Prescription Drug Abuse

Introduction.When we think of drug nuts and maltreatment we usually think of people who take the common street drugs such as cocaine, cleft, heroine, or other illegal drugs. However most people do n't recognize or take earnestly the turning figure of maltreaters of prescription drugs presently in our state. There is a common misconception that merely because a physician prescribes a certain drug that that is someway safer and different than utilizing the alleged street drugs. After all, you are being given a prescription to take the drug by your doctor, and it is non illegal or a offense. However, we must recognize that dependence is n't limited to merely illicit drugs on the street, but frequently doctor prescribed medicines as good. Prescription drugs have improved and saved infinite Numberss of lives over the old ages as many new discoveries have been achieved in scientific discipline and medical specialty in handling a assortment of known diseases. â€Å"However, utilizing these drugs without the supervising of a doctor or for intents different from their intended usage can take to serious inauspicious effects, including decease from overdose and physical dependence. Because many prescription drugs are frequently opiate based, when abused, these drugs can be as habit-forming and unsafe as illegal drugs.† 1 ) ( Pat Moore Foundation | Prescription Drug Abuse, 2009 ) . Harmonizing to ( M.D, Volkow, 2005 ) , manager at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2 ) â€Å"an estimated 48 million people ( ages 12 and older ) , have used prescription drugs for non-medical grounds, which represents about 20 per centum of the U.S. population.† Additionally, 3 ) â€Å"in 2000, approximately 43 per centum of infirmary exigency admittances for drug overdoses ( about 500,000 people ) happened because of misused prescription drugs, and in â€Å"2006 entirely, 700,000 exigency room visits were attributed to prescription drug overdoses.† 4 ) ( Thibodeau, 2009 ) . This type of drug maltreatment is increasing at an dismaying rate because of their widespread handiness, including online pharmaceuticss which have made it much easier for anyone regardless of age to get drugs without a prescription. ( Prescription Drug Abuse Information | Drug Rehab Programs, 2009 ) . 3 ) â€Å"One of the most common and primary methods of obtaining prescription drugs by nuts is by physician shopping harmonizing to the Drug Enforcement Administration ( DEA ) .†5 ) This method refers to a individual who continually searches out different physicians to order the same medicines in order to feed their dependences. I think most of us either know or have known persons or even household members who have resorted to this type of behaviour in order to acquire prescription drugs for this intent. The most common types of drugs that are frequently abused are cardinal nervous system sedatives such as benzodiazepines or tranquillizers, often prescribed for anxiousness and kiping upsets, opioids and narcotics for hurting alleviation, and stimulations such as those given for attending shortage hyperactivity upset, ( ADHD ) , narcolepsy, and fleshiness. 6 ) ( Prescription Drug Abuse Chart – Drugs of Abuse and Related Topics – NIDA, 2009 ) â€Å"For illustration, U.S. prescriptions for stimulations ( including those taken for ADHD ) increased from around 5 million in 1991 to about 35 million in 2007. Prescriptions for opioid analgesics such as oxycodone ( OxyContin ) and hydrocodone ( Vicodin ) increased from 40 million in 1991 to 180 million in 2007.† 7 ) ( Mayo Clinic, 2008 ) . I feel the grounds for this important addition in prescription drug maltreatment is simple. We live in a society today that tells you a pill can bring around and work out all of your jobs no affair what they are. All we have to make is turn on the telecasting and see the changeless barrage of advertizements for the latest prescription drugs on the market. As a consequence, the pharmaceutical industry is doing one million millions of dollars off of people and is surely non traveling to kick, therefore encouraging and driving the epidemic even more. Furthermore, these drugs are comparatively easy to obtain and are socially acceptable by the huge bulk of the public compared to illegal drugs. In merely the past several old ages, we have seen the outgrowth and proliferation of many â€Å"pain clinics† throughout the United States. Although non all are bad, some of these installations as stated by 8 ) ( Silverman & A ; Brown, MD, 2009 ) , â€Å"are frequently non-physician owned and run merely inside the jurisprudence. The doctors who pattern in these installations are seldom accredited through board enfranchisement processes, and many take no insurance and publicize confidential, hard currency merely services. Some even advertise armed guards in the waiting suites. With no inadvertence, these installations serve as a beginning for a uninterrupted supply of controlled substances to frequently times addicted and sometimes naAA?ve people. It is non uncommon to happen patients of these installations having 10s of 1000s of mgs of opioid medicines each month.