also some factors are beyond the person’s ability to change – females are more likely to be victims as are the poor and those who are obviously different - whether because of their skin colour, mental incapacity or religious beliefs. The Sociology 4099 lecture page speaks about social structure being a factor, the poorer section of society being more likely to be victimized, but the causes are seen as both economic and concerned with power – money speaks and the murder of children for instance, especially females , is described as socio-structural victimization. Although the police and social services will often offer some initial support, simply because they may be the first people involved outside a victim’s family, the majority of support available in England and Wales comes from Victim Support, a government aided charity as described on the You Gov web page ‘Victim Support in England and Wales’. The group offer confidential support, advice and give practical help with such things as replacing locks or making repairs. They also offer a witness support role whereby they do such things as accompanying a victim to the court, showing

Prevalence of Self-Medication Essay Example for Free

Prevalence of Self-Medication Essay Antibiotic self-medication among university medical undergraduates in Northern Nigeria Joseph O. Fadare 1* and Igbiks Tamuno 2 1Department of Medicine, Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, Nigeria 2Department of Pharmacology, Bayero University, Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. Accepted 20 April, 2011 Self-medication is becoming a common type of self-care behavior among the population of many countries. Many international studies have investigated the prevalence and nature of self-medication practices at the population level. In Nigeria, some workers have also looked at the population prevalence of self-medication in general; however the prevalence of antibiotic self-medication among medical undergraduates has not yet been studied. The interest in studying this practice among this select group is due to the fact that they are the future prescribers and health educators of the population of Nigeria. The study was a cross-sectional pre-tested questionnaire-based study carried out among medical students of the Bayero University, Kano, North-West Nigeria during a two-week period in August 2008. The information from the returned questionnaire were coded, entered and analyzed using SPSS Version 12 statistical software. A total of 183 students filled and returned the questionnaire giving a response rate of 83.2%. Out of these respondents, 120 (65.6%) were males and the mean age of respondents was 23.2  ± 2.5 years (Range 17 to 31). 71 (38.8%) of the medical students admitted to the practice and there was no statistically significant difference among the different levels of medical education (p 0.05). Antibiotics from the penicillin group (ampicillin/cloxacillin, amoxicillin and ampicillin) were the most frequently used. Self-medication with antibiotics is prevalent among medical undergraduates in Northern Nigeria. There is a need for an intervention to address this practice. Key words: Antibiotics, self-medication, medical undergraduates, Nigeria. INTRODUCTION Antibiotics are one of the most prescribed drugs worldwide (Tà ¼nger et al., 2000). Self-medication with antibiotics is a common practice in many countries in the world although the trend seems to be more in developing or resource-poor nations (Awad et al., 2005). Some of the reasons that have been found responsible for this trend include lack of access to health care,  availability of antibiotics as over the counter (OTC) drugs and in open markets and poor regulatory practices (Vaananen et al., 2006). Self-medication with antibiotics has been identified as one form of irrational use of medicine contributing to *Corresponding author. E-mail: [emailprotected] Tel: +234- 8138048127. increased healthcare costs, antimicrobial drug resistance and sometimes increased morbidity among the popu- lation (Aswapokee et al., 1990; Okeke et al., 1999). The practice of self-medication in general has been widely studied among populations of many countries in Africa, Asia and Europe (Martins et al., 2002; Yousef et al., 2008; Awad et al., 2007a). One of the factors that have been found to influence this practice is the level of education of the research participants (Afolabi, 2008). Many studies have also previously looked at the pre- valence, nature and reasons for self-medication among university undergraduates (non-medical) in different countries of the world (Zafar et al., 2008; Sawalha, 2008; Lucas et al., 2007). There are also studies on general self-medication practices among medical undergraduates in some other countries (Buke et al., 2005; Chowdhury 218 J. Public Health Epidemiol. et al., 2009). In Nigeria, previous studies have concen- trated on general self-medication practices among the population (Afolabi, 2008) and health care workers (Bamgboye et al., 2006). This study of antibiotic self- medication practice among university medical undergraduates in Nigeria is very important as they are a segment of the population that is highly educated and with access to information regarding their health. Looking at this practice among medical undergraduates is also very vital as they represent the future generation of drug prescribers and health educationists. The