ATTENTION 10:10 CLASS - I CAN TELL WHO DELETES WHAT! GROW UP! IF YOU DELETE SOMEONE ELSES WIKI PROJECT AGAIN - I WILL FLUNK YOU!
- Famous Sociologists
- Culture
- Socialization
- Social Groups
- Social Control
- Social Structure and Interaction
- Crime and Deviance
- Families and Relationships
Emile Durkheim
By Kyle Molstad and Tanner Corder
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) was a French born sociologist as was considered by many people and sociologist to be the “father of sociology”. He stressed that people are the product of their social environment and that behavior cannot be understood fully in terms of individual biological and psychological traits according to Sociology in our times. He is assumed with making sociology a science, and having made it part of the French academic curriculum as "Science Sociale". During his lifetime, Emile Durkheim gave many lectures, and published a bunch of sociological studies on subjects such as religion, suicide, and all aspects of society.
Emile Durkheim was born on April 15, 1858 in Lorraine, France. Since Emile's father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had all been jewish rabbis, Emile was expected to do just the same, so then he was sent to a Rabbi school. However, things did not turn out as planned when Emile moved to Paris.
When he was in his early teens, Durkheim took an interest in Catholicism, which was very frowned upon by the Jews. This also led to his abandonment of the jewish religion. He chose to study his religion from the agnostic side of things. Durkheim was a brilliant student, and was awarded several prizes and honors during his life. He was very smart as I previously stated and he was able to graduate and earn his academic honors at a very early age. Durkheim's father then had become sick and he was staying in a French nursing home which made him quite depressed. Durkheim worked hard and attended various elite institutions of study in his upcoming years.
In 1887, Emile Durkheim married Louise Dreyfus, with whom he had a son Andre, and later a daughter Marie. It was also that same year that Durkheim was appointed "Chargé des Cours de Pédagogie et de Sciences Sociales" which meant he was in charge of the social scinces at Bordeaux. The Sciences Sociales part of the appointment was a perfect fit for Durkheim's new ideas, and led to sociology becoming part of the French academic curriculum.
Although he stressed the importance of socialism in philosophy, law, and history, Emile Durkheim faced opposition from the humanist Faculty of Letters members, who were somewhat afraid that his distinct explanations of legal and moral institutions through reference to purely social causes threatened volition and individual moral duty. Nonetheless, Durkheim did manage to make friends and allies of some of his colleagues, particularily with philosophers Octave Hamelin, and Georges Rodier, who both helped promote Durkheim's rationalist ideas in opposition to the intuitionism, and mysticism, which were now losing their appeal.
While he was at Bordeaux, Emile Durkheim lectured on the history and practice of education, in this excerpt from his 1888 "Course in Sociology: Opening Lecture", he states "…by becoming more specialized, science comes closer to things which are themselves specialized according to emile-durkheim.com. His social science courses and public lectures focused of the study of law, religion, and socialism, and the more specific issues crime, incest, kinship, totemism, and suicide.
In 1893 Emile published his first book, The Division of Labor in Society, where he brought up the concept of "anomie" which describes the breaking down of the influence of social norms on individuals within a society.
In 1894 he was permanently appointed associate professor at Bordeaux. In 1895, he published his second work The Rules of Sociological Method. In 1897 he published his third major book and maybe his most famous. It was entitled, Suicide : A Study in Sociology. This idea was proclaimed a twenty first century idea. One quote from his work is very strong; “The bond attaching (people) to life slackens because the bond which attaches (them) to society itself slack.” This is just some of the remarkable things that was in this book.
Two years later, he established an important journalistic collaboration program, which was France's first Social Science Journal ever. Durkheim was later appointed Professeur at the Sorbonne and would later take over the chair of "Science of Education and Sociology" at this institute.
In 1912, Durkheim published his fourth publication, Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. His lectures then became required curriculum for all philosophy, literature, and history students. Durkheim also stated to educate the next generation of teachers who were very glad to follow in his footsteps.
Durkheim was discriminated against as being Jewish with a German name which we find to be a very funny and odd combonation but Emile still managed to remain quite patriotic despite his health trying to fail him, and the terrible loss of his son Andre who was fighting on the Bulgarian front in 1916. Durkheim was so upset and distraught by the loss of his son that he demanded that no one speak his name in Durkheim’s presence. The tragedy also motivated Durkheim to become more involved in first world war up until he suffered a stroke during one of his speeches.
On November 15, 1917 Emile Durkheim died at the age of 59. He will forever be remembered as one of the greatest sociologist and will always hold the crown of “The Father of Sociology.” His books may have originally been written in French but have since then been converted to many languages and allowed all types of people to realize his brilliance.
Works Cited
Kendal, Diana. Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials.
www.emile-durkheim.com
Social Norms
By: Jessica Swanek and Josh Korte
Brushing your teeth, wearing deodorant, and washing your hair to many of us are just everyday actions that we do without thinking otherwise but to a sociologist these standards of conduct are called social norms. “Norms impose uniformity of behavior within a given social group, but often vary substantially among groups.” (Durlauf) Social Norms cover such a wide range of things that most of us would never consider to be anything other than customary within our culture. For instance, our appearance and everything we do to our looks are social norms including clothing, hairstyles and body language. These customs obviously vary from culture to culture because where such things as nudity may be acceptable in one country doesn’t mean they are in another. So to conform to these varying traditions people use their “perception of how other members of their social group behave” to learn and conform to these new standards.(Haines)
Norms can be broken down into two distinct groups, formal and informal. Formal norms are typically written down and enforced on all citizens. The most common example of a formal norm is laws that our government imposes. Laws are enacted by legislature and are enforced by formal sanctions, they are either civil or criminal. Civil laws deal with disputing persons or groups. Civil law violators may have to pay some sort of compensation to the opposing party or may be ordered to stop certain acts of behavior. In criminal laws however they deal with violated laws that result in imprisonment, payment of fines, or even the death penalty in some states. These two types of laws are what maintain a society and keep us safe from one another.
Informal norms are “unwritten standards of behavior understood by people who share a common identity.”(Kendall) There are many types of informal norms such as folkways that are everyday customs that may be violated without serious consequences within a particular culture. In the different cultures of our planet many cultures have unspoken rules that are not necessary for the survival of the culture. In America we have understood that the individual person should wear deodorant, brush their teeth after eating, and wear the appropriate clothing for the specific occasion. The first video shows an incident in Illinois where a student went against the social norm of wearing the right attire in the cold winter of Illinois by wearing short shorts on public transportation and standing uncomfortably close to the people around him. The reaction of the people around him on the entire bus ride was interesting; they seemed to think he had lost his mind. Just by standing or sitting really close even made some people so uncomfortable that they even had the driver stop the bus and let them off. Even though this college student is wearing short shorts in the middle of winter there were no actual laws that he was breaking, and there was no punishment except social exile.
Folkways are the least risky for consequences the next serious are mores. These informal norms are strongly held with moral and ethical connotations that may not be violated without serious consequences in a particular culture. These informal norms are based off of cultures values and are critical to the whole of the society. Violation of theses mores can be punished by negative sanctions such as loss of job, ridicule, and even imprisonment. Taboos are the strongest mores, they are so strong that violation is considered to be extremely offensive and even unmentionable. Violators are usually punished by a group of people or even, in some cultures, by a supernatural force. For example incest is a universal taboo that prohibits sexual or marital relations between certain stages of relatives. Fraud is another great example of a taboo, this can result in major fines or even jail depending on the seriousness of the fraud. Fraud has a bad stigma. This affects how people may view the individual as a person and might behave differently toward the individual due to lack of trust.
When any norm is rewarded for good behavior or penalized for inappropriate behavior these actions are called sanctions. This next video clip demonstrates a few forms of sanctions in the sense that the main character is rewarding and congratulating people as they exit the bathroom but at the same time this kid is getting weird glares and stares from people for not conforming to social norms by choosing to play the drums outside of the restrooms. Rewarding or honoring someone is considered to be a positive sanction and giving bad stares or glares at someone for doing some action out of the ordinary is a negative sanction.
Some people believe that as cultures have changed and modernized over the centuries social norms are unraveling and “young people today are less concerned about social approval and society’s standards than their peers of generations past.”(Jayson) Recent statistics posted in an article in USA Today show that 62% of college students pay little attention to social conventions compared to an average of 50% did in 1958. It seems that over time teenagers and the younger generations have been encouraged to more or less create their own identity and be an individual but in the process this has also increased deviance among teens and crime rates have risen. A good example of how much customs and social norms have changed over the years is an incident that occurred a few years ago when a college lacrosse team went to meet President Bush and the media had a frenzy over the pictures when they saw that all of the women were wearing flip flops. A decade ago this sort of attire would not have been acceptable to meet the President of the United States in but times have changed.
As suggested earlier, it seems that deviance has increase over the years because people are less concerned about conforming to social norms and try more to stand out and be unique. So the question is what kind of sanctioning can be enforced to help prevent further deviance and encourage good behavior? One proposal “argues that collection sanctions (punishing the group for a single individual’s misdeeds) will increase group members’ interest in regulating their fellow members’ behavior and, in turn, encourage norm enforcement.”(Horne) Most of the time you can find examples of this proposal and the theory behind it in school settings where social norms are instilled into children at an early age in the hope that they will continue to follow them in the future. This obviously doesn’t always stay true and usually if the continued enforcement of good social norms isn’t practiced in the children’s home life then they are more likely to go astray in the future and become more deviant.
Another source that has greatly affected social norms and their standards today is the very expansive media and how much it plays into all of our lives. The entertainment and television industry probably shapes our culture more than any other source. We as Americans rely on the media for almost everything. From fashion trends to language slang, cultures constantly change because of what people perceive on television and how they apply it into their lives. Have you ever wondered why on the news every night there are more stories about bad events than there are about good things? Well plain and simple in this modern age that is what people like to watch. They aren’t interested in local blood drives or concerts that take place. They want to know about killings, shootings and all the serious crime that has happened and because of this typical standard viewing you see on television everyday it’s possible that that is why crime rates have greatly increased from decades past and social norms are steadily falling apart. There are some laws that even if broken aren’t severely punished as much as they use to be because it’s becoming the norm for teenagers to drink when they are underage or smoke pot. If you look at how much our society has changed over time and how lax social norms are becoming it makes you wonder where our standards will be in twenty or thirty years? This doesn’t necessarily imply that hygiene norms will change or become oblivion ever but simple courtesy measures such as saying thank you or excuse me may become a thing of the past if our culture continues on this downhill slide.
As you can see, social norms are all around us and affect our everyday lives. Over the years these standards have changed and in some cases become almost extinct. As time passes it is up to us to change them as we see fit or carry on the traditions of past generations. As a young society we determine our cultures future. Not necessarily altering it in a negative way but creating new norms as the future changes.
REFERENCES
Haines, Michael P. “Best Practices Social Norms”.
Horne, Christine. “Collective Benefits, Exchange Interests and Norm Enforcment”.
Durlauf, Steven N. and Blume, Lawrence E. “Social Norms”. New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, Second Edition.
Jayson, Sharon. “Are social norms steadily unraveling?”. USA TODAY 4/12/2006.
Kendall, Diana. “Sociology in our times.” Page 56-58.
India’s Culture
By Logan Wark
From football to hamburgers, American culture often changes with the times and popularity. But some countries, such as India, have a culture that modernizes, but still remains constant. Over 80% of India’s habitants practice the religion of Hinduism, while the other 20% practice faiths such as Buddhism, Christianity, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Islam, and Jainism. So it may come as no surprise that India’s culture is largely based around their faith. Influencing things ranging from food to clothing, entertainment to family, India’s culture is one of color and spiritual enlightment. First, I’ll expand on some popular religions practiced in India that so many people’s life are centered around.
Religions
Hinduism is the most practiced religion in the country of India with about 82% of the population owning to it. This religion can’t be traced to an explicit founder and does not promote the worshiping of just one holy being. It’s acceptable for followers to worship in any god, goddess, the “Supreme Spirit,” or the Indestructible Soul. And unlike most religions, Hinduism does not have a holy book, instead holy text that include The Rig Veda, Upanishads, and the Bhagwad Gita. Deepawali, Holi, Pongal, and Shiva Ratri are only a few festivals that celebrate not only gods and goddesses, but also the sun, moon, planets, animals, etc.
Branched off of Hinduism is the second most widely practiced religion in India-Buddhism. It was founded by Gautam Buddha and has comparable believes as Hinduism. Buddhists believe that everything can change, but some things will last longer then others. They hold the belief that karma will lead the occurrence of all experiences and in the everlasting soul and cycle of rebirth.
The four noble truths of Buddhism are the following:
1. Suffering is universal
2. Suffering is caused by desire and yearning
3. Suffering can be prevented and overcome
4. Suppression of suffering can lead to removal of suffering
By prevailing past cravings and desire can lead to nirvana (complete enlightment).
Christianity is also practiced in India. It was brought to the country through missionaries, the first one believed to be St. Thomas who founded a church in the city of Kerala. Islam, Jainism, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism are all faiths in India as well. Religious beliefs also affect the diet of Indian people.
Food
Indian food is known heavily for their spices, of which are used for nutrition. Both Muslim and Hindu have influence the preparation of meals. Around 650 A.D. the Hindu began sustaining from meat because the cow was sacred to Mother Goddess.