† With these types of plans and clinics runing and promoting such drug maltreatment, I feel that the people who truly necessitate these medicines are frequently the 1s who suffer, such as persons with painful terminal diseases and unwellnesss like malignant neoplastic disease. I experienced this first-hand with my mother several old ages ago when she was diagnosed with terminal lung malignant neoplastic disease that had metastasized to her castanetss, and impotently watched her suffer from hurting. While she was undergoing radiation interventions at a malignant neoplastic disease clinic, her physician at that place stated that she should utilize Advil to assist with her hurting and that the authorities was checking down on agenda drugs that were prescribed. My response to this is, if malignant neoplastic disease patients ca n't acquire the necessary hurting medicines they urgently need, yet nuts can acquire all they want, so there is something really incorrect with this state we live i n and our wellness attention system.Decision.What is of import to acknowledge and go cognizant of about prescription drug maltreatment is that it is much the same as other signifiers of illegal drug maltreatment such as cocaine or diacetylmorphine, and no 1 is immune. It can be merely as unsafe and lifelessly as other illicit drugs, and affects persons of all ages, races, gender, and socio-economic backgrounds. It can besides destruct households, occupations, and places every bit good as holding fatal wellness effects. In fact, usage of prescription drugs now causes more deceases than diacetylmorphine and cocaine combined, harmonizing to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.† 9 ) ( Treatment Solutions Network, 2009 ) . Furthermore, with the recent tragic and ill-timed deceases of famous persons such as Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith, and Heath Ledger related to prescription drug maltreatment, I feel this job is eventually being brought to the head and exposed, conveying a much needed consciousness to the dangers and effects of mistreating prescription drugs.Mentions:1 ) Pat Moore Foundation | Prescription Drug Abuse. ( n.d. ) . . Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.patmoorefoundation.com/prescription-drug-abuse 2 M.D, Volkow, N. ( 2005 ) . NIDA – Research Report Series – Prescription Drugs: Maltreatment and Addiction. Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/Prescription/Prescription.html 3 ) Prescription Drug Abuse Information | Drug Rehab Programs. ( 2009 ) . . Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.prescription-drug-abuse.org/ 4 ) Thibodeau, D. ( 2009, October 20 ) . Prescription drug maltreatment now tops illegal drug usage | GoDanRiver. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/local/danville_news/article/prescription_drug_abuse_now_tops_illegal_drug_use/14771/ 5 ) Drug Addiction – Doctor Shopping – Chronic Pain Medication Addiction. ( 2009 ) . . Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.drug-addiction.com/doctor_shopping.htm 6 ) Prescription Drug Abuse Chart – Drugs of Abuse and Related Topics – NIDA. ( 2009 ) . . Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/PrescripDrugsChart.html 7 ) Mayo Clinic. ( 2008 ) . Prescription drug maltreatment – MSN Health & A ; Fitness – Addiction|Quit Smoking. Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //health.msn.com/health-topics/addiction/articlepage.aspx? cp-documentid=100211994 8 ) Silverman, MD, S. M. , & A ; Brown, MD, L. ( 2009 ) . Prescription Drug Abuse: In the US and Florida. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hgexperts.com/article.asp? id=6649 9 ) Treatment Solutions Network. ( 2009 ) . Prescription Drug Abuse and Addiction. Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.treatmentsolutionsnetwork.com/prescription-drug-abuse.html Prescription Drug Abuse The audience I will be addressing is parents, caregivers and school educators about the dangers of prescription drugs and how we can better educate teenagers and young adults on the dangers of abusing them. There are many ways that we can teach and educate our teenagers and young adults, but it’s important that families, schools and communities are involved. The rate of prescription drug overdose among teenagers and young adults have sky rocketed over the past several years. This has become a growing epidemic and if we don’t step in and do something, this problem will only get worse. No parent or caregiver ever wants to lose a child and it can be especial harder knowing that you could have helped prevent it. Some people say it’s the schools job to education this subject and others say that education starts at home. Where can our parents/caregivers get the information they need to help better understand the problem itself and to help safe guard their children? Who would be the best influence to talk to our teens and young adults? In my essay I will explain why it’s so important that schools and parents/caregivers need to both educate and talk to our young adults and teens. 