understanding of the level of antibiotic self-medication practice and the reasons for it will enable for different interventional strategies. It will also help policy makers to develop approaches for a more rational use of antibiotics in the community in general. The main objective of this study was to determine the frequency and nature of antibiotic self-medication practice among university medical undergraduates in the Northern part of Nigeria. This study also sought if there is any relationship between the level of medical education and the self-medication  practice. METHODS The study was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study carried out among medical students of the Bayero University, Kano, North- West Nigeria during a two-week period in August 2008. Sampling A total of two hundred and twenty self-administered questionnaires were distributed to students from different level of medical education (200 to 500 Level) using a convenient sampling system. Questionnaire The questionnaire which had been pre-tested among students of another faculty in the university consisted of both open and close ended questions. The questionnaires were administered to the students through their class representatives who also returned the filled ones. The act of filling and returning of the forms was taken as consent of the students to participate and the study was approved by the Hospital Ethics Committee. The lead question was â€Å"Have you practiced self-medication with antibiotics in the last two months?’The duration of two months was chosen because of the belief that recall of medication use is still very reliable within that time frame. Other questions include: The reasons for indulging in self-medication, conditions for which the drugs were taken and the antibiotics that were being used. Statistical analyses The information from the returned questionnaire were coded and entered using SPSS version 12 statistical software. Results were expressed as counts and percentages while Chi-square test was used for to investigate possible associations between sex, level of medical education and antibiotic self-medication practice. A p-value 0.05 was considered as statistically significant for the purpose of this study. RESULTS A total of one 183 students filled and returned the questionnaire giving a response rate of 83.2%. Out of these respondents, one hundred and twenty (65.6%) were males and the mean age of all respondents was 23.2  ± 2.5 years (Range 17 to 31 years). The distribution of the respondents according to level of medical education is shown in Table 1. In response to the question  whether respondents had practiced self- medication in the preceding two months, 71 (38.8%) of the medical students admitted to the practice and there was no statistically significant difference among the different levels of medical education (p 0.05). Though self-medication with antibiotics was more common among the male students, this difference was not statistically significant (p 0.05). The common conditions for which the antibiotics were taken include diarrhea, sore throat, fever, cough and catarrh among others (Table 2). Antibiotics from the penicillin group (ampicillin/cloxacillin, amoxicillin and ampicill in) were the most frequently used for self-medication among the respondents (Table 3). 29 (42.6%) of the medical undergraduates who indulged in the practice did it because they considered their ailment as being mild while 24 (35.3%) were involved in it because of their past experience with the particular antibiotic. Regarding the source of the antibiotics used for self-medication, majority of the respondents (57.4%) patronized patent medicine stores while hospital and community pharmacies were the suppliers for 13 (19.1%) and 11 (16.2%) of the respondents, respectively. Only 1 respondent (1.5%) used the leftover from a previous prescription in this study. Majority of the medical undergraduates (89.6%) knew that the normal duration of treatment was supposed to be at least a minimum of 5 days; however only 34 (49.3%) of the respondents actually completed the course of treatment. This study also found out that gender of the respondents did not influence significantly the practice of antibiotic self-medication (p = 0.07). DISCUSSION Sample population and self-medication The frequency of antibiotic self- medication observed in our study is slightly lower than that reported in similar studies in Africa (Awad and Eltayeb, 2007b) and closer to that found in population-based studies in Jordan and Lithuania (Al-Azzam et al., 2007; Berzanskyte et al., 2006). This goes to show that there might not be a signi- ficant difference in self-care or health-seeking behavior between our segment of the population and the general population. This conclusion is also supported by findings from a study on self-medication in general among Fadare and Tamuno 219 Table 1. Distribution of respondents by level of medical education and practice of self-medication. University level Self-medication (Y) Self-medication (N) Total number of respondent 200 10 31 41 300 20 26 46 400 27 43 70 500 12 9 21 Missing value 2 3 5 Total 71 112 183 Table 2. Conditions for which self-medication was practiced. Condition No. of respondents (Percentage) Diarrhoea 17 (24.6) Sore throat 14 (20.3) Fever 12 (17.4) Cough 6 (8.7) Catarrh 4 (5.8) Toothache 4 (5.8) Body aches 2 (2.9) Others 10 (14.5) Table 