The Hindu vegetarian tradition is widespread in India, although many Hindus eat meat now. The Muslim tradition is most evident in the cooking of meats. Mughiai food, kababs, rich Kormas (curries) and nargisi koftas (meatballs), the biryani (a layered rice and meat preparation), rogan josh, and preparations from the clay over or randoor like tandoori rotis and tandoori chicken are all important contributions made by Muslim settlers in India. The British made their contribution by starting the cultivation of tea.
Northern India cuisines
Northern India’s staple foods include rice, bread, and vegetables. A meal could be comprised of unleavened bread either fried or baked on a griddle with rice and anywhere from fried veggies, curries, pickles, etc. Desserts have a rice base or milk pudding and smothered in syrup. Kheer is rice pudding and kulfi is a nutty ice cream.
Southern India cuisines
Roasted, steamed, and non-greasy is how Indians prefer their chow. A thin soup, spiced vegetables, and a preparation of curd is an example of a common meal. Fish and coconut are also often widely used because of the close proximity to the ocean.
Fashion
The sari is essential to the traditional attire of India’s women. Five to six yards in length, the sari accentuates or obscures, and makes in an elegant wardrobe. Choli’s are worn underneath as a blouse. “Apart from the choli, women in Rajasthan wear a form of pleated skirt known as the ghargra or lehanga. This skirt is secured at the waist and leaves the back and midriff bare. The heads are however covered by length of fine cotton known as orhni or dupatta.” Salwars have recently become popular. These pants are pajama-like and “drawn tightly in at the waist and ankles.”
For men, the wardrobe is a little more modernized, western-styled clothing. Shirts and slacks are popular amongst all regions of India, but still some prefer traditional clothing. A lungi is a short length of fabric and is worn around the thighs. The dhoti is a longer version of the lungi with added material pulled up between the legs.
Marriage
Everyone’s heard of arranged marriages and comes to no surprise that the tradition is still commonly used. The process is in the form of an interview. Often the two families in question will provide bios and pictures of the couples and their families before ever meeting. If the two are interested the families will set to meet, but in old tradition, usually the bride and groom won’t even meet until the wedding day.
How the two are set up depends on their personalities. Families will look at education level, cultural background, living location, religion, and diet (non-vegetarian, vegetarian). Today, the couple will be allowed a small courtship, which usually consists of meeting and talking. If the couple doesn’t think it’ll be a good match, the marriage can be cancelled. If they go through with it the bride will live with her in-laws in a joint family setting.
As the leaders in the world’s science and math scores, India has produced the most engineers. They have a strong cultural background and contributed a great deal to society. The following paragraph was found on Indianchild.com and sums up what India is all about.
Indian culture is also about respecting elders, honoring heroes and cherishing love. It is a land of aspirations, achievements and self-reliance. Indian culture has a very high level of tolerance and hence he advent of so many external cultures was not restricted. Adaptation to any culture or embracing a religion was always the democratic culture…”
References
http://www.indianchild.com/culture%20_1.htm
http://pardesifashions.com/Tradition/ArrangedMarriage.aspx
http://asianinfo.org/asianinfo/india/family_customs.htm
http://asianinfo.org/asianinfo/india/religion.htm
http://india.saarctourism.org/food-of-india.html
http://indianfoodforever.com/food-guide/indian-food-cuisine.html
http://www.globaltravelguider.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Indian-sari-2.jpg
http://assets2.indiamarks.com/images/guide/extra_large_image9701.jpg?1242129887
http://blog.mlive.com/citpat/news_impact/2009/01/large_WEB-MARRIAGE.jpg
Americanization
Jared Bixenman
Americanization is the influence of the United States on other countries. This term has been used since the early 1900‘s, but not always in the same context.
It used to describe the way that immigrants arriving in the United States became accustomed to the American way of life. They changed their culture, lifestyle, food, and the way they dressed. Now, it refers to the globalization of the United States, and how our country affects businesses, culture, lifestyle, and technology all across the world. One could visit just about any other country and see the influence of the United States.
Hamburgers, Pepsi, and Coca-Cola have spread around the globe to almost every country. McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks are everywhere. Most of the world is full of fast-food joints.
The U.S. has also affected global fashion. Jeans and t-shirts are now acceptable in most places, and a suit and tie is not uncommon in the workplace.
American music, film, and television is popular all over the world. Michael Jackson’s Thriller is the best selling album ever. American movies dominate the global market for films. Many kids in other countries get their view of America from watching MTV.
Americanization is probably the biggest in China. American advertising and companies is abundant in Chinese cities. There are Wal-Marts, Hard Rock Cafes, and hundreds of McDonald’s and other fast-food places. Promoting America is a big part of business there. American flags are placed on many products to make them sell better. One writer said that “It looks like Coke is sponsoring Shanghai.”
Some people say that we could just eliminate the word “globalization” and replace it with “Americanization.” A German rock band simply calls it “cocacolonization.” One writer states, “We are all Americans now, like it or not.”
Many people say that we give the wrong view of America to the rest of the world, and that Americanization must be stopped because we threaten other cultures and beliefs too much. The crashing of the planes into the World Trade Center was partly due to another culture being threatened by the globalization of American culture. Overall, Americanization promotes a false identity of the American people.
Sources:
http://www.gluckman.com/Americanization.html
https://www.msu.edu/~millettf/americanization.html
http://www.globalenvision.org/library/33/1273
Spencer White
Go to Class Get a Good Job
Going to class is a hard concept for many college students to grasp, especially in their first year. They think that college is all about living on your own staying out late into the night, and partying whenever they see fit. This doesn’t just affect they student getting the education that they came there to get, but its wastes countless amounts of money that their parents have set aside over the years for their college education. During my first year of college it didn’t take me long to realize that this happens more often then is should so I decided to look into how going to class benefits students.
All around the United States there are young men and women that continue to neglect their school work and chose not to go to class. But what these college students do not realize that they could really be jeopardizing their futures in the work world. It may be hard for many college students to see how it could hurt their futures, however if these students would look into why going to class and receiving good grades in college could help them and their futures in the work world I think that it could change their point of views drastically.
According to Ronald B. Standler “The conventional view is that education increases one's earning potential, so attending college is a ticket to a high-paying job. A college education is a requirement of many professional jobs. “A bachelor's degree is a minimum credential for teachers, engineers, commissioned officers in the military, and many salaried jobs in large corporations with a formal hiring process. A bachelor's degree is required for admission to law school or medical school, which – in turn – is a prerequisite to becoming an attorney or physician.” With all these facts it should be apparent to all college students that attending class and learning the material assigned is an excellent start to improving their future.
As a college student I know that it is not always possible to make it to class all the time. I also know that many people that have high paying jobs today and went college, didn’t always make it to class. I’m not saying that if you miss a few days of algebra class your going to end up living in a refrigerator box in an alley. What I am saying is that if you know that your future will be brighter by attending class as much as possible then why wouldn’t you.
With all this being said I feel that if you have a choice whether to go to class or not that you should jump at the opportunity. I myself did not feel this way at all until I started reaching the topic and read the facts. Now that I know I make it a valiant effort to attend when I can so I can better myself, and I would suggest to other college students that one day want a high paying job with amazing benefits that they do the same. After seeing the reasons why it would help the student to go to class I came up with a solution to possible help the problem of missing numerous amounts of class.
Jonathan Hill
Being Black in America
As black man in America I was always taught that I had to do twice as much as the white man just to succeed. Yes times have changed but people haven't, there's still those small minded people out there that still portray hatred against my race. But this is only the beginning of our struggle as a race, I believe the real battle is to get so many of my “brothers” out of the system.
Were steadily oppressed by our court systems, statistically shown that the young black is under the eye of society, community, government, etc. Understandably there are offenders that deserve punishment for there crimes, but our jails are majority populated by the African-Americans. Is this because our race is constantly under the eye that they see all we do, maybe its not that we are the eye sore of society so to speak but maybe its because we are watched more, confused? Let me explain, celebrities are constantly under the public eye, so every little thing they do is criticized and put on display as if they are the worst offenders. Take Tiger Woods for example, if he was not a famous golfer do you think his actions would have brought so much publicity or concern, he probably would not have even been caught. I'm not justifying his actions, they were wrong but if not under the public eye would they have been noticed? If the tables were turned to the white man as much as it is on us, would show how they are committing the same offences if not worse in some cases. But without being stalked by our government their actions are easily hidden.
When I hear this song Me against the world by Tupac Shakur I understand his emotion and views because they apply to me, maybe not as literal to my circumstance, but to my situation in this country as a black male. I must strive to be more educated, more athletic, independent, and more of gentlemen than the next man to not be labelled as a street thug, because of the way I dress or look, its a shame of how much more the black male has to do to be considered a valued or upstanding member of our society. This world is filled with all kinds of discriminations in different shapes and forms; but I must persevere through the struggle and not let the ignorance of this world penetrate my shield of excellence that I try to portray in my everyday life.
The Second Amendment Will Stand
Cliff Leonhardt
Will Thomas
There is a clear battle line drawn in the sand. On one side there is the democrat/liberal party; on the other is the republican/conservative party. Many people say that liberal and democrat, conservative and republican, do not interchange. In all reality they share the same basic views and everything. There are naturally people within each party that cross over, the Governor of New York a few years ago Kirsten Gillibrand is a democrat yet pro-2nd amendment, (Miller 89) there are a lot of liberals who own a gun and many conservatives that do not. Gun control isn’t just a black and white debate it has tons and tons of gray area like any good debate does. In this paper I’m giving a basic over view of the gun control argument from the extremist points of view of both parties to keep this paper from becoming a book. Liberals are trying to eliminate or at least hamper our second amendment, but guns are a huge part of American tradition and more of a benefit than a detriment to U.S. way of life.
The extremists of both parties have deep seeded reasoning for their views and the more they debate it seems the deeper entrenched in their views they become. Gun control has long been fought over. I can understand why guns are often times looked down upon. Guns are involved in many crimes, they are no longer necessary for food, and the second amendment is often times abused by people who don’t know how to handle guns. However, it is a proven fact that guns stop more crimes than they are used in; they are used for hunting or other recreation by millions of people in the U.S. to this day. And when in it boils down to it the second amendment clearly states, “…the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” (Bill Of Rights)
The second amendment was formed by our forefathers so that there could always be a militia on hand incase the government, for whatever reason, decides to get out of hand and abuse its power; citizens of the U.S. could rise up against the government and overthrow it. Word for word the second amendment says “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” (The Bill of Rights). No matter what happens, these few short twenty seven words will hold the right to bear arms in place. Liberals today feel that the need for a militia is dead and gone, that the government’s checks and balances system has proven itself to be more than effective and has eliminated any need for fire arms in the American house hold.
On June 28th of this last year, the Untied States Supreme Court in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller, issued its first decision since 1939 regarding the Second Amendment. This ruling states:
Constitution confers an individual right to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes such as self-defense. It also ruled that two District of Columbia provisions, one that banned handguns and one that required lawful firearms in the home to be disassembled or trigger-locked, violate this right (Cornell).
In translation this basically means that the Supreme Court ruled the Second Amendment constitutional, who would have guessed, and that the District of Columbia’s long standing ban on handguns be overturned. Naturally many liberals were upset with this ruling and viewed it as a step in the wrong direction for their cause.
Crimes in the U.S. that have guns involved in them are through the roof, although incidents involving a firearms only represented 9% of the 4.7 million violent crimes rape and sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and murder in 2005. The FBI’s crime in the U.S. estimated that 66% of the 16,137 murders in that same year where committed with firearms (Smith). Comparatively to other countries these numbers are outrageous. It is easy for even the most radical of conservative, a category that I would place myself in, to see why many people in the U.S. have issues with guns today. In the defense of my beloved second amendment, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, 2005 had the highest numbers of crimes committed with firearms since 1993 and remains the highest in recent years. And although it is a hard thing to survey because most of it goes unreported, one U.S. government survey in the 1990s estimated that more than 80,000 Americans a year used guns in an effort to protect themselves or their property against crime (Smith). Other estimates put the number far higher, at more than 2 million crimes prevented each year by the presence of privately-owned firearms. This statistic coming from the U.S. Department of Justice, indicates that, guns stop more crime than they are used in, and these statistics are the ones that are actually reported (Smith). Crimes stopped by firearms, however, are never highlighted by a liberal-ran media; one manic robbing a store or shooting up a school, however, are kindling for many liberals to attack the second amendment all day. School shootings are never justified, ever, but the fact of the matter remains that guns stop way more crime than they are involved in.
Many die-hard liberals have the opinion that guns are no longer necessary in day to day life; meat doesn’t need to be hunted for when it can simply be bought at the store. Anyone can go to Wal-Mart or a local market and get meat; hunting has admittedly lost its meaning through the years. For what it cost to buy some of the rifles I own, I could easily supply myself with groceries for six months or better. Hunting is no longer about getting game to eat or going hungry. Hunting in the modern day is more about the bonding between friends and family. These Family bonds create responsible citizens that consequently lower crime rates. According to the U.S. Department of Justice less than 4% of kids who hunt are ever involved in serious crime at all throughout their entire life, and less than 1% of them ever commit murder with a fire arm or otherwise (Smith). It is hard to argue that although hunting is no longer for food; that its intentions aren’t for good reasons. How many other family or youth activities have such a turnout of life-long law abiding citizens?