205) Kara Gordon Prescription Drug Abuse among Teens and Young Adults Prescription drug misuse and overdose among teens and young adults is one of the fastest growing health epidemics in the United States. While there has been a marked decrease in the use of some illegal drugs like cocaine, data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) show that nearly one-third of p eople aged 12 and over whom used drugs for the first time began by using a prescription drug non-medically. The amount of controlled substances dispensed and used non medically is scary considering that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that opioid drugs, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, caused more than 15,500 overdose deaths in 2010 and that number is increasing. Parents/caregivers and educators need to action and educate our children before it’s too late. Informing teens and young adults about the dangers of taking prescription drugs that don’t belong to them could save their lives. Teens and young adults have chosen prescription drugs as their drug of choice because it is less expensive as illegal drugs like cocaine or marijuana, and more easily accessible. All they need to do is walk into their own bathroom and look into the medicine cabinet. It’s sitting in plain sight for the taking. They don’t realize the danger of taking prescription drugs that were not prescribed to them. They think because it was prescribed by a doctor that it must be safe. Teens and young adults also feel that, †Parents don’t care as much if they get caught using prescription drugs, without a doctor’s prescription, than they do if they get caught using illegal drugs† (PR Newswire 4/23/13) like cocaine or marijuana. The most commonly known and used prescription pills that teens and young adults abuse are Vicodin, Oxycontin, Adderall, and Ritalin. There are also designer drugs such as â€Å"K2†, â€Å"Spice† and â€Å"bath salts. † These designer drugs can be extremely dangerous because they haven’t been tested or approved and you are basically experimenting on your own body. When teens and young adults use these types of prescription drugs, most people think that they are looking to get high. This is not always the case. â€Å"Teens abuse prescription drugs for a number of reasons, including to get high, to treat pain, or because they think it will help them with school work. Boys and girls tend to abuse some types of prescription drugs for many different reasons. † (Bethesda) Like, boys are more likely to abuse prescription stimulants to get high, while girls tend to abuse them to stay alert or to lose weight. Teens and young adults realize when they have taken to many pills until it’s too late. â€Å"Some of the signs or symptoms they may poses are an altered mental state, confusion, slurred speech excited delirium or agitation, sweating and out of control. †(Knudson) They may be unable to breathe on their own. If you notice any of these symptoms you should take them to the emergency room immediately. It is better to have them looked at by a physician than not at all. As parents and caregivers it’s your job to make sure that your prescription drugs are stored in their proper place at your home. Just like guns, they need to be locked up and out of reach of your loved ones. Therefore does not provide them the opportunity or means to get them. We also need to â€Å"take the opportunity to clean out our medicine cabinets and safely dispose of unwanted drugs. † (PR Newswire 2013) There are several ways that you can properly dispose of your prescriptions drugs and one way is to use medication disposal envelopes. This is a postage-paid envelope that allows people to mail their unwanted or unused prescriptions to a licensed, secure facility for safe destruction. Another way is through a National Drug Take Back Day. Communities will hold these take back days to provide a safe, convenient and secure means of drug disposal. This is usually run by law enforcement or municipal agencies. Education is also a key ingredient to help protecting our children from prescription drug abuse. Almost a decade ago schools were more focused on keeping students from misusing alcohol and illegal street drugs like ecstasy, heroin