3. Commonly used antibiotics by respondents. Antibiotics Frequency (Percentage) Ampicillin/cloxacillin 15 (22.1) Amoxicillin 12 (17.6) Metronidazole 12 (17.6) Co-trimoxazole 8 (11.8) Ciprofloxacin 6 (8.8) Tetracycline 6 (8.8) Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid 3 (4.4) Penicillin G 1 (1.5) health care workers of a tertiary healthcare facility in South-West Nigeria where over 70% of them were engaged in the practice (Bamgboye et al., 2006). Another possible explanation is that the earlier quoted population- based studies were carried out in societies where the literacy levels are relatively high. It is also important to note that such levels of antibiotic self-medication even exists in some countries with more stringent access to drugs, this being made possible by use of left-overs from previous prescriptions. Clinical features and self-medication There are similarities in the conditions for which self- medication was practiced in our study with several other university and community-based studies (Zafar et al., 2008; Shankar et al., 2002; James et al., 2006). These findings emphasize the fact that self-medication is usually resorted to by individuals for perceived mild clinical conditions. The problem with this practice is that fever and other similar symptoms which could be due to viral conditions are usually wrongly treated with antibiotics creating a foundation for possible development of resistance to antibiotics in addition to financial loss and possible adverse drug reactions. Antibiotic and self-medication The choice of the antibiotics from the penicillin group (especially ampicillin/cloxacillin and amoxicillin) by majority of respondents in our study is in keeping with findings from other studies (Awad et al., 2005; Awad and Eltayeb, 2007b; Raz et al., 2005). The choice of the antibiotics from the penicillin group could be due to the following reasons: 1. They are cheap, easily accessible, have a good safety profile and somehow broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. The relatively low patronage of antibiotics like amoxicillin/clavulanic acid could be due to its cost (about 1500 Naira /10 US Dollars) per course of treatment, this in a country where over 60% of the population survive on less than 2 US Dollars daily. 2. It is also pertinent to note that at the moment, there are no restrictions to how and where antibiotics can be sold in Nigeria hence the easy accessibility. Most of our respondents got their supply from patent medicine stores, hospital and community pharmacies reinforcing the earlier mentioned problem of lack of regulation. This is at variance with findings from other studies where left-over from old prescriptions were the main source of supply reflecting a more regulated access to antibiotics in these societies (Awad and Eltayeb, 2007b; James et al., 2006). This study revealed no strong associations between gender, level of medical education and the practice of antibiotic self-medication, a finding that is somehow different from the result of similar research in the Arabian Gulf (James et al., 2008) where the prevalence of self- medication was higher in the more senior medical students. Presently in many medical schools in Nigeria, 220 J. Public Health Epidemiol. pharmacology is taught either before the clinical training or at its initial stage and there is no significant reinforce- ment during the latter stages. Also too much attention is being placed on the basic aspect of pharmacology to the detriment of its clinical section and paying attention to this problem might be one level of intervention to address it. Conclusion This study has shown that self-medication with antibiotics is common among medical undergraduates in Northern Nigeria. There is a need for a review of educational programs especially the teaching of clinical pharmaco- logy to include modules on self- medication and rational use of medicines. At the  policy-making level, there is an urgent need to legislate and enforce laws restricting access to antibiotics in Nigeria. Most importantly, there is a need for a robust public enlightenment campaign to educate the populace of the disadvantages and possible complications of antibiotic self-medication. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors’ gratitude goes to the medical undergraduates of Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria who participated in this study. He is also grateful to the organizers of the International Training Course on the Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community, Jaipur, India where the idea for the work was conceptualized. The author was a participant in the 2008 training course and the contribution of the faculty and fellow participants is really appreciated. REFERENCES Afolabi AO (2008). Factors influencing the pattern of self-medication in an adult Nigerian population. Ann. Afr. Med., 7(3): 120-127. Al-Azzam SI, Al-Husein BA, Alzoubi F, Masadeh MM, Al-Horani MS (2007). Self-Medication with antibiotics in Jordanian population. Int. J. Occup. Med. Environ. Health, 20 (4): 373-380. Aswapokee N, Vaithayapichet S, Heller RF (1990). Pattern of antibiotic use in medical wards of a university hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. Rev. Infect. Dis., 12 (1): 136-141. Awad A, Eltayeb I, Matowe L Thalib L (2005). Self-medication with antibiotics and antimalarials in the community of Khartoum