The main cause of this whole debate isn’t people who hunt from the time they are eight years old as I have. The main cause of all this headache is the complete opposite: people who have never hunted in their lives or took any sort of gun safety class in their lives. People that know nothing about guns or gun safety are the ones who commit crimes, I can’t argue or oppose them having guns because that would be hypocritical of me. They have the exact same second amendment right that all Americans. Most guns that commit crimes aren’t even legally bought guns; most guns that commit crime are bought or traded through the black market. The average number of firearms that are stolen each year is 341,000 (Miller). Some 78% of all gun crimes are committed with an unregistered or black market firearm (Lott 22). These people are the main cause of a politician by the name of Bobby Rush’s H.R. 45. H. R. 45 doesn’t really “ban” guns completely that would be impossible. Thank God, for the second amendment. But it would mean that everyone who owns a gun would have to have a licenses and a form of insurance for each gun, not only this but each licenses and form of insurance would have to be renewed annually costing around 45 dollars per firearm per year (Cornell). This would break some firearm collectors who have in the hundreds of guns. I personally have around 27 guns that I have acquired from the time I was about 8 years old on. One year of H.R. 45 would cost me personally around $1,215. I could pay for half a semester here at Colby Community College with that! Or buy two more guns to add to my existing collection.
In direct correlation to H.R. 45 is a law in the works put in play by Republican by the name of Bobby Scott, representative of the 3rd district of Virginia, the law is called H.R. 17. This law states:
(a) Reaffirmation of Right- A person not prohibited from receiving a firearm by Section 922(g) of title 18, United States Code, shall have the right to obtain firearms for security, and to use firearms—
(1) in defense of self or family against a reasonably perceived threat of imminent and unlawful infliction of serious bodily injury;
(2) in defense of self or family in the course of the commission by another person of a violent felony against the person or a member of the person's family; and
(3) in defense of the person's home in the course of the commission of a felony by another person. (Dillow)
In laments terms, this law is the second amendment rewrote. It means that you can own any gun you want for security purpose and you can shoot anyone who is a direct threat of causing bodily harm to you or your family (Cornell).
H.R. 17 or the Citizens’ Self-Defense Act of 2009 a response to H.R. 45 but it’s also a response to the thousands of gun crimes every year where the police do not respond for an hour or more after the emergency dispatch call. This Law might seem kind of wild west, basically if there is someone trying to hurt you or your family you would be legally able to defend yourself with deadly force. But it is the only response that many congress men and woman can think of to the simple fact that there are way more people than police officers. Officers simply can’t be everywhere all at once, and this law is actually promoting the use of conceal carry weapons and home security weapons.
It’s easy to understand many people’s many problems with guns. Even from the point of view of the most extreme conservative I can see the problems that people have with gun ownership. It’s true they don’t serve the purpose that they used to, they aren’t detrimental to our food supplies anymore nor do I realistically see us as citizens of the U.S. picking up arms against our country as a militia anytime soon. However guns still serve a very important service in home security and hunting is an enjoyable hobby to friends and family across the United States. Youth who hunt have proven time and time again that hunting produces model citizens. As long as hunting with families is still producing quality responsible law-abiding youth, and firearms still have a place in home protection than firearms will be hard to be banned. As long as I live I hope to never see the day that the second amendment falls. No matter what anyone says, it is quite clear that guns are more of a benefit to society that a detriment, and for that reason alone, the second amendment will stand as long as the United States does.
Work Cited
Cornell, Saul. "United States: Gun Ownership and the Supreme Court." Library of Congress (2008): pp. 29-44. Web. 8 Dec 2009. <http://www.loc.gov/law/help/second-amendment.php>.
Currier, Tia. "Children and Hunting Numbers and Statistics." Field and Stream (2005): Web. 9 Dec 2009. <http://www.fieldandstream.com/node/57351>.
Dillow, Gordon. "Crimes Prevented by Firearms." Orange County Register (2004): 34. Web. 9 Dec 2009. <http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/crimes-prevented-by-firearms-are-as-important-in-the-debate-over-guns-as-crimes-committed-with-fi/question-202334/>
Lott R. John Jr. Guns and Crime . 2nd. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2007. 19-62. Print. ("Guns and Crime " 19-62)
Miller A. Debra. Guns and Violence . 1st. Hartford, WI: Greenhaven Press, 2009. 29-102. Print. ("Guns and Violence " 29-102)
Smith, Steven. "Firearms and Crime Statistics." U.S. Department of Justice 6.13 (2009): Web. 15 Dec 2009. <http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/guns.htm>
Euthanasia
Brent Arnberger
Leanna Shaeffer
When we started to research this topic, I realized that this subject is a very touchy subject. There are so many different views that trying to grasp them all can be a hard task while still giving each side an even chance. Many people are very stern in there opinions about the topic, they are either for it or against it, no in between. But I believe that the only way to find a reasonable solution to this topic comes with both sides budging a little bit coming to a common idea about it.
One of the big complaints about this is that some people think that the doctors get to play god, they decide if you live or die. This is to much power for a single person to have. But there is also the argument of quality of life. This is when someone has a terminal illness and is in great pain and cant enjoy life. But some doctors think that they can make the decisions themselves of whether a person should die and will lethal inject them our take matters into their own hands. Many doctors have gotten into lots of trouble doing this.
Although the doctors can have a big factor in the decision, I think that it should ultimately be up to the immediate family, and if none are available, then I think the spouse should have the say. Lets take the Florida native, Terri Schiavo, as an example, here is her story. She was a heavier high schooler, you know a little bit over weight and was struggling with her own insecurities as a women. When she finally met her husband, she was struggling to keep her weight down to keep her husband happy. He supposedly told her that he would divorce her if she would ever got to be that weight again. Since she was trying to keep her weight down, she was doing all she could, so she became bulimic. One day her body had taken enough, it needed some nutrition, well her body went into cardiac arrest from a lack of potassium, she fell and suffered from a neck injury said her doctors. After this accident she became unable to take care of herself, and became disabled.
It provides a way of relief when a person is in extreme pain and quality of life is low. When it hurts a person just to lay there and they get no enjoyment out of life. They should be able to choose to die a dignified death, instead of laying in a hospital bed, as if you were just a vegetable. Its hard for any family to sit there and watch their loved one lay there and siffer like that, when there is nothing that anyone can do.
When patients in pain they don’t think logically and may do something that they wouldn’t normally do. But due to the circumstances that they are in they may make a rational decision that may not be what’s best for the person who is ill. It is ethically wrong to do this. There should be fine line between who and who shouldn’t be able to end a life.
I believe that if a person is in unbearable pain then the right precautions should be just. There is no reason that a person should have to suffer in front of their family and everyone who loves them, if they don’t have a chance to survive. When a person no longer has the ability to live life freely, then they should be able to decide what happens to them.
Some advantages for the family are that the financial burden wont be placed on them for more than it has to and doesn’t alter their lives by putting financial strain on them. It also would free up health care money for others that have a chance to survive. By doing this it would be putting more to those how really need it to continue living a long and prosperous life. Which in the long run is probably what the person would want.
“There is no quality of life when the patient is dead.” This was said by a bed side nurse after someone’s family had them euthanized. Saying that this is okay for financial reasons is very self fish in the fact that they put money over the price of someone’s life.
Doing this wouldn’t save enough money to do much good other wise euthanizing someone is also quite expensive.
I believe that when a persons state of health gets to where they have no chance of survival that if they want to and its in the families best interest that they should be able to decided whether or not they should be euthanized. I believe that it should be a joint decision by the family, patient, and doctors. This way they find the best solution possible for all parties.
This is simply a case of freedom of choice . If a person wants to do something with their body then they should be able to do that if it makes them happy and isn’t hurting anyone else. They alone have the rights to their body and if they choose that their life is no longer fitting of what they think life should be then they should have to option to end their own life.
“The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the first and only legitimate objective of a good government.” - Thomas Jefferson
This states that the government in its self has the right to protect people from their selves and their families. If they believe its for the good of the situation overall. People lose their freedom of choice, when the choice is to end their life.
I believe that if a person believes that their life isn’t worth living anymore for legitimate reasons that they should have to freedom of choice to do what they feel is right from their own standards.
Passive euthanasia entails the withholding of common treatments, such as antibiotics, necessary for the continuance of life. Whether the administration of increasingly necessary, albeit toxic doses of opioid analgesia is regarded as active or passive euthanasia is a matter of moral interpretation, but in order to pacify doctors' consciences, it is usually regarded as a passive measure.
Active euthanasia entails the use of lethal substances or forces to kill and is the most controversial means. An individual may use a euthanasia device to perform active voluntary euthanasia on themselves.
A key turning point in the debate over voluntary euthanasia, at least in the United States, was the public furor over the case of Karen Ann Quinlan. The Quinlan case paved the way for legal protection of voluntary passive euthanasia. In 1977, California legalized living wills and other states soon followed suit.
In 1980 the Hemlock Society USA was founded in Santa Monica by Derek Humphry. It was the first group in America to provide information to the terminally ill in case they wanted a hastened death. Hemlock also campaigned and partially financed drives to reform the law. In 2003 Hemlock was merged with End of Life Choices, which changed its name to Compassion and Choices.
Dr. Death
In 1990, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a Michigan physician, became infamous for encouraging and assisting people in committing suicide which resulted in a Michigan law against the practice in 1992. Kevorkian was tried and convicted in 1999 for a murder displayed on television. Also in 1990, the Supreme Court approved the use of non-active euthanasia.
In 1994, Oregon voters approved the Death with Dignity Act, permitting doctors to assist terminal patients with six months or less to live to end their lives. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed such laws in 1997. The Bush administration failed in its attempt to use drug law to stop Oregon in 2001, in the case (Gonzales v. Oregon) In 1999, non-active euthanasia was permitted in Texas.
Terri Schiavo
Most recently, amid U.S. government roadblocks and controversy in the Terri Schiavo case, where a Floridian who was in a vegetative state since 1990, had her feeding tube removed in 2005. Her husband had won the right to take her off life support, which he claimed she would want but was difficult to confirm as she had no living will and the rest of her family claimed otherwise.
In November 2008, Washington Initiative 1000 made Washington the second U.S. state to legalize physician-assisted suicide.
Voluntary and Involuntary Euthanasia
"Voluntary euthanasia" is when the patient requests that action be taken to end his life, or that life-saving treatment be stopped, with full knowledge that this will lead to his death. "Involuntary euthanasia" is when a patient's life is ended without the patient's knowledge and consent. This may mean that the patient is kicking and screaming and begging for life, but in practice today it usually means that the patient is unconscious, unable to communicate, or is too sick and weak to be aware of what is happening or to take any action on his own behalf.
While this distinction appears clear - the patient willing agreed to euthanasia or he did not - it too is often made ambiguous in court cases and some public debate.
It is not uncommon for courts to declare someone "legally incompetent". This does not mean that the person is stupid, but rather that the court believes that he is unable to make informed decisions and/or to communicate them to others. The judge then appoints a guardian to make decisions for this person. Usually this will be a close relative, like a spouse, parents, or children. But if no such person is available, or if the judge believes that none of the relatives have this person's best interests at heart, then someone else may be appointed: a social worker, a lawyer, etc. Children are routinely considered legally incompetent, and their parents are expected to make decisions for them. No one asks a two-year-old whether or not he wants to go to the dentist: that decision is normally made for him by his parents. A judge may conclude that a person is senile, mentally retarded, suffering from delusions, or has some other psychological problem that makes it impossible for him to make truly informed, rational decisions. If someone is in a coma or is otherwise so sick that she is unable to communicate, then even if she is capable of making informed decisions, there is no way for anyone else to know what her decisions are.
When courts declare someone legally incompetent and appoint a guardian, any decisions that the guardian makes are, for legal purposes, considered to be decisions of the incompetent person. A little thought will show that this must be so for the system to work: there would be little point in saying that you are authorized to make decisions for this comatose person … except that you do not have the authority to sign anything that would otherwise require his signature. That would exclude almost all important decisions. But it can also lead to legal statements that are very misleading: Suppose Nancy Smith convinces a court that her grandfather, Fred Jones, is senile, and she is appointed his guardian. Then she decides that she wants to have him euthanized. He objects but he is too old and sick to fight her in court herself, so he gets his other granddaughter, Mary Brown, to fight for him. Because Nancy Smith's decisions are legally considered to be Fred Jones's decisions, the case will be referred to as "Brown versus Jones", and court documents will routinely describe this as Fred Jones choosing euthanasia and Mary Brown attempting to overrule this decision.
It is not uncommon for medical personnel to treat someone as legally incompetent without any official court decision. For example, if someone is in the operating room under anesthesia, and there is a sudden crisis and a life-altering decision must be made now, it is often not possible to sew the person back up, wait for them to wake up, and then discuss the matter. A spouse or other close relative will be asked to make a decision on this person's behalf. Clearly under such circumstances it would be impractical to take this to court and hold hearings on the patient's competence and the suitability of the spouse as a guardian. But in euthanasia cases, the problem is often not that the patient is incapable of making and communicating a decision, but rather that those around her do not approve of her decision. Even when the legality of such actions is questionable, in real life the authorities are not going to intervene unless someone challenges it. And if the patient is weak, sick, and bed-ridden, she may not be capable of getting to court to protest. Unless there is another relative who disagrees with the decision to euthanize, the patient's wishes can simply be ignored.