and cocaine that there was never a concern to even speak about prescription drugs. After a study held by the Centers of Disease Control in 2009, it showed that teens as early as eleven years old were taking prescription medicine at was not prescribed to them. â€Å"Prevention of adolescent drug use has never been more important and response to this alarming trend, â€Å"Wake UP† was formed as a community education campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of abusing prescription drugs and to prevent first time use by teens and young adults. (PR Newswire 2012) This program was created by The Pain Truth, a charitable organization that started two years ago as an effort to education our children to make better decisions when opportunities of prescription drug abuse are given. This campaign is provided to all schools and communities at no cost. â€Å"Misuse and abuse of prescription drugs knows no boundaries and requires a comprehensive response that engages all elements and influencers of a teenager’s life. † This was stated by Paul Barsky, the head of Upper School at Francis Parker School. What better way to sum up this essay. There are thousands of teens and young adults out there abusing prescription drugs right now. It is our job as parents, caregivers, and educators to do everything in our power to teach our teens and young adults everything we can about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies in 2012 reported that among Indiana residents ages 12 to 17, 8. 2% used prescription pain medications for nonmedical purposes in the past year; Indiana’s percentage was statistically similar to the nation’s 6. %. The Indiana College Substance Use Survey that was conducted in 2011 showed 11. 3% of Indiana College students used prescription medications not prescribed to them in the past year, with 6. 2% currently using and 3. 8% of Indiana college students misused their prescription medication in the past year, with 1. 4% of students reporting current misuse. That is why it is so important that we reach out to our children and communicate and education them as best we can. You never know that the next child’s life that is saved could be our own. (1069) Prescription Drug Abuse Introduction.When we think of drug nuts and maltreatment we usually think of people who take the common street drugs such as cocaine, cleft, heroine, or other illegal drugs. However most people do n't recognize or take earnestly the turning figure of maltreaters of prescription drugs presently in our state. There is a common misconception that merely because a physician prescribes a certain drug that that is someway safer and different than utilizing the alleged street drugs. After all, you are being given a prescription to take the drug by your doctor, and it is non illegal or a offense. However, we must recognize that dependence is n't limited to merely illicit drugs on the street, but frequently doctor prescribed medicines as good. Prescription drugs have improved and saved infinite Numberss of lives over the old ages as many new discoveries have been achieved in scientific discipline and medical specialty in handling a assortment of known diseases. â€Å"However, utilizing these drugs without the supervising of a doctor or for intents different from their intended usage can take to serious inauspicious effects, including decease from overdose and physical dependence. Because many prescription drugs are frequently opiate based, when abused, these drugs can be as habit-forming and unsafe as illegal drugs.† 1 ) ( Pat Moore Foundation | Prescription Drug Abuse, 2009 ) . Harmonizing to ( M.D, Volkow, 2005 ) , manager at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2 ) â€Å"an estimated 48 million people ( ages 12 and older ) , have used prescription drugs for non-medical grounds, which represents about 20 per centum of the U.S. population.† Additionally, 3 ) â€Å"in 2000, approximately 43 per centum of infirmary exigency admittances for drug overdoses ( about 500,000 people ) happened because of misused prescription drugs, and in â€Å"2006 entirely, 700,000 exigency room visits were attributed to prescription drug overdoses.† 4 ) ( Thibodeau, 2009 ) . This type of drug maltreatment is increasing at an dismaying rate because of their widespread handiness, including online pharmaceuticss which have made it much easier for anyone regardless of age to get drugs without a prescription. ( Prescription Drug Abuse Information | Drug Rehab Programs, 2009 ) . 3 ) â€Å"One of the most common and primary methods of obtaining prescription drugs by nuts is by physician shopping harmonizing to the Drug Enforcement Administration ( DEA ) .