State, Sudan. J. Pharm. Pharm. Sci., 8: 326–331. Awad AI, Ball DE, Eltayeb IB (2007). Improving rational drug use in Africa: the example of Sudan. East Mediterr. Health J., 13 (5): 1202- 1211. Awad AI, Eltayeb IB (2007). Self-medication practices with antibiotics and antimalarials among Sudanese undergraduate university students. Ann. Pharmacother., 41(7): 1249-1255. Bamgboye EA, Amoran OE, Yusuf OB (2006). Self medication practices among workers in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Afr. J. Med. Sci., 35(4): 411-415. Berzanskyte A, Valinteliene R, Haaijer-Ruskamp FM, Gurevicius R, Grigoryan L (2006). Self-medication with antibiotics in Lithuania. Int. J. Occup. Med. Environ. Health, 19 (4): 246-253. Buke C, Hosgor-Limoncu M, Ermertcan S, Ciceklioglu M, Tuncel M,Kà ¶se T, Eren S (2005) Irrational use of antibiotics among university students. J. Infect., 51(2): 135-139. Chowdhury N, Matin F,  Chowdhury SF (2009). Medication taking behavior of students attending a private university in Bangladesh. Int. J. Adolesc. Med. Health. 21 (3): 361-370. James H, Handu SS, Al Khaja KA, Otoom S, Sequeira RP (2006). Evaluation of the knowledge, attitude and practice of self-medication among first-year medical students. Med. Princ. Pract., 15 (4): 270- 275. James H, Handu SS, Khaja KA, Sequeira RP (2008). 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Effects of Ketamine on the Human Body

Effects of Ketamine on the Human Body The desire to alter consciousness is a fundamental human trait. From being something impossible to finding numerous chemicals in controlling the mind, the process of discovery has also created opportunities for us to explore the effects and mind-tricks behind it. Just like any other new inventions in technology, there is always a path that leads to a wrong destination. The use of psychoactive drugs has turned into a trend amongst the younger generation, endangering both their own lives and the stability of the society. It has been said that this ingenious discover has benefited the forward of our medical industry; yet in our 21st century many have become a tool to escape from stress and reality. These so called party drugs are now produced in large amounts and distributed to young people at bars, nightclubs and house parties around the globe. The disastrous impact behind this irresponsible crime has led to thousands of innocent people condemned and forced to dwell in a living hell. Different people have their own definitions of the term abuse. It is hard to have a universal definition for the word as the bottom line of an individual is drawn upon their own decision. Therefore using the definition published by the World Health Organization, psychoactive substance abuse is defined as a maladaptive pattern of use indicated by continued use despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent social, occupational, psychological or physical problem that is caused or exacerbated by the use [or by] recurrent use in situations in which it is physically hazardous.  [1]  In addition, chronic abuse in this context will be defined as a relapsing disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences as well as neurochemical and molecular changes in the brain.  [2], in other words, chronic abuse is addiction. Addiction is mostly dependent on previously exposed rewards such as food, alcohol, sex, and in this case, on the psychoactive dru g Ketamine. http://www.tjipr.com/images/enji.jpg http://healthimpactnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/VariousPills-300225.jpg What is Ketamine? Psychoactive Drugs Before answering the above question, it is important to know how ketamine is categorized as a psychoactive drug and its evolvement in human history. The term psychoactive drug is used to describe any chemical substance that affects mood, perception or consciousness as a result of changes in the functioning of the nervous system (brain and spinal cord).  [3]  These drugs are often termed mind-altering because they change the perceptions and the behavior of the individual using them. Psychoactive drugs can be classified into seven different categories: stimulants, depressants, narcotics, cannabis, inhalants, hallucinogens and club drugs. Stimulants are mostly used to relieve tiredness and increase alertness. The most common stimulants are nicotine, which can be found in tobacco products, and caffeine, which is mixed in soft drinks and coffee. The more these drugs are consumed, the more our body will depend on it to maintain the desired effects. Cannabis acts in a similar way, only that it is a plant mainly in forms of marijuana and hashish. Depressants and Narcotics work in the opposite way. They are often used to dull senses and depress the functioning of the central nervous system. These two types of drugs are used medically as anesthetics and analgesics. Small doses of depressants may help more to relax muscles and produce calmness, while larger doses may cause difficulties with reflexes and judgement. Alcohol is a depressant which is widely found in our daily lives, and Narcotics such as opium and heroin are mostly used to relieve pain, yet a long-term dependence on these two may cause addiction and abuse. Hallucinogens and inhalants are synthetic drugs that distort the perception of reality and produce feelings of euphoria. These drugs may cause a short period of excitation and light headedness as it quickly acts on the body as it enters the bloodstream through inhalation. A good example of hallucinogenic drugs is Phencyclidine (PCP), which is mostly used as a sedative in operations before switching to Ketamine. Ketamine is the most common club drug found in the society nowadays. Club drugs have the effect of both stimulants and hallucinogens, and are most popular at party venues such as house parties and nightclubs among the younger generation. Other Club drugs include Ecstasy and Gamma-Hydroxybutryic Acid (GHB). The latter one is odorless and tasteless, therefore gaining the reputation as a date-rape drug as it may cause deep sleep a nd unconsciousness when administered with high dosage.  [4]   Ketamine As mentioned above, Ketamine was used to replace Phencyclidine (PCP) as an anesthetic medicine.  [5]  PCP  was originally tested as a surgical anesthetic in the 1950s.5 It is known as a  dissociative  anesthetic because it can make a person feel a sense of detachment, as if the mind is separated from the body.  [6]  PCP was used in veterinary medicine to anesthetize large animals, but was never approved for use in humans because many patients became agitated, delusional and irrational while recovering from their operations.  During 1960s, PCP was widely abused as it could be easily distributed in pill forms. The powdered form of PCP was developed in 1970s, commonly known as rocket fuel, superweed, etc. which is sprinkled on top of tobacco or marijuana for smoking. PCP  can be easily synthesized; as a result it is often sold off on streets as another drug such as mescaline or Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Due to the worse effects illustrated by patients after the use of PCP, Ketamine was developed in 1962 to replace PCP. It was first known as Cl-581, discovered by scientist Calvin Stevens. Ketamine was then tried in humans as an anesthetic for the first time by Professor Edward Domino, and this is what he said afterwards, Our findings were remarkable! The overall incidence of side effects was about one out of three volunteers. Frank emergence delirium was minimal. Most of our subjects described strange experiences like a feeling of floating in outer space and having no feeling in their arms or legs.   [7]   The successful effects soon encouraged the drug to be patented by the company Parke-Davis for use as an anesthetic in humans and animals. Nonetheless, Professor Domino described Ketamine as a potent psychedelic drug and named it as a dissociative an anesthesia. Ketamine was first used in large quantities in the Vietnam War by the USA Army, where it was used as an anesthesia for soldiers on field. Ketamines chemical structure, mechanism of action and effects are similar to those of PCP, but it acts for a shorter duration and is less potent than PCP. The drug provides dissociative anesthesia, which is a combination of analgesia with superficial sleep. This state is characterized by spontaneous ventilation, relative preservation of airway reflexes and hemodynamic stability, and explains why Ketamine has remained the anesthetic drug of choice in the developing world and for mass casualties in the field.  [8]  Ketamine is tasteless and odorless, so it can be added to food and drinks u ndetected. Because of this, the drug is sometimes used in sexual abuse at entertainment venues and therefore referred to as drug rape. Ketamine is known on the streets as special K, K and cat tranquilizer. Ketamine has plenty of other street names that have changed throughout the years. Originally it was known as rockmesc or mean green  [9]  , and then it evolved to numerous different slang names including Jet, Super K, Vitamin K, New Ecstasy, Honey oil, Mauve, Keller, Bump and Super Acid. Uses and effects of Ketamine exposure in medicine One of the most important happenings in the modern society is our breakthrough in the development of effective medicine for clinical procedures. Advances in technology has prospered the birth of new operation methods such as laparoscopic and robotic surgeries, enabling medical practitioners to increase efficiency to max, at the same time lowering the cost and risk of the procedure. These improvements have greatly ameliorated the side effects of conventional open surgery, allowing patients to heal faster with better comfort. Medicine becomes an indispensable need in our daily lives, and the more it improves, the more we rely on it. I have attended a medical lecture over the summer holidays on the background of surgery. The professor explained the four most important factors behind all the surgeries, namely the 4As: Anesthetics, Analgesics, Antibiotics and Antiseptics. Among these four, Ketamine has already covered two of these factors. Ketamine has several clinically useful properties, including analgesia and less cardiorespiratory depressant effects than other anesthetic agents  [10]  ; in fact it causes some stimulation of the cardiovascular system. Ketamine is soluble in water and is prepared with the sodium salt benzethonium chloride as a preservative. It is a basic compound and is dissolved in a solution of pH 3.5-5. The ketamine molecule contains an asymmetrical carbon atom with two optical isomers (enantiomers). The S (+) isomer is about three times more potent and longer acting as an anesthetic than the R (-) isomer. It is believed that the R (-) isomer is the part of the molecule that is the root o f the cause of some undesirable side effects.  [11]  Studies recently have shown that the S (+) Ketamine isomer is a stronger analgesic with a faster clearance and less side effects than the R (-). It has shown to provide a more rapid motor and sensory block, shorter duration and less motor blockade in elder males.  [12]  Ketamine interacts with N-methyl-D-asparate (NMDA), opioid, monoaminergic, muscarinic receptors and voltage sensitive Ca2+ channels. However, unlike other general anesthetic agents, ketamine does not interact with GABA receptors. The NMDA receptor is a member of the glutamate receptor family. It is an example of an ion channel coupled receptor with excitatory properties which has been implicated in the mechanism of general anesthesia, analgesia and also in neurotoxicity. Ketamine is a non-competitive antagonist of the NMDA receptor which interferes with the action of excitatory amino acids  [13]  . In addition, at clinically relevant concentrations, ket amine interacts with the phencyclidine (PCP) binding site leading to significant inhibition of NMDA receptor activity. This only occurs when the calcium ion channel has been opened. Effects of Ketamine on our body We were always informed with purely the basic consequences of drug abusing. For instance, we were taught that drug abusing may cause serious damage to our body but what exactly is our body suffering from? Central Nervous System Ketamine is the only anesthetic available which has analgesic (pain relieving), hypnotic (sleep producing) and amnesic (short term memory loss) effects. When used correctly it is a very useful and versatile drug.  [14]  Clinically, Ketamine has been reported to produce not only general but also local anesthesia. Ketamines site of action is primarily in the thalamus and limbic systems. It does not suppress respiratory drive unless high doses are used, or smaller doses given rapidly. Unlike other anesthetic agents, patients who have had ketamine may have their eyes opened and make reflex actions during the operation; therefore it is not suitable for use in eye surgeries. However, use of ketamine increases the intracranial pressure, therefore patients who have recent head injuries should avoid using it to prevent further damage. The reason behind was that the rise in mean arterial pressure caused a rise in cerebral perfusion pressure and therefore intracranial pressure. Moreover ket amine is a very effective analgesia and may be used without other analgesics intraoperatively. Due to the frequent occurrence of hallucinations after operation, the patient may be in agitation during recovery. These can be reduced by premedication and by recovering the patient in a quiet area.  [15]   I recently read several medical research papers on the effect of anesthetics and sedatives for the developing brain. A study performed by Dr. John Olneys laboratory demonstrated widespread neuronal degeneration following the repeated administration of ketamine in newborn rats, as well as long-term decreases in neuronal density and impaired neurocognitive function in adulthood following an exposure to other anesthetic drugs.  [16]  It is further discovered that drugs used to provide clinical anesthesia and sedation are thought to affect proper formation of the central nervous system as it interferes the NMDA-type glutamate receptor function. Moreover, several studies have examined the effects of Ketamine on the developing brain of monkeys and have observed widespread neuronal cell death following the administration of multiple doses up to 75mg/kg.  [17]  Another study by Dr. Fredriksson and colleagues demonstrated that a single ketamine exposure of 50mg/kg in new-born mice cau sed abnormal behavior and impaired learning and memory acquisition in adolescence. Experimental data also indicate that NMDA glutamate receptor agonists and GABA receptor antagonists trigger cell death.  [18]   As laboratory investigation on humans is not allowed, scientists may only conduct their research on rats and monkeys. The potential mechanism of anesthetic neurotoxicity is still under investigation; however, it is further complicated by the lack of understanding of exact mechanisms of consciousness and anesthesia. Therefore these results may only be interpreted as a reference to the effects that relate back to ketamine abuse. Respiratory System By using ketamine, the airway is usually well maintained as the airway reflexes and skeletal muscle tone are relatively preserved. Aspiration is a potential hazard despite the retention of protective reflexes. Ketamine is an effective bronchodilator and its action may be mediated either via an increase in blood catecholamine or by its direct smooth muscle relaxant effect.  [19]  When ketamine is given slowly respiration is usually well maintained, after rapid intravenous injection the breathing may stop for a short while but usually restarts within a minute.  [20]  Because of this, ketamine becomes a very useful anesthetic agent in places where there is only limited oxygen available. Cardiovascular System Ketamine is able to increase both blood pressure and heart rate. These variables reach a peak 2-4 minutes after an intravenous injection, then slowly decline to normal values over the next 10-20 minutes. Ketamine produces its cardiovascular effects by stimulating the central sympathetic nervous system and, to a lesser extent, by inhibiting the reuptake of norepinephrine at sympathetic nerve terminals. Individual responses may vary occasionally as there can be a large rise in blood pressure. This risk is not related to a preoperative history of hypertension, but related to the usage of ketamine. This may increase the workload of the heart; hence ketamine should be avoided in those patients with ischemic heart disease. Induced bladder dysfunction Bladder dysfunction associated with ketamine abuse was first voiced out in 2007 by researchers in Canada and Hong Kong. Dr. Shahani and his team presented a series of 9 patients who are all daily ketamine users presented with dysuria, frequency, urgency and frank hematuria. The CT scans revealed a thickened bladder wall, small capacity bladder and perivescicular stranding.  [21]  Dr. Chu and his team presented a series of ten patients with severe bladder dysfunction following regular ketamine abuse. From the statistics of their research, all patients had severe lower urinary tract symptoms and small functional bladder capacity varying from 20 to 200mls.  [22]  A scan of the bladder (cystoscopy) also revealed that the epithelial layer of the bladder has inflammation.  [23]  These reports were from Hong Kong and Canada where ketamine is a popular drug. Dr. Cottrell and his team reported nine patients presenting with similar urinary symptoms and cystoscopy findings following chronic ketamine usage.  [24]  These symptoms are currently left unexplained, but with increasing popularity of the drug in the younger generation, more and more ketamine users could present with ketamine induced bladder dysfunction. As we can see from the above effects, ketamine is already able to induce a lot of problems for our body and affects the whole body system when it responses to the drug in medical uses. Some may be beneficial, but most can cause severe damage to our body, so why is ketamine still on the streets endangering our future generations? Ketamine in our society Back in Hong Kong, I often hear reports from the public media reporting that the police force discovers another drug dealing club/bar with underage drinking and drug abuse. Although we were educated with the basics of the consequences of drug abuse, one simply will not be able to know thoroughly about the essential damage that the drug does to the body. Take smoking as an example: Tobacco has existed for centuries, and people nowadays have beautifully wrapped cigarettes packed in delicate boxes. They can easily gain access to buying one of this highly toxic substance back home for their own enjoyment and pleasure. Putting aside the lack of awareness in the old days, nowadays all the education systems around the globe include the effects of smoking into our classes, no matter taught in Liberal Studies or specifically Biology, most people who have received education are equipped with the basic knowledge of the harmful effects of smoking. Even packages of cigarettes are posted with phot os of the disastrous effects of smoking, for example, a photo of a dissected lung of a chronic smoker, still does not stop smokers from getting on with their habit. In the 1970s, the drug was approved by the FDA to be used clinically on children and adults, yet at the same time it also started to flow into drug markets in public. Most of them were firstly sold by hospital staff; later on it became trendy to produce it in large amounts to divert ketamine into wider population. Over the past 20 years, Ketamine has emerged as a testing replacement for PCP to one of the most popular party drugs at underground parties and raves. In the late 20th century, the drug has already gained its reputation around the globe as one of the mainstream dance culture drugs in society. In the year 1999, The Drug Enforcement Agency in the United Sates made ketamine a schedule three drug. This means that this particular drug is illegal to buy or sell without a prescription.  [25]  Ketamine is considered to be a Class C drug in the UK and Mexico, the equivalent of a schedule three in the United States; and schedule one in Canada. It was legal to possess ketamine in England, Scotland and Wales before 2006. Most countries currently have ketamine under controlled substance act in which it can be used as a medication but not recreationally, for instance ketamine is regulated under Schedule 1 of Hong Kong Chapter 134 of Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. It can only be used legally by health professionals, for university research purposes, or with a physicians prescription.  [26]   Taking the data of ketamine abuse in Hong Kong, in recent years, it has become more common among the teens. In Hong Kong, since 2005 it has become the commonest drug of abuse among persons aged 21 years or less; compared to the first three quarters of 2005, the number of ketamine abusers among teenagers has doubled in the first three quarters of 2008.  [27]  In 2008, ketamine abuse constituted 85% of all kinds of drug abuse among persons aged below 21 years, compared to 61% in 2005. Also, data collected by the Hospital Authority Hong Kong Poison Information Centre (HKPIC) showed that ketamine abusers represented 16% of all drug abusers attending accident and emergency departments in the period of 1 July 2005 to 31 December 2005, while the proportion rose to 40% in the period of 1 January 2008 to 30 June, indicating a steep increase of the number of ketamine abusers.  [28]   Solutions? The reason I decided to put a question mark after this sub topic is because there is no concrete evidence that the treatments I list below will 100% cure the patient. To overcome the psychological dependence on ketamine, the ultimate factor during the process will be the patients endurance and willpower. Without consistency to finish the whole course of treatment is no different to receiving no treatment. Just like antibiotics, you have to finish the whole course in order to fully recover from your illness. We live in an inconsistent and contradictory society. On the bright side, we advise the society not to abuse drugs and say no to the people who sell or offer them to you; yet on the other hand, medical practitioners are encouraging us to take medicine that might cause similar effects and consequences as drugs like ketamine. While we tell young people that ketamine is illegal and dangerous for their health, we ignore to a large extent the bad effects that alcohol has on health, thus making it legal even if it has devastating effects on our body as well. The world has slowly turned into a place where benefits and money take hierarchy over the health of the public. There is an increase in frequent reports of making fake milk powder and eggs, as well as drug manufacturers such as the recent incident of Contergan taking the blame of causing Phocomelia in infants whose parents had taken the medicine. One of the main reasons that ketamine is still one of the most popular party drugs nowaday s is due to the commercial income it brings when it comes to selling and buying. Drug dealing is happening around the globe every day, and what attracts people to do it is not the drug, but the money. Values have been overthrown by the nature of human kind, where selfishness topples conscience in the business world, no matter legal or illegal. Laws and regulations are developed over time to control the extent of these shameful behaviors, yet ultimately there is no thorough solution to this problem. Most societies are uncomfortable with people going off into trance and hallucinatory intoxications, and indeed setting up the laws against the usage and possession of drugs are to discourage people from falling into those in-built worlds of their own. But innate, neuropsychological changes in a persons body cannot be controlled by legislation. Provided that they have the desire to take the drug, they will always be satisfied by themselves. Alcohol may no longer fulfill the need for teenagers to take off from reality into their virtual world of desires after they become fully exposed to it, and slowly they turn to seek stronger effects by trying out drugs like marijuana and ketamine. As they become satisfied with the effects given by the drugs, trying gradually becomes abusing. They start to develop unwise behavior as they reckon that the feeling is brought by the pills rather than from their own nervous systems getting into trouble when the pills no longer work so well. Their drug abuse becomes more frequent and compulsive, yet with less reward. This misconception is the first step to developing drug dependence, no matter whether the drug is marijuana or ketamine or if it produces physiological dependence or not. Dependence on the drug cannot be broken until the misconception is cleared. Drug abusers live on their own reasons to continue, and only those who realize that he/she has been using the drug merely as an excus e for having an experience that is superficial comes to see that the drugged state is not exactly the same with the experience he/she wants. Alternatively, they will start looking for ways that may fulfill the slight desire to lift up from reality, such as meditation and sleeping. If we look in closely to the successful examples of quitting drugs: Many drug abusers give up drugs for consciousness, but little gives up consciousness for drugs. Conclusion We see people travelling through time and going into the mind of others to retrieve thoughts and ideas in fiction and movies, and it is definitely something that I would love to do as well. Yet is it possible to live in dreams and neglect whats really happening in the world we exist in? By altering the state of our consciousness, our brain is simply sending the wrong signal back to ourselves, putting us into a world of our own desires and fantasies. Ketamine can definitely achieve this, but after the short-lived dreams disappear, we will only fall deeper into the K-hole and become more dependent on the drug. We must be clear about the severe effects and consequences that ketamine brings to the individual and the society, and reiterate these problems to the public to prevent further abuse of it. Psychoactive drugs will always be present as a part of our life. The society needs to recognize the problems caused by the misuse of ketamine and deal with them immediately in an open and realistic way. Drug abuse is now connected with other social problems as well, such as social deprivation or family issues. We actually do not know whether the people who abuse it really likes it, but all we need to know is how ketamine can vastly change a persons life when you become addicted to it. From the medical research evidence shown, ketamine can really ruin your life when you are associated with it, yet why blame the drug when it is down to you to choose the reality or to stay in the dreams built by your own desires?