Hartocollis, Anemona. “Hard Choice for a Comfortable Death: Sedation” Published: December 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/health/27sedation.html?_r=1
Definition of Euthanasia. Published: November 13, 1998
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=7365
Dr. Stevens, Kenneth Quick List: “Euthanasia Pros and Cons” Published November, 2005
http://www.euthanasia.com/page4.html
Canadian Medical Association. “Physician-assisted deaths under the euthanasia law in Belgium: a population-based survey” Published May 17, 2010
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/abstract/cmaj.091876v1
http://www.vimooz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/terrischiavo1.jpg
http://3jokesaday.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/4_22_schiavo_terri2.jpg
History of Racism
By:Kevin Griffith and Lauren Abernathy
“Racism is a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices that is used to justify the superior treatment of one racial or ethnic group and the inferior treatment of another racial or ethnic group,” (Kendall). Throughout history there have been many situations where it can be traced back to early civilizations. More close to home in American history it can be credited to many categories or groups of people such as, the Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Jewish Americans, African Americans, and Latinos.
There are many forms of racism were one can be more verbal and the other more hidden. Overt racism is when the racism is made in front of a large group of people and mad known. Where the quiet more hidden racism is subtle racism and is not seen as much. Racism can start with prejudice towards a certain race or ethnicity. Prejudice is more of an attitude, or a feeling of hatred towards a group or race.
• Discrimination involves actions or practices of dominant group members (or their representatives) that have a harmful impacts on members of a subordinate group.
• Genocide is the deliberate, systematic killing of an entire people or nation.
• A scapegoat is a person or group that is incapable of offering resistance to the hostility or aggression of others.
• Individual discrimination is behavior consisting of one-on-one acts by members of the dominant group that harm members of the subordinate group of their property.
• Institutional discrimination is the day to day practices of organizations and institutions that have a harmful impact on members of subordinate groups.
The many forms of racism can happen on a daily basis and effect many different groups. It will seem that racism is different through geography. The racism that is most present today in our geographic region is a discrimination against minorities, mostly African Americans and Mexicans. The racism is not as well pronounced today than it was in the past.
Racism is defined as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” Or essentially, racism is defined as discrimination. Racism is a prevalent topic and can be seen just about anywhere. Sometimes it’s in the form of a joke or saying “so and so” has natural ability because of their race. Other times it is more blatant with derogatory names being thrown around or graffiti on walls. All over the world there are certain groups that spread their blatant hatred with racism. In America, organizations have been formed for hundreds of years and today the traditions are still carried on.
The Ku Klux Klan, also known as the KKK is one of the oldest groups to spread racism and hate. Although primarily targeting the black community, they are also known to attack Jews, immigrants, homosexuals and Catholics. Formed in 1865 after the end of the Civil War, their goal was to interrupt blacks from enjoying their civil rights that had been granted to them. The group wore hooded costumes and began acts of lynching, raping and other acts of violence. The Klan would eventually disband but regrouped in the 1920s with a huge amount of focus going toward those of immigration, mainly those who were Catholic of Jewish. By 1925 the Klan had nearly 4 million members. But after another bout of sexual scandals or battles over power, the Klan fell apart. During the 1960s another revival would bring the Klan to oppose the civil rights movement and fight to keep segregation. One of the more notorious acts of violence happened when they bombed a Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama killing 4 young girls who were preparing for Sunday services. Today it is estimated there are between 5,000-8,000 members of the Klan. They are split amongst different groups often using the word Klan in the title, such as Brotherhood of Klans or Imperial Klans of America. There are believed to be over 100 organizations in America still running in over 40 states.
Neo-Nazi groups believe that of which the Nazi Party during World War II did. They have a hatred for Jewish people and have a love for Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. Although they hate others such as homosexuals and minorities, they perceive Jews as the “Cardinal Enemy.” The link between Europe and American Neo-Nazis is growing stronger with many Americans publishing websites aimed at European audiences. The material printed would be illegal under Europe’s anti-racism laws. In turn, Europeans put up sites on American servers to avoid prosecution. One of the more prominent Neo-Nazi groups is National Alliance. Their leader up until his death was William Pierce who wrote the book The Turner Diaries which is believed to be the blue-print of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Black Separatists belong to the Nation of Islam. Founded in 1930, it is one of the wealthiest and well-known black organizations in America. The Nation of Islam is aiming to inspire African Americans. However, they believe in black superiority. Those who are Black Separatists do not agree with integration and interracial marriages. They want their own nation for black Americans away from the whites in America. They also target Jews, homosexuals and a number of religions. A number of followers believe blacks are the “chosen people.” Not Jews. Black separatists who are in the Nation of Islam believe their leader Louis Farrakhan who carries on the believes of a former leader in saying Yacub, a black scientist, created white people over 6,000 years ago as inherently evil and ungodly people. Also “blue-eyed” devils. The ideas of the Nation of Islam and the Black Separatists are often rejected by mainstream Muslims.
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/ideology/ku-klux-klan
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/ideology/neo-nazi
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/ideology/black-separatist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism_in_the_United_States
Sociology-In Our Times Book
Drug Trafficking
By: Tyson Miller
Crime is a never ending part of our society and lives. In our country there are many forms of crime. Ranging from theft to murder, it seems crime will always be a huge part in everyone’s lives. One of the biggest and fastest growing forms of crime today is drug trafficking. From the east coast to the west coast, drugs can be found almost anywhere a person looks. In our country where not even one type of drug is legal, drugs are becoming easier to find and may soon become a normal, legal part of our society.
Drugs can be found throughout the world in many, if not every single country. Although there are many countries where drugs are not outlawed and are stated as legal, many countries, such as the United States, have bans on all types of drugs, thus making the demand for the drugs higher. As long as there is still a need for types of drugs then the drug dealers and traffickers will continue to take the great risks of smuggling drugs into the country because of the huge payoffs they will receive. According to the article “America’s Habit: Drug Abuse, Drug Trafficking, and Organized Crime,” “Drug trafficking is the most widespread and lucrative organized crime operation in the United States, accounting for nearly 40 percent of this country’s organized crime activity and generating an annual income estimated to be as high as $110 Billion.” With a huge opportunity to make a great amount of profit on selling drugs, dealers have no problem with getting creative to find new ways of getting drugs into the country without being detected.
“Despite tough anti-drug laws, a new survey shows the U.S. has the highest level of illegal drug use in the world “(CBS News 1). Columbia is a big part of this. Having an almost perfect covered jungle environment, Columbia drug lords have very good conditions to secretly produce and distribute drugs like Cocaine and many others. South America is the main source of drugs that come to the United States with Columbia producing almost ninety percent of the total amount. But, even though not all of the Central and South American countries produce the drugs, countries like Argentina are used as transit points between South America and the United States to easier deliver the drugs. Many of the drugs enter the United States through Florida and other Gulf Coast states.
Other countries in Asia and the Middle East produce drugs that manage to find their way into the states. Most of these drugs enter the country by use of water or air. Smugglers tend to fly planes under radar to avoid being detected. Ships manage by using special routes and staying off radar as well. Some smugglers have even made use of submarines to distribute their drugs. Submarines are hard to see from the air and are small enough to make them hard to detect. Small islands play a big part in the distribution of the drugs. These islands are used as refueling points and transit points where the drugs sometimes trade hands and a deal is made.
Many types of drugs make it into the county each year, of these types of drugs there are a few more prominent types.
Cocaine
Being made from the coca plant, Cocaine is the number one type of drug that is smuggled into the United States each year. “In 2008, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized over 49,000 kilograms of cocaine […] (Drug Rehab 1). What was once referred to as “the rich man’s drug” is now becoming more common among people of all different financial statuses. “Crack” is a cheaper form of cocaine that was made available to those who cannot afford the more expensive regular cocaine. Cocaine can lead to many health problems including stroke and heart attack.
Marijuana
Marijuana is a more common and less lethal drug that is many times used in medical instances. The drug, like cocaine, comes from a plant. Marijuana is grown in South and Central America countries but also in the United States and Canada, as well as European and Asian Countries. In the United States, marijuana farms are popping up more rapidly and raising concern.
Methamphetamine
A man made drug that is relatively easy to create and low in cost, Methamphetamine is a difficult drug to track and stop. According to the article “NIDA InfoFacts: Methamphetamine”
“Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant drug that is similar in structure to amphetamine. Due to its high potential for abuse, methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II drug and is available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled. Although methamphetamine can be prescribed by a doctor, its medical uses are limited, and the doses that are prescribed are much lower than those typically abused.” This drug also comes from Asian countries and South America.
Heroin
A highly addictive drug derives from the opium poppy . It is very common to other opiates such as morphine, Oxycontin, and Vicodin that are used in medical purposes. Heroin does have a high rate of being smuggled into the country but is not as great as Cocaine, Marijuana, and Methamphetamines.
With all the different types of drugs and the huge industry behind it ever expanding, it doesn’t seem like drug trafficking will slow down anytime soon in. For many years to come we, our children, and grandchildren will have to adapt to a world that drugs are present in. We can only hope that these drugs do not have a negative effect on our lives.
Works Cited
http://www.serendipity.li/cia.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/01/health/webmd/main4222322.shtml
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/govpubs/amhab/amhabc3.htm
http://www.state.gov/p/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2006/vol1/html/62106.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdI1y4sdPZE
Assisted Suicide
by Brandon Frank and Pat Pallotto
Assisted suicide is not exactly a topic to discuss over tea and crumpets. However, it is, in fact, something that needs to be addressed in our American society. Assisted suicide is described as when a physician assists a patient in termination of his/her life with fatal medications. “In addition, assisted suicide is commonly associated with Euthanasia, which refers to an easy, painless, and happy death” (Hendin) .Even though assisted suicide is looked upon as reprehensible and indecent by the general citizenry, nobody should have to deteriorate and be in constant pain. In some cases, America has already had a taste for assisted suicide. “In Oregon, it is legal for a doctor to prescribe a lethal dose of a drug to a patient who is both terminally ill and competent to make a rational decision to commit suicide” (Trueman 1). This is known as Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act (Trueman 1), but what exactly is assisted suicide, one might ask. Some people might be confused about what is and is not considered assisted suicide. “Giving medicine to relieve suffering, even if it risks or causes death, is not assisted suicide or euthanasia; nor is withdrawing treatments that only prolong a painful dying process”(Hendin). Assisted suicide should be legal here in America for the impaired and for the people who no longer want to suffer with a terminal illness.
If assisted suicide was legal in all states in America the general population would benefit greatly. As of now, the only states in America that allow assisted suicide are Montana, Oregon and Washington (Montana Judge Endorses). Families would be lifted of the burden of seeing their loved ones suffer and struggle through what remains of their lives. A prime example of lifting this burden and providing closure is written in a book called The Last Goodnights by John West. This book is a memoir that John West writes about his decision to help both his terminally-ill parents end their lives, separately, by assisted suicide. John West was faced with a difficult decision to help end his loving parents lives. People need to know that before any assumptions are made or fingers are pointed, John’s dad was dying of a wide spread cancer that was literally eating him up by the day (West). John’s dad had only a few days left and told his son that he did not want to spend any more time in physical pain or the pain of feeling dependent and deteriorating (West 1). John’s dad was a well-known psychiatrist and a faculty member of UCLA; to put it simply this man was beyond well-educated (West). As for John West’s mother, she had been slowly suffering from Alzheimer’s, and losing her mind was the cruelest form of death imaginable to her (West 1). John’s mother said that she had no interest in turning into a vegetable, so she chose to end her life sooner rather than later (West 1). Like John’s father, his mother was also very scholarly; she was a psychologist (West). As for John, he‘s a lawyer, and although he knew it was illegal, John decided to help both of his parents in assisted suicide because he loved and respected them (West 2). John’s parents were in a clear and sound state of mind when they made their decisions to have their lives come to an end. What John had to decide was neither easy nor usual. However, an individual would have to be heartless and cold-blooded to prosecute or convict John of murder. John made a decision to end his parents lives based on what they wanted; After all, his parent’s were the ones who decided 100% to leave their pain and agonizing lives behind for a better place. Who would want someone to suffer a pain and agonizing life when there are alternatives? If assisted suicide was legal, people like John’s parents would no longer have to wake up every morning in pain, disgusted that they could not end their lives peacefully and rationally.
If assisted suicide legal, obviously many factors would come into play. One huge benefit would be financial. What if a family did not have the money to keep their loved one alive? How would they be able to pay for numerous years of life support and medications? Keeping their suffering loved ones alive could cause huge financial dilemmas for the survivors. With assisted suicide becoming legal, there would be a price for death, obviously, but it would not be that of years of medical bills for life support. According to the medical dictionary the definition of life support is: “A therapy or device designed to preserve someone's life when an essential bodily system is not doing so. Life support may, for example, involve enteric feeding (by a tube), total parenteral nutrition, mechanical ventilation, a pacemaker, defibrillator, heart/lung machine, or dialysis” (MedicineNet). If someone’s essential bodily functions are not operating, it would make sense to resort to physician assisted suicide. One factor would be that the money involved would be less for that of the patient’s family. Watching loved ones slowly die on life support is a tremendous burden, and with this comes a lot of pain and grief for the family. Surely, no one wants to see a parent on a feeding tube with the body run by a machine. If a person has to be feed food by a tube and kept alive with a heart pump, this person is in no state of mind to enjoy and benefit from life. The only thing that they are causing is pain for the family who watches them slowly die. It would be easier for a family to let a loved one go through a physician assisted suicide. Closure, is what would be provided if assisted suicide was legal because this kind of death would allow both families and the individual to decide when the circumstances were right.
As with any issue, there are always two sides. Like any other topic, there are going to be both positive and negative reactions to assisted suicide. Some people state that legalization would cause many problems and inevitably cause more harm than good. “Legalization would inevitably generate abuses, cases in which people’s lives were intentionally ended when they should not have been because they were coerced, or because appropriate palliative measures were not provided, or because they did not consent” (Emanuel 104). “With the legalization of assisted suicide, many problems would arise as well; one problem would be the psychological distress and harm that family members might experience” (Emanuel 106). If assisted suicide became legal, would we, as a society, have people taking advantage of it? This is one question that we cannot answer until we have results or the experiences. An interesting quote from Assisted Suicide was that of “Supporting of legalization of euthanasia and PAS tend to be financially well-off, well-educated, white, nonreligious, and under sixty-five years of age” (Emanuel 107). As with any problem, every action has a reaction. With leaving assisted suicide illegal, we, as a society, would be undermining the integrity of the medical profession (Emanuel 107). “In addition, the creation of psychological anxiety and distress in patients from the possibility of euthanasia or PAS would occur” (Emanuel 106). Another likely harm would be that of threatening or coercion of some patients with the possibility of assisted suicide (Emanuel 106). According to Emanuel:
A recent survey of physicians indicated that 24 percent of patients who received euthanasia and 54 percent of patients who received PAS were experiencing pain. Combining these data suggests that if euthanasia or PAS were legalized fewer than 20,000 dying Americans might use these interventions to end their lives for reasons of unremitting pain. (106)
Because pain is not the only factor, and there are other factors, many people do not want assisted suicide or PAS accessible.
Advocates for assisted suicide becoming constitutional or being allowed, claim that many people would no longer have to suffer from neuromuscular diseases such as the infamous Lou Gehrig’s disease; or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. The effects from these illness are very serious and nothing to be taken lightly due to the destructiveness of the effects. Just imagine, a 76 year old women who has Lou Gehrig’s disease, who is losing the use of her body and her limbs one by one (Humphry and Clement 1). “Each and every day she wakes up, she has the chance for this disease to take control of her throat; which would eventually cause her to choke and die on her own saliva” (Humphry and Clement 1). Velma Howard (76 year old woman who has Lou Gehrig’s disease) was married, and to many, she and her husband were considered the “sweet old couple” (Humphry and Clement 1). “On top of this, Velma and her husband were very active in senior citizens clubs and also attended church regularly” (Humphry and Clement 1). However, there was a very devastating disease that was slowly taking her life. This disease was treating Velma as if she was a small rodent being squeezed by an anaconda; the disease was squeezing the life out of her in a slow, agonizing way. “Velma decided that she did not want to die by choking on her own saliva, and with her left arm useless and her legs weakening, she began to think about an accelerated death” (Humphry and Clement 1). “But, most of all, she did not want to linger for months in steady decline, dragging down her aging husband at the same time” (Humphry and Clement 1). Velma had decided that she needed to resort to assisted suicide in order to avoid the pain and suffering that her body experienced. “Velma made a three-minute audio tape which outlined her reasons for death and made clear that no one should be held accountable for her death but herself” (Humphry and Clement 2). On December 9, Velma, her husband, and her two sons checked into a Days Inn in Joplin, Missouri. “This would be the day Velma’s death was both swift and peaceful” (Humphry and Clement 2). Out of the three people involved (Velma’s two sons and husband) two people (one son and her husband) were charged with a Class B felony (Humphry and Clement 2). “A class B felony is punishable by up to fifteen years in prison” (Humphry and Clement 2). How could these people be charged, simply because they no longer wanted Velma to suffer, and they wanted to help her with something that she was content to do. The answer is they should not be; there only crime was that they could not let someone they loved suffer through such a devastating and terminating disease. If Velma’s family had not chosen to assist in her suicide, she risked choking to death; not a way that anyone would choose to die. Velma’s body was being taken over by a devastating disease at an incredible rate; assisted suicide was both the right choice in her condition and an ethical one as well.
Assisted suicide is among the most bioethical debated issues of our time (Rogatz 133). With modern medications and highly effective medical technology, we can reduce patients’ pain and suffering. However, simply reducing the pain is not applicable, nor is it the ultimate answer. Sometimes a patient’s condition is far beyond any of our medical advancements, and we must turn to another option. Assisted suicide or “Physician-assisted suicide isn’t about physicians becoming killers….It’s about patients whose suffering we can’t relieve and about not turning away from them when they ask for help” (Rogatz 133). Many arguments are strictly against physician assisted suicide, but a counter to this attack is that of patient autonomy. By definition, patient autonomy is “The right of patients to make decisions about their medical care without their health care provider trying to influence the decision; Patient autonomy does not allow the heath care provider to make the decision for the patient” (Patient Autonomy 1). As Americans, our health care and medical advances for treatment are highly embarked upon. We must use these advances to benefit certain areas, one of these being assisted suicide, when treatments and therapy are just not enough. If a patient or person decides that therapy and treatments are just not enough, we should at least have that alternative choice of physician assisted suicide. With medical advancements, people would be able to die both respected and pain free if they chose to. “In 1997 Oregon passed the Death with Dignity Act, this legalized a physician to prescribe a lethal dose of medication for the mentally competent, terminally ill patient for the purpose of self-administration” (Ganzini 140). Since then, Linda Ganzini, who is the director of geriatric psychiatry at the Portland, Oregon, VA Hospital, said that “Care for terminally ill patients in Oregon has improved since the passage of the Death with Dignity Act” (Ganzini 141). With assisted suicide becoming legal, not only would there be options for the terminally ill and suffering, but care for them would improve as well. Not only would assisted suicide provide an option for the suffering, but it would also improve the care for others who are also terminally ill. “Unfortunately, not all people who live long lives die peacefully” (Larue 154). “Some people die painful, torturous deaths” (Larue 154). “When life is without quality, when pain and discomfort rob life of its significance, some persons cry out for release through death-a good death through euthanasia” (Larue 154). This is a prime example of why assisted suicide should be legal, and definitely an option to the sick. “In other parts of our world, like the Netherlands, most Dutch physicians endorse assisted suicide” (Onwuteaka-Philipsen et al. 164)
With assisted suicide becoming legal, both regulations and restrictions would have to be put into place. These restrictions would be the same as what Oregon follows, with the Death With Dignity Act. There are many factors and categories that one must pass in order to become eligible in the state of Oregon. “The law states that, in order to participate, a patient must be: 1) 18 years of age or older, 2) a resident of Oregon, 3) capable of making and communicating health care decisions for him/herself, and 4) diagnosed with a terminal illness that will lead to death within (6) months”(Death With Dignity Act 2). “From this point on, it is up to the physician to determine whether or not a patient has met these criteria” (Death With Dignity Act 2). Being that a patient must be diagnosed by a physician with a terminal disease, this makes the margin of error very small. These regulations make it so just not anyone off of the streets can resort to assisted suicide. With these criteria in place, we as Americans can limit the abuse of assisted suicide.
Assisted suicide is a controversial topic both here in America as it is worldwide. As with any topic that involves the human life, controversy is sure to follow. With any law or bill that is passed, there are always people on both sides of the issue. This is no exception for assisted suicide; some people are for it, and others against. If assisted suicide was legal here in America, the quality of life would rise. This would be because not only would people with life threatening issues have an option rather than suffering, but families would have some place to turn to when their loved one has been taken over by a life-threatening disease. The big issue in assisted suicide is that it is morally wrong and unethical. However, is it ethical to let someone suffer and live in agonizing pain? The answer is no. As Americans, we have the medicine and the advancements in technology to allow for people to have both a safe and painless death here in 2009. Assisted suicide would provide an option to both the families as well as to the patient. This would not be the only choice as all the other options would remain. However, assisted suicide would offer one more place to turn to , as well as a safe option to end the peoples life’s who have decided that pain and suffering is no longer worth the fight with a terminal disease. With assisted suicide legal here in America, the terminally ill would no longer have to suffer, nor would the families of the patient. Assisted suicide or physician assisted suicide is not considered murder; it is respecting the rights and aspirations of the patients.
Works Cited
Balkin, Karen. Assisted Suicide. Detroit: GreenHaven Press, 2005.
"Death With Dignity Act." FAQ's about Death with Dignity Act. 09/22/2007. Department of Human Services. 5/1/2009. <http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/faqs.shtml>.
"Definition of life support." 01/01/2009. Medicene.net ". 22 Apr 2009 <http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=38577>.
Emanuel, Ezekiel. “Legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide Would Harm the Care of Terminally Ill Patients”. Balkin 103-112.
Ganzini, Linda. "Legalized Physician-Assisted Suicide Has Improved the Care of Terminally Ill Patients”. Balkin 140-145.
Hendin, Herbert. "Commentary: The Case Against Physcian-Assisted Suicide: For the Right to End-of-Life Care." Assisted Suicide. 02/01/2004. 4/2/2009 <http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/54071>.
Humphry, Derek, and Mary Clement. Freedom to Die. 1. New York: St. Martins Press, 1999.
Larue, Gerald. Humanism Today. North American Coucil for Humanism, 2004. Print. "Montana Judege Endorses Right To Assisted Suicide." New York Times. 12/06/2008. 4/21/2009 <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/health/07montana.html>.
“Montana Judge Endorses Right to Assisted Suicide.” New York Times. 12/06/2008.4/21/2009.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/health/07montana.html>
Onwuteaka_Philipsen, Bregje D.. "Euthansia and Other End-of-Life Decisions." Netherlands 362(2003): 395-399, 164.
"Patient Autonomy."MedicineNet.com. 1. 2000.
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=13551&pf=3&page=1.
Rogatz, Peter. "Legalizing Assisted Suicide Would Help Physicians Reduce the Suffering of Terminally Ill Patients". Balkin 133-139.
Trueman, Chris. "Preview of Assisted Suicide Case." TalkLeft: The Politics Of Crime. 09/21/2005. Court Descions. 21 Apr 2009 <http://www.talkleft.com/story/2005/09/21/794/38617>.
West, John. The Last Good Nights. Book World. 02/09/2009. 21 Apr 2009 <http://popdose.com/book-review-john-west-the-last-goodnights-assisting-my-parents-with-their-suicides/>.
Spousal Abuse
By: Kellby Medford
Spousal abuse is a eluding and frightening problem of society today. And it has been a problem for many years now. Although spousal abuse and domestic violence has been around for as long as anyone can remember or account for and it has been researched and many people have attempted to resolve the problem, however, the problem is not improving and there are many facts that are relatively unknown. There are different types of spousal and domestic abuse. There are also different victims and reasons for why there are different victims in spousal abuse cases.
Women are not the only victims of physical or emotional abuse. Women are the majority but they are not the only victims. There are also men that are abused in the same ways that women are but the men are overlooked or ignored because the men are usually ashamed to admit that they were beaten or abused by their female partner. IN the year 2000, 1247 women and 440 men were murdered by an intimate partner in the United States- compared to 1357 men and 1600 women in 1976 and around 1300 women in 1993, according to Dr. Sam Vaknin. (http://samvak.tripod.com/abusefamily15.html) One in four women have been assaulted or raped at a given point in her lifetime (Commonwealth Fund survey, 1998.) So, although women are the majority of the victims of spousal and domestic abuse, men are also victims and should not be ignored just because of the stigma.
There are many characteristics of abusers that have been found. An abuser usually has inadequate communication skills. And they usually want to control and place blame on other people or events in their lives for their abusive actions and behaviors. They usually have little control over their impulses and they often suffer from low self esteem. An abuser usually feels as though he/she is out of control and in order to re-establish their control they must control their partner. One half of all wife-batterers also regularly assault and abuse their children also. “Black females experience domestic violence at a rate of 35% higher than that of white females, and about 22 times the rate of women of other races. Black males experienced domestic violence at a rate about 62% higher than that of white males and about 22 times the rate of men of other races.” (Vaknin) 85% of intimate partner violence incidents involved women. But the other 15% were men.
There are different types of abuse. There is the physical types of abuse which include hitting, kicking, slapping, choking, or threatening their partners or their children with a weapon. Less severe signs of physical abuse are objects thrown at the victim, being locked out of the house or being physically restrained in some fashion or blocked from leaving the room or house. (Schaeffer) Two million spouses, mostly women are threatened with a deadly weapon annually, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Women in the process of separation or divorce are the targets of half of all intimate partner violent crimes. (Vaknin)
There is also the sexual type of abuse. Sexual abuse is not limited to just wanting sex by forcing the partner physically or with threats. But it can also be things such as criticizing the partner’s sexual performance. Rigid sex roles are often demanded, expecting the victim to “serve” the abuser at his or her whim. It can also be defined as sexual activity or touching, grabbing or groping to which the victim does not consent. Sexual abuse does not always have to be rape.
There is also the emotional abuse that is often overlooked in abusive relationships or situations. Emotional abuse can be extremely damaging and may also cause psychological problems in the victim. The abuser will say and do things to shame or insult the victim. For example, the abuser may ridicule and mock the victim in private and in front of others at times to embarrass the victim, which causes the victim to try and be better for the abuser which gives the abuser more control. Most of the time, the abuser will tell the victim they are ugly, too fat, too skinny, stupid or lazy. Usually this degrades the victim enough to lower their self-esteem and therefore goes under the abuser’s control. This type of abuse is also issued on children of an abuser’s home.
There are many signs of domestic violence and spousal abuse. Some of these signs include bruises or injuries that look like they came from choking, punching, or being thrown down. Black eyes, red or purple marks at the neck, sprained or bruised wrists are common injuries endured during a violent relationship. Bruised arms might suggest that a victim tried to defend herself. If the suspected victim of violence tries to hide bruises with makeup or clothing, this is a sign. Victims usually make up excuses for the bruising or bodily injuries like tripping or being accident-prone. Often the seriousness of the injury does not match up with the explanation. Victims are usually extremely apologetic and meek. If they have few close friends and they are isolated from relatives and coworkers and kept from making friends, this is a sign of an abusive relationship. Symptoms of depression, such as sadness or hopelessness or loss of interest in daily activities are also signs of domestic abuse. When a person is a victim of abuse and you know of it, you should always encourage the person to talk with a health professional.
One half of all American homes are affected by domestic violence at least once a year. Domestic violence occurs among all socioeconomic groups. It is estimated that between 53% and 70% of male batterers also frequently abused their children. Other research suggests that women who have been hit by their husbands were twice as likely as other women to abuse their children. 3 million children are at risk of exposure to parental violence each year. About two-thirds of abused children are being parented by a battered women. It has been estimated that about 1 in 5 female children and 1 in 10 male children may experience sexual molestation.
Domestic violence or spousal abuse is a very serious matter that should not be underestimated. It affects mass populations in many social classes. If you know of anyone that is in an abusive relationship you should recommend that they see a professional about getting help and finding a solution for the violence. “Love shouldn’t Hurt.”
Works Cited:
The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress:
http://www.aaets.org/arts/art8.htm
Kathy Schaeffer: http://www.essortment.com/all/spouseabusedom_rnjw.htm
Dr. Sam Vaknin: http://samvak.tripod.com/abusefamily15.html )
WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/tc/domestic-violence-signs-of-domestic-violence
Domestic Violence
By: Gerivian L. Gutierrez
Imagine you have met the man of your dreams. You guys get along so well, you love each other a lot and one day you decide to get married and start a family. Everything is going great and one day out of the blue you have an argument and your husband hits you and your children see it. Do you allow that to go on or end the relationship to protect yourself and your children? Do you even realize the affects it could have on your children growing up seeing this kind of abuse. What are you going to do if he someday kills you?
So your husband says he is sorry and it will never happen again. A few months pass by and your guys have a heated argument and he hits you again. This is a cycle that continues and unless it is broken it will never end. Your children will grow up thinking this kind of behavior is ok. Studies have been done showing that children will grow up and repeat the behavior they have seen all their lives. They will either become victims or abusers unless the cycle is stopped. According to the national organization for women states three women die every day as a result of domestic violence.
All forms of domestic violence happen, for one reason and one reason only to gain or maintain control over the victim. There are many forms that many people are not aware of. There is direct physical violence ranging from unwanted physical contact to murder. Indirect physical may include destruction of property like throwing objects near the victim. Mental and emotional abuse is threats of violence to the victim, self, or children. Even insults and put down are mental and emotional abuse. Psychological abuse is controlling of the victims money, preventing victim from seeing friends and family.
This abuse is happening all over the world and it’s not just women playing the victims it is men as well. According to the national organization for women, nearly two in three female victims knew their attackers. Over two thirds of violent victimizations against women were people they knew very well. Thirty one percent of females reported that the attacker was a stranger. Twenty eight percent of females claimed they were attacked by their husbands or boyfriends. The statistics for abuse on men are seven point four percent of men who had been married or lived with a girlfriend reported such violence. The rate for abused men is much lower than it is for women and it will probably always remain that way. Even though men are supposed to be the so called macho man they too can become victims of domestic violence.
All people have the right to not be harmed in any way shape or form everyone has the right to make the decision to stay in or get out of a domestic violence relationship. This is not always the case in Islam they do what they call honor killings. These are killings that don’t give the victim any say at all they just kill them for whatever reason they feel is right. It is a bone chilling, horrific event committed by family members like fathers, mothers, brothers, brother in laws and so on. Women are killed for adultery, speaking to a man that is not related to her. They are also killed for refusing a forced marriage even women or girls that have been raped through no fault of their own are killed. The Islam’s believe that after a rape the female is no longer good. They feel that the female is stained and the stain must be taken out of their family so they must die. This is to protect the family honor.
According to mirza these kinds of killings has happened, is still happening, and will continue to happen only in Muslim families.
A lot of music you see these days puts sown women and degrades them. Today’s music like gangster rap and hardcore music is very degrading to women. There are so many videos and commercials about rap that are very sexual and violent. Edward rhymes states “That the rapper who grew up in the inner city who watched the sexist television programs, commercials and movies grow up believing that is how the world works.”
They have tried in the recent years to censor rap music but feel that will not end the problem. People can see these sexist videos and lyrics on their cell phones, television, and even computers. Even if we took all the degrading things away about women in the rap world we would still have white owned entities like playboy, penthouse, hustler and hooters.
In the Hispanic culture there are many form of abuse that goes on but to the Hispanics it is normal. The men demand a lot of respect not only from his family but from the world. In the Latin culture the families are very close and may even live together to keep their families intact. The men use excuses of keeping his authority in the family in order to feel ok for abusing their spouse or children. They feel it is justified if he can argue that he was trying to keep his family together. The women in this culture are to be submissive to their husband’s. The men in this culture are very flirty with other women and may start new relationships and even new families. They are big on infidelity and expect their wife to stand by him no matter what. She has no say she just needs to deal with it. Their children see all this go on and they are not to say anything as well. The women are not valued at all in the Latin culture.
Domestic violence goes on all over the world and needs to come to an end. Women need to stand up for themselves and realize they are better than that and they can do anything a man can do. They need to stand up for their children and not let them see the abuse or get abused. Men who abuse need to realize that women are human beings who have feeling also. Men who abuse women need to realize women are equal to them and they are no better than women just because it used to be a man’s world. Every person came from a woman. A woman carries life in her for nine months and goes through labor for that child. Men need to treat their wives like they would treat their own mothers. Women need to get a voice and stand up and not take being abused, degraded, or made to feel less of a person just because she is a woman. Any man who reads this, remember one thing before you think less of a woman: you came from a woman.
Works Cited
National Organization for women
www.now.org/issues/violence/stats
US department of justice bureau of statistics
www.aardvarcd.org
Edward rhymes “Sexism is Pervasive throughout culture.”
Current Controversies. Rap Music and culture.
Ed. Kate burns. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008
Opposing Viewpoints. Cory Charles E “Patriarchy does not cause domestic violence.”
Opposing Viewpoints: “Crime and Criminals.”
Ed. David M. haugen. San Diego, greenhaven press, 2005 Opposing Viewpoints.
Wikipedia www.wikipedia.org
Fernando Medros, ed.
86 forest hills street, Jamaica plain, MA, 02130
Domestic violence and culture.
Child Abuse
Casey Dirkes
A little boy, age 4, has his hands amputated after they were tied tightly behind his back as punishment for using his father’s paint. His father, an alcoholic, fell asleep and forgot to untie his son. When they finally return from the hospital, the son asks his father if he is really good, can he have his hands back. Later that day, the father kills himself.
"Neglected Child" means a child less than 18 years of age whose physical, mental or emotional condition has been impaired or is in danger of becoming impaired as a result of the failure of the child's legal guardian to exercise a minimum degree of care in supplying the child with food, clothing, shelter, or education or medical care. Neglect also occurs when the legal guardian fails to provide the child with proper supervision or guardian by allowing the child to be harmed, or to be at risk of harm which includes when the guardian misuses drugs or alcohol him/herself.
Emotional abuse (or psychological abuse) is a pattern of behavior that impairs a child’s emotional development or sense of self-worth. This may include constant criticism, threats, or rejection, as well as withholding love, support, or guidance. Emotional abuse is often difficult to prove and, child protective services may not be able to intervene without evidence of harm or mental injury to the child. Emotional abuse is almost always present when other forms are identified. Abandonment is now defined in many States as a form of neglect. It says that a child is considered to be abandoned when the parent's or whereabouts are unknown, the child has been left alone in circumstances where the child suffers serious harm, or the parent has failed to maintain contact with the child or provide reasonable support for a specified period of time.
Physical abuse is nonaccidental physical injury as a result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, throwing, stabbing, choking, hitting, burning, or otherwise harming a child that is inflicted by a parent, caregiver, or other person who has responsibility for the child. Such injury is considered abuse regardless of whether the caregiver intended to hurt the child. Physical discipline, such as spanking or paddling, is not considered abuse as long as it is reasonable and causes no bodily injury to the child. While neglect is the failure of a parent, guardian, or other caregiver to provide for a child’s basic needs. These situations do not always mean a child is neglected. Sometimes cultural values, the standards of care in the community, and poverty may be contributing factors, indicating the family is in need of information or assistance. When a family fails to use information and resources, and the child’s health or safety is at risk, then child welfare intervention may be required. In addition, many States provide an exception to the definition of neglect for parents who choose not to seek medical care for their children due to religious beliefs that may prohibit medical intervention.
Things to do instead of hurting a child take a deep breath, take a few more. Remember, you are the adult. Close your eyes and imagine you are hearing what your child is about to hear, or receiving the same punishment. Press your lips together and count to 20. Put the child in a "time-out" chair for a number of minutes, the rule is one minute for each year of age. Put yourself in a "time-out" chair, are you really angry at the child or is it something else. If someone can watch the children, go out for a walk. Take a hot bath or splash cold water on your face. Turn on some music, sing along if you want. Pick up a pencil and write down a list of helpful words, not words that will hurt, save the list use these words. Some signs of sexual abuse are as follows. Withdrawal or anti-social attitude. Refusal to undress for physical education or sports. Exaggerated interest in sex or "acting out" sex with other children. Unusually seductive behavior. Fear of intimate contact. Torn, stained, or bloodied clothing. Sexual abuse is one of the most traumatic ones for the children. Having someone treat them like that at such a young age not even knowing what those actions are is not healthy for the child.
Studies have shown a consistent pattern regarding the abuse and neglect inflicted on children of different genders. Approximately 75% of sexual abuse is inflicted upon girls. Girls also are more likely to suffer from emotional abuse and neglect. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to experience physical trauma. When focusing solely on cause of death, studies indicate fathers are more likely to kill their child via physical abuse, while mothers kill by neglect. Fathers usually take out their anger on the children because men have more of an aggressive nature to them rather than women being more emotional and neglecting.
Over 75% of inflicted abuse is a result of parental action. Parental risk factors include young or single parents, those who did not graduate from high school, and those who either were abused themselves as children or endured a severely dysfunctional home life. Adults using drugs, abusing alcohol, and those with psychiatric disease (for example, depression, impulse-control disorders) are more likely to abuse children. Females account for 61% of perpetrators. Often times when the father is abusive towards the child he will also continue this behavior to the woman of the household. It usually begins with some sort of outrage of anger with something and leads to the child. When a parent acts in the manner of abuse it will continue until something or someone turns them in. It would be in your favor if you knew of someone being abused or even suspected some sort of abuse to turn it in or contact the abuse hotline. Even if nothing is happening with the family or child but you suspected it and turned it in, you’re doing the right thing. If anything you could be preventing it from happening to the certain child or family member.
Sources Cited
http://helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm
Juettner, Bonnie; Child Abuse. 2009 Gale, Cengage Learning
Opposing Viewpoints; Child Abuse. 2003 Greenhaven Press.
Current Controversies; Child Abuse. 2001 Greenhaven Press.
Chelsea Warta
Single Mother Families
There are many different families in the world today with different out looks in life, but I feel that single parent families may have it the hardest because the parent has to raise the children, work, and keep a stable household all by themselves. A single parent is has to live with dependent children by themselves or even in a larger household with other families making life just a little bit harder.
Statistics show that the United States has the highest amount of single parent families in the twentieth century and there has actually been a drastic increase in the number of families that are run by a single parent. In the United States statistics show that one-quarter to one-third of all families are headed by single mothers. It is much harder for a mother to be a single parent at times because they do not typically earn the same amount of income as a male would. This makes it harder for a woman to find child care. It also calls for a shortage of time with their children because they have to work more to earn more money. If the mother has to work more and can’t find child care it leads to a tendency of having to leave their children home alone by themselves.
In general there are many cause of why a mother or father becomes a single parent. Studies show that one-fourth of children born in the nineteenth century had a parent die leading to a single parent family. The leading cause of single parent households is divorce. The divorce rate is dramatically climbing and is usually more common in the lower-income families, and when a person becomes a single parent there are affects that take effect not only the parent but the children as well.
In the United States the affects of children fall into two different categories. These two categories are those attributed to the lower socioeconomic status of single parents and the short term consequences of divorce and moderate over time. When a child faces their parents getting a divorce they may become antisocial in the few years following. The child may also develop aggression, anxiety, and problems in school. Then more times than none single parent families are just a mother only family. In mother only families, children tend to experience short-and long-term economic and psychological disadvantages; higher absentee rates at school, lower levels of education, and higher dropout rates (with boys more negatively affected than girls); and more delinquent activity, including alcohol and drug addiction. Adolescents, on the other hand, are more negatively affected by parental discord prior to divorce than by living in single-parent families and actually gain in responsibility as a result of altered family routines. The relationship between children and non-custodial fathers can be difficult and strained. Fathers often become disinterested and detached from their children and in one study more than sixty percent of fathers either did not visit their children or had no contact with them for over a year. The loss of a father in the family can have implications beyond childhood. However, the lack of a male presence may not be as critical as the lack of a male income to the family. The economic deprivation of single-parent family life, in combination with other sources of strain and stress, is a major problem experienced my both the parents and the children. Employment is a major stress issue that comes about when a mother has to raise her children and try to work. At the present time, most mothers in the United States are employed. This is not only true for mothers of school-aged children, but it is also true for mothers of infants less than one-year-old. The pace with which maternal employment rates have increased to this point is so rapid that many people fail to realize its prevalence. The attempts to understand its effects often ignore the fact that this change is part of a whole complex of social changes. Both employed mothers and homemakers today live in a very different environment than their counterparts forty or even twenty years ago.
Labor Force Participation Rates
of Mothers with children under 18,
1946-1996 and 1940
1940 8.6%
1946 18.2%
1956 27.5%
1966 35.8%
1976 48.8%
1986 62.5%
1996 70.0%
Many of the studies that have compared the children of employed and nonemployed mothers on child have failed. Research has shown differences in relationships of the social class and gender. Patterns that have been revealed over the years include the following:
a. Daughters of employed mothers have been found to have higher academic achievement, greater career success, more nontraditional career choices, and greater occupational commitment.
b. Studies of children in poverty, in both two-parent and single-mother families, found higher cognitive scores for children with employed mothers as well as higher scores
c. A few earlier studies found that sons of employed mothers in the middle class showed lower school performance and lower I.Q. scores during the grade school years than full-time homemakers.
Twenty years ago, it would have seemed strange to give a talk on maternal employment and not focus on it as a social problem. The mother's employment status does have effects on families and children, but few of these effects are negative ones. The mother's employment is to provide for family environment that works well. In two-parent families, the fathers take on a larger share of the household tasks and child care and this seems to have benefits for the children. In the working class, employed mothers indicated a higher level of well-being than full-time homemakers. Even in the middle-class, where employed mothers did not show a higher level of well-being, neither did they show a lower one. While the quality and stability of nonmaternal care for infants and young children is important, the mother's employment itself does not seem to have the negative effects. We are dealing here with a change in society, and while there are adjustments yet to be made may be more affordable.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/297615/single_parent_households_how_does_it_pg2.html?cat=25
http://www.pineforge.com/newman2studyfamilies/essays/single_parent.htm
International Adoption
by Haley Kistler
Due to natural disasters, political changes, poverty, and disease there are now 145 million orphans in the world. Many of these children are eligible for adoption. While some of these children are adopted domestically, many are adopted internationally. Many Americans have become interested in adopting from other countries over the years, with 12, 753 children being adopted in 2009.
History of Adoption
After WWII, the Displaced Persons Act allowed 3,000 European orphans to come to America. Sadly, many of these children were placed under caregivers but never formally adopted. During this time, Americans became more aware of adoption and sought to adopt children domestically. But at that time, there was a limited number of orphans within the U.S., and Americans began to look at international adoption. The Korean War led servicemen to adopt 4,000 (and later many more) orphans from the war stricken country. To date, 300,000 Koreans adoptees have immigrated to the U.S.
In 1975, another flood of orphans came to Western countries through the Vietnamese “Baby Lift”. Unfortunately, many of these children were not actually orphans and were sent away by their parents for safety reasons. After the incident, the federal government sought to prevent a repeat of the occurrence through more immigration regulations.
Current International Adoption
Although international adoption in America began with adopting war orphans already in the U.S., today's process is quite different. Most adoptions are carried out with a private agency, experienced in working with the legal system of other countries. The adoptive parents are required to have a homestudy (evaluation by a social worker) to assure the child will be placed in a loving home. After the parents are approved, the agency will usually choose a child for them. Most countries require the adoptive parents to travel to the child's country and stay for a period of time. Depending on the country, parents are required to stay for a few days or a few months. Once the adoptee has arrived in America, the parents must apply for the child's American citizenship.
With the entire process usually taking 1-3 years and costing between $15,000 - $35,000, many wonder why adoptive parents would choose to adopt outside of the U.S.
Pros and Cons
Pros
*there are various children to choose from (different ethnicities, age, special needs)
*all adoptees are legally defined orphans (the birth mother has relinquished all rights and cannot take the child back)
*parents have the opportunity to visit another country with a different culture
*parents are able to provide a loving family for a child who would otherwise be living in an institution
*agency can give parents an idea of the total expenses before beginning the process
Cons
*unable to adopt newborns due to the lengthy paperwork
*may know very little about child's medical history or background information
*language barrier for older children
*extensive paperwork
*Usually expensive ($15,000-$35,000)
*possible unforeseen health problems, malnutrition, or developmental delays (most adoptees recover/improve once they receive the proper help)
Most Popular Countries
The prospective parent has several different countries to choose from. The most popular countries in recent years include China, Russia, and Ethiopia. These three countries have various reasons for having so many orphans. The Chinese government enacted the “One Child Policy” to slow the growth of the already greatly populated country. Most Chinese citizens are limited to one child per family, resulting in an increase in orphans and abortions (especially baby girls).
In Russia, citizens have experienced both social and political upheaval with the fall of the Soviet Union (1992). As a result poverty, alcoholism, neglect and abuse, are prevalent. Due to this unstable family life, many children are removed from the home.
In Ethiopia, the country's 6 million orphans are a result of poverty, disease,drought, and famine. While many countries' adoption numbers are dropping, Ethiopia's continues to rise. Adoptions increased from 1,724 in 2008 to 2,277 in 2009, making the country second only to China in number of adoptions. Unfortunately, the dramatic increase has been linked to human trafficking in Ethiopia. Parents unknowingly adopt many of the children through facilitators that profit from “selling” the children. Countries including Romania, Cambodia, and Guatemala have been forced to close international adoption due to corrupt processes. With the recent corruption coming to light, United Nation officials are working towards improving the situation through the Hague Convention.
Hague Convention
The Hague Convention (1993) assures that adoptions between certified countries are in the best interest of the child. Each participating country has a central authority which requires that Americans work with a federally accredited adoption agency which discloses all expenses within the adoption. In doing so, the Convention helps prevent human trafficking through the traffickers themselves and corrupt agencies. A Hague Adoption Certificate is also given to the adoptive parents to assure that the child is eligible for adoption.
Future of International Adoption
From 1990-2004, adoptions to the U.S. were steadily increasing with nearly 20,000 children being adopted in 2004. But since then, the numbers have been steadily decreasing to 12,753 in 2009. But these statistics don't take into account the various social and political happenings of recent years. With the Hague Convention now in full effect, the practice of human trafficking (in Hague certified countries) has decreased. China is experiencing a growth in the middle class, allowing citizens to adopt or keep their children because they can now afford the fines enforced by the “One Child Policy”. American adoptive parents are now more likely to adopt China's older or special needs orphans. Russia's circumstances are also improving allowing parents to better provide for their children. Also, the promotion of domestic adoption in India and Korea have affected international adoptions. Today, thousands of children in need are still being adopted and the number may increase with the number of Hague certified countries.
Although it has become more difficult in the past twenty years to adopt internationally, it is still a viable option for interested parents. Millions of children are still in need of families and many will continue to adopt internationally. Through international adoption, families are joined together in love and an understanding of another culture.
Works Cited
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.minnesotaumc.org/Portals/1199/Bishop%2520Corner/aids-orphans-greenweb.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.minnesotaumc.org/BishopsCorner/TheBishopsMessage/BishopsMessageArchives2007/WhendidyouseeJesusorphanedbyAIDSOct24/tabid/40973/Default.aspx&usg=__-BARmSO7qy42w8m73ZuO3mBpMqc=&h=263&w=350&sz=39&hl=en&start=36&itbs=1&tbnid=4OiGGTkpsnXsrM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpictures%2Bof%2Borphans%26start%3D20%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3Derl%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1%26prmd%3Di
http://encyclopedia.adoption.com/entry/international-adoption/191/1.html
http://www.adoptionpolicy.org/facts.html
http://www.orphanages.ws/
http://international.adoption.com/foreign/pros-cons-of-international-adoption.html
http://www.torussiawithlove.ie/faq.html
http://www.undispatch.com/archives/2008/11/orphans_of_ethi.php
http://www.sharedjourney.com/adoption/international.html
http://orphansdeservebetter.org/facts.html
http://www.denverpost.com/familynews/ci_14479338
http://www.naka.org/resources/history.asp
http://www.internationaladoptionhelp.com/international_adoption/international_adoption_faq.htm
http://www.rainbowkids.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=549
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-191777047/small-commodities-child-traffickers.html
http://adoption.state.gov/hague/overview.html
http://adoption.state.gov/hague/overview/countries.html
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gov.cn/misc/images/00123f37ab18057efa3006.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.gov.cn/misc/2006-03/13/content_225544.htm&usg=__0T7YYQtldtSbgj6TCUyJ6uwu7XQ=&h=228&w=350&sz=69&hl=en&start=4&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=-1nRGrw9JzCwTM:&tbnh=78&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfamilies%2Bwith%2Badopted%2BChinese%2Bchildren%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26tbs%3Disch:1
Teen Suicide
By Holly Denny
Every year, thousands of youth die everywhere, not by cancer, car accidents, and other diseases, but by their own hand. These people make the choice that they want to die and they take their own life. Suicide is the act of killing yourself, most often as a result of depression or other mental illness.
It is hard to ignore if it has happen to your friend, family, or someone you knew. When a teen commits suicide, everyone is affected. Family members, friends, teammates, neighbours, and sometimes even those who didn't know the teen well might experience feelings of grief, confusion, guilt — and the sense that if only they had done something differently, the suicide could have been prevented. Most teens with this illness do not feel like they can get out of their problems or they are on their own. That is not true! All suicides are preventable.
Teen suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24 surpassed only by homicide and accidents. It is estimated that 500,000 teenagers try to kill themselves during the course of one year. Many fail suicide, which is a good thing. After trying to attempt suicide for the first time, many can attempt to cry for help before a second attempt is made. Adolescence is a time of dramatic change. The journey from child to adult can be complex and challenging. Young people often feel tremendous pressure to succeed at school, at home and in social groups. Well adjusted, but living with stressful situations. They may be having difficulty in coping with a sudden crisis their parents' divorce, for example, or the death of a friend. Failure in school, a romantic break-up, or any other major loss could also serve as trigger. However, those who cannot handle these situations are ones that are prone to suicide. But at the same time; they lack the life experience that lets them know difficult situations do not last forever.
Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. The strongest risk factors for attempted suicide in youth are depression, alcohol or other drug use disorder, and aggressive or disruptive behaviours. There are an estimated 10 to 20 million non-fatal attempted suicides every year worldwide.
Depression is often associated with suicide, but the problem can usually be prevented with proper treatment such as counselling or anti-depressants. About five to ten percent of teens at some time in their life suffer from depression, and if not treated properly, depression can lead to suicide in almost fifteen percent of those troubled teens.
Screening programs have proven to be helpful because research has shown that suicidal people show signs of depression or emotional distress. Referrals can be made for treatment, and effective treatment can be employed when signs are observed in time. Intervention efforts for at-risk youth can put them in contact with mental health services that can save their lives.
Suicidal youth rarely make a direct plea for help. But most will exhibit warning signs.
WARNING SIGNS
• Sudden change in behaviour (positive or negative)
• Apathy, withdrawal, change in eating patterns
• Unusual preoccupation with death or dying
• Giving away valued personal possessions
• Signs of depression; moodiness, hopelessness
• One or more previous suicide attempts
• Recent attempt or death by suicide by a friend or a family member
• Believing things will never get better; that nothing will ever change
MYTHS
Myth: Suicide is sudden and unpredictable.
Reality: Suicide is most often a process, not an event. Eight out of ten people who die by suicide gave some, or even many, indications of their intentions.
Myth: Suicidal people are determined to die.
Reality: Suicidal youth are in pain. They don't necessarily want to die; they want their pain to end. If their ability to cope is stretched to the limit, or if problems occur together with a mental illness, it can seem that death is the only way to make the pain stop.
Myth: Suicidal youth are only seeking attention or trying to manipulate others.
Reality: Efforts to manipulate or grab attention are always a cause for concern. It is difficult to determine if a youth is at risk of suicide all suicide threats must be taken seriously.
A teen with an adequate support network of friends, family, religious affiliations, peer groups, or extracurricular activities may have an outlet to deal with everyday frustrations. But many teens don't believe they have that, and feel disconnected and isolated from family and friends. These teens are at increased risk for suicide.
Factors that increase the risk of suicide among teens include:
• A previous suicide attempt
• A family history of depression or suicide (depressive illnesses may have a genetic component, so some teens may be predisposed to suffer major depression)
• Physical or sexual abuse
• Lack of a support network, poor relationships with parents or peers, and feelings of social isolation
• Dealing with homosexuality in an unsupportive family or community or hostile school environment
Getting help
Feeling depressed and trapped can make you feel like you have no other option when you really do have other choices. That's why you need support from someone who knows how to help people work through tough situations. If you need help finding someone to talk to right now, or if you are thinking about suicide, call a suicide crisis line (such as 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-999-9999) or the local suicide helpline in your neighbourhood. These toll-free lines are staffed by trained professionals who can help you without ever knowing your name or seeing your face.
Sources Cited:
http://www.apa.org/research/action/suicide.aspx
http://www.youthsuicide.ca/adult_questions/support.htm
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/suicide.html#
Child Abuse By Jen Horinek
Bruises from head to toe or broken bones may be a sure sign of physical abuse, but there are more warning signs of child abuse that are not so physical. Other types of child abuse include emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect, which all cause scars in the life of that child. Once someone knows the signs and signals from an abused child, it is easier to get help for that child before it is too late.
Child abuse is shockingly more common than most people think. Everyone says that they would never do that to their children, but most children that are abused by close relatives or caregivers. At least five children are killed by their parents or caretakers every day, and 140,000 others are physically injured every year(Feldman 185). Physical abuse has visible signs that anyone who sees these should be cautious and curious and get help if needed. Some of the parents that physically abuse their children do not see it as abuse, they see it as discipline, but take it too far. The abusers need to take a step back and notice what they are doing to their child. There are steps the abusers can do to hold themselves back from being physically abusive such as taking deep breaths and counting to twenty, sending the child to time out instead of getting physical with them, or going to a different room and thinking about the consequences that their actions may have. Although physical child abuse is hard to think about and horrible to witness, it is happening every day to hundreds of thousands of children and we all need to take action and report any abuse that is witnessed in order to protect that child from further abuse.
Emotional abuse is just as hurtful as physical abuse to children and its effects on children are usually lifelong results. Emotionally abused children usually feel worthless and have many emotional problems throughout life. This is cause by parents using hurtful words or calling them hurtful names. The parents or caregivers treat them as if they are stupid and cannot understand what they are saying. Children who go through emotional abuse also have trust issues and have trouble having relationships or getting close to anyone. As stated in “Recognizing and Preventing Child Abuse”, “If you can’t trust your parents, who can you trust? Abuse by a primary caregiver damages the most fundamental relationship as a child—that you will safely, reliably get your physical and emotional needs met by the person who is responsible for your care. Without this base, it is very difficult to learn to trust people or know who is trustworthy.” Along with emotional abused children, neglected children also have trust issues.
Neglected children are not physically harmed, but they are emotionally harmed. They do not feel the love that they need from their parents. Neglected children usually do not get attention and are not cared for. There are many ways of neglect, such as malnourishment, inadequate clothing, not being bathed, or not having the correct supervision. Many neglected children wear dirty clothes and do not have personal hygiene because they do not get help from their parents. They may be skinnier than other children due to not having the nourishing types of food that they need. They often have dirty, ratty hair, and a strong body odor from not bathing. Children that are victims of neglect are left to fend for themselves. These children may grow up to have low self-esteem, get in trouble often or misbehave, and do not go very far in their schooling due to dropping out.
Sexual abuse, along with all the other types of abuse, is very scarring to children. Most people think that it only happens to girls, but this is not the case because boys can be sexually abused as well. And more than likely boys are not as open or do not report it as easily as girls do due to feeling shameful and guilty. Sexual abuse has different forms, it does not always have to involve body contact, it can also be children being videotaped or forced to watch sexual situations or material. “Aside from the physical damage that sexual abuse can cause, the emotional component is powerful and far-reaching. Sexually abused children are tormented by shame and guilt,” acknowledged in “Recognizing and Preventing Child Abuse”. Children that are sexually abused either become promiscuous or have problems with sexuality when they grow up. They feel that they did something to cause the abuse, and that they deserved it. It often leads to self-esteem and trust issues, as seen in other types of abuse.
Looking at all types of abuse, most of them have the same results on the child that is being abused no matter if it is physical, emotional, sexual, or neglected. Abuse has long lasting effects on the victims and often times the abuser was also abused in some way as a child. Abuse has many mental issues such as low self-esteem, being unable to trust anyone, relationship issues, or feeling the need to always be loved due to the lack of love they received growing up. It can be a vicious cycle if the victim does not realize that what they went through was wrong and that no child should be treated like that. There are many ways to help abused children, and if it is viewed it needs to be reported and taken care of immediately. When talking to an abused child, people need to be supportive and reassure them that everything will be alright. Many people are reluctant to report child abuse, but the fact is that if it is not reported, the child will keep being abused and in some cases that could be a life or death situation. In most states the reporters are able to be anonymous so the family does not find out who reported the abuse. Child abuse needs to stop, and everyone can help to end it.
Sources:
Discovering the Life Span. Feldman. 2009. Page 185
"Child Abuse and Neglect: Recognizing and Preventing Child Abuse." Helpguide.org. December 2009. [http://helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm]
Euthanasia
Brent Arnberger, Leanna Sheaffer and Nathan Wilson
When we started to research this topic, I realized that this subject is a very touchy subject. There are so many different views that trying to grasp them all can be a hard task while still giving each side an even chance. Many people are very stern in there opinions about the topic, they are either for it or against it, no in between. But I believe that the only way to find a reasonable solution to this topic comes with both sides budging a little bit coming to a common idea about it.
One of the big complaints about this is that some people think that the doctors get to play god, they decide if you live or die. This is to much power for a single person to have. But there is also the argument of quality of life. This is when someone has a terminal illness and is in great pain and cant enjoy life. But some doctors think that they can make the decisions themselves of whether a person should die and will lethal inject them our take matters into their own hands. Many doctors have gotten into lots of trouble doing this.
Although the doctors can have a big factor in the decision, I think that it should ultimately be up to the immediate family, and if none are available, then I think the spouse should have the say. Lets take the Florida native, Terri Schiavo, as an example, here is her story. She was a heavier high schooler, you know a little bit over weight and was struggling with her own insecurities as a women. When she finally met her husband, she was struggling to keep her weight down to keep her husband happy. He supposedly told her that he would divorce her if she would ever got to be that weight again. Since she was trying to keep her weight down, she was doing all she could, so she became bulimic. One day her body had taken enough, it needed some nutrition, well her body went into cardiac arrest from a lack of potassium, she fell and suffered from a neck injury said her doctors. After this accident she became unable to take care of herself, and became disabled.
It provides a way of relief when a person is in extreme pain and quality of life is low. When it hurts a person just to lay there and they get no enjoyment out of life. They should be able to choose to die a dignified death, instead of laying in a hospital bed, as if you were just a vegetable. Its hard for any family to sit there and watch their loved one lay there and siffer like that, when there is nothing that anyone can do.
When patients in pain they don’t think logically and may do something that they wouldn’t normally do. But due to the circumstances that they are in they may make a rational decision that may not be what’s best for the person who is ill. It is ethically wrong to do this. There should be fine line between who and who shouldn’t be able to end a life.
I believe that if a person is in unbearable pain then the right precautions should be just. There is no reason that a person should have to suffer in front of their family and everyone who loves them, if they don’t have a chance to survive. When a person no longer has the ability to live life freely, then they should be able to decide what happens to them.
Some advantages for the family are that the financial burden wont be placed on them for more than it has to and doesn’t alter their lives by putting financial strain on them. It also would free up health care money for others that have a chance to survive. By doing this it would be putting more to those how really need it to continue living a long and prosperous life. Which in the long run is probably what the person would want.
“There is no quality of life when the patient is dead.” This was said by a bed side nurse after someone’s family had them euthanized. Saying that this is okay for financial reasons is very self fish in the fact that they put money over the price of someone’s life.
Doing this wouldn’t save enough money to do much good other wise euthanizing someone is also quite expensive.
I believe that when a persons state of health gets to where they have no chance of survival that if they want to and its in the families best interest that they should be able to decided whether or not they should be euthanized. I believe that it should be a joint decision by the family, patient, and doctors. This way they find the best solution possible for all parties.
This is simply a case of freedom of choice . If a person wants to do something with their body then they should be able to do that if it makes them happy and isn’t hurting anyone else. They alone have the rights to their body and if they choose that their life is no longer fitting of what they think life should be then they should have to option to end their own life.
“The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the first and only legitimate objective of a good government.” - Thomas Jefferson
This states that the government in its self has the right to protect people from their selves and their families. If they believe its for the good of the situation overall. People lose their freedom of choice, when the choice is to end their life.
I believe that if a person believes that their life isn’t worth living anymore for legitimate reasons that they should have to freedom of choice to do what they feel is right from their own standards.
Passive euthanasia entails the withholding of common treatments, such as antibiotics, necessary for the continuance of life. Whether the administration of increasingly necessary, albeit toxic doses of opioid analgesia is regarded as active or passive euthanasia is a matter of moral interpretation, but in order to pacify doctors' consciences, it is usually regarded as a passive measure.
Active euthanasia entails the use of lethal substances or forces to kill and is the most controversial means. An individual may use a euthanasia device to perform active voluntary euthanasia on themselves.
A key turning point in the debate over voluntary euthanasia, at least in the United States, was the public furor over the case of Karen Ann Quinlan. The Quinlan case paved the way for legal protection of voluntary passive euthanasia. In 1977, California legalized living wills and other states soon followed suit.
In 1980 the Hemlock Society USA was founded in Santa Monica by Derek Humphry. It was the first group in America to provide information to the terminally ill in case they wanted a hastened death. Hemlock also campaigned and partially financed drives to reform the law. In 2003 Hemlock was merged with End of Life Choices, which changed its name to Compassion and Choices.
Dr. Death
In 1990, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a Michigan physician, became infamous for encouraging and assisting people in committing suicide which resulted in a Michigan law against the practice in 1992. Kevorkian was tried and convicted in 1999 for a murder displayed on television. Also in 1990, the Supreme Court approved the use of non-active euthanasia.
In 1994, Oregon voters approved the Death with Dignity Act, permitting doctors to assist terminal patients with six months or less to live to end their lives. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed such laws in 1997. The Bush administration failed in its attempt to use drug law to stop Oregon in 2001, in the case (Gonzales v. Oregon) In 1999, non-active euthanasia was permitted in Texas.
Terri Schiavo
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Most recently, amid U.S. government roadblocks and controversy in the Terri Schiavo case, where a Floridian who was in a vegetative state since 1990, had her feeding tube removed in 2005. Her husband had won the right to take her off life support, which he claimed she would want but was difficult to confirm as she had no living will and the rest of her family claimed otherwise.
In November 2008, Washington Initiative 1000 made Washington the second U.S. state to legalize physician-assisted suicide.
Voluntary and Involuntary Euthanasia
"Voluntary euthanasia" is when the patient requests that action be taken to end his life, or that life-saving treatment be stopped, with full knowledge that this will lead to his death. "Involuntary euthanasia" is when a patient's life is ended without the patient's knowledge and consent. This may mean that the patient is kicking and screaming and begging for life, but in practice today it usually means that the patient is unconscious, unable to communicate, or is too sick and weak to be aware of what is happening or to take any action on his own behalf.
While this distinction appears clear - the patient willing agreed to euthanasia or he did not - it too is often made ambiguous in court cases and some public debate.
It is not uncommon for courts to declare someone "legally incompetent". This does not mean that the person is stupid, but rather that the court believes that he is unable to make informed decisions and/or to communicate them to others. The judge then appoints a guardian to make decisions for this person. Usually this will be a close relative, like a spouse, parents, or children. But if no such person is available, or if the judge believes that none of the relatives have this person's best interests at heart, then someone else may be appointed: a social worker, a lawyer, etc. Children are routinely considered legally incompetent, and their parents are expected to make decisions for them. No one asks a two-year-old whether or not he wants to go to the dentist: that decision is normally made for him by his parents. A judge may conclude that a person is senile, mentally retarded, suffering from delusions, or has some other psychological problem that makes it impossible for him to make truly informed, rational decisions. If someone is in a coma or is otherwise so sick that she is unable to communicate, then even if she is capable of making informed decisions, there is no way for anyone else to know what her decisions are.
When courts declare someone legally incompetent and appoint a guardian, any decisions that the guardian makes are, for legal purposes, considered to be decisions of the incompetent person. A little thought will show that this must be so for the system to work: there would be little point in saying that you are authorized to make decisions for this comatose person … except that you do not have the authority to sign anything that would otherwise require his signature. That would exclude almost all important decisions. But it can also lead to legal statements that are very misleading: Suppose Nancy Smith convinces a court that her grandfather, Fred Jones, is senile, and she is appointed his guardian. Then she decides that she wants to have him euthanized. He objects but he is too old and sick to fight her in court herself, so he gets his other granddaughter, Mary Brown, to fight for him. Because Nancy Smith's decisions are legally considered to be Fred Jones's decisions, the case will be referred to as "Brown versus Jones", and court documents will routinely describe this as Fred Jones choosing euthanasia and Mary Brown attempting to overrule this decision.
It is not uncommon for medical personnel to treat someone as legally incompetent without any official court decision. For example, if someone is in the operating room under anesthesia, and there is a sudden crisis and a life-altering decision must be made now, it is often not possible to sew the person back up, wait for them to wake up, and then discuss the matter. A spouse or other close relative will be asked to make a decision on this person's behalf. Clearly under such circumstances it would be impractical to take this to court and hold hearings on the patient's competence and the suitability of the spouse as a guardian. But in euthanasia cases, the problem is often not that the patient is incapable of making and communicating a decision, but rather that those around her do not approve of her decision. Even when the legality of such actions is questionable, in real life the authorities are not going to intervene unless someone challenges it. And if the patient is weak, sick, and bed-ridden, she may not be capable of getting to court to protest. Unless there is another relative who disagrees with the decision to euthanize, the patient's wishes can simply be ignored.
Works Citedunderline text
Hartocollis, Anemona. “Hard Choice for a Comfortable Death: Sedation” Published: December 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/health/27sedation.html?_r=1
Definition of Euthanasia. Published: November 13, 1998
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=7365
Dr. Stevens, Kenneth Quick List: “Euthanasia Pros and Cons” Published November, 2005
http://www.euthanasia.com/page4.html
Canadian Medical Association. “Physician-assisted deaths under the euthanasia law in Belgium: a population-based survey” Published May 17, 2010
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/abstract/cmaj.091876v1