†5 ) This method refers to a individual who continually searches out different physicians to order the same medicines in order to feed their dependences. I think most of us either know or have known persons or even household members who have resorted to this type of behaviour in order to acquire prescription drugs for this intent. The most common types of drugs that are frequently abused are cardinal nervous system sedatives such as benzodiazepines or tranquillizers, often prescribed for anxiousness and kiping upsets, opioids and narcotics for hurting alleviation, and stimulations such as those given for attending shortage hyperactivity upset, ( ADHD ) , narcolepsy, and fleshiness. 6 ) ( Prescription Drug Abuse Chart – Drugs of Abuse and Related Topics – NIDA, 2009 ) â€Å"For illustration, U.S. prescriptions for stimulations ( including those taken for ADHD ) increased from around 5 million in 1991 to about 35 million in 2007. Prescriptions for opioid analgesics such as oxycodone ( OxyContin ) and hydrocodone ( Vicodin ) increased from 40 million in 1991 to 180 million in 2007.† 7 ) ( Mayo Clinic, 2008 ) . I feel the grounds for this important addition in prescription drug maltreatment is simple. We live in a society today that tells you a pill can bring around and work out all of your jobs no affair what they are. All we have to make is turn on the telecasting and see the changeless barrage of advertizements for the latest prescription drugs on the market. As a consequence, the pharmaceutical industry is doing one million millions of dollars off of people and is surely non traveling to kick, therefore encouraging and driving the epidemic even more. Furthermore, these drugs are comparatively easy to obtain and are socially acceptable by the huge bulk of the public compared to illegal drugs. In merely the past several old ages, we have seen the outgrowth and proliferation of many â€Å"pain clinics† throughout the United States. Although non all are bad, some of these installations as stated by 8 ) ( Silverman & A ; Brown, MD, 2009 ) , â€Å"are frequently non-physician owned and run merely inside the jurisprudence. The doctors who pattern in these installations are seldom accredited through board enfranchisement processes, and many take no insurance and publicize confidential, hard currency merely services. Some even advertise armed guards in the waiting suites. With no inadvertence, these installations serve as a beginning for a uninterrupted supply of controlled substances to frequently times addicted and sometimes naAA?ve people. It is non uncommon to happen patients of these installations having 10s of 1000s of mgs of opioid medicines each month.† With these types of plans and clinics runing and promoting such drug maltreatment, I feel that the people who truly necessitate these medicines are frequently the 1s who suffer, such as persons with painful terminal diseases and unwellnesss like malignant neoplastic disease. I experienced this first-hand with my mother several old ages ago when she was diagnosed with terminal lung malignant neoplastic disease that had metastasized to her castanetss, and impotently watched her suffer from hurting. While she was undergoing radiation interventions at a malignant neoplastic disease clinic, her physician at that place stated that she should utilize Advil to assist with her hurting and that the authorities was checking down on agenda drugs that were prescribed. My response to this is, if malignant neoplastic disease patients ca n't acquire the necessary hurting medicines they urgently need, yet nuts can acquire all they want, so there is something really incorrect with this state we live i n and our wellness attention system.Decision.What is of import to acknowledge and go cognizant of about prescription drug maltreatment is that it is much the same as other signifiers of illegal drug maltreatment such as cocaine or diacetylmorphine, and no 1 is immune. It can be merely as unsafe and lifelessly as other illicit drugs, and affects persons of all ages, races, gender, and socio-economic backgrounds. It can besides destruct households, occupations, and places every bit good as holding fatal wellness effects. In fact, usage of prescription drugs now causes more deceases than diacetylmorphine and cocaine combined, harmonizing to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.† 9 ) ( Treatment Solutions Network, 2009 ) . Furthermore, with the recent tragic and ill-timed deceases of famous persons such as Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith, and Heath Ledger related to prescription drug maltreatment, I feel this job is eventually being brought to the head and exposed, conveying a much needed consciousness to the dangers and effects of mistreating prescription drugs.Mentions:1 ) Pat Moore Foundation | Prescription Drug Abuse. ( n.d. ) . . Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.patmoorefoundation.com/prescription-drug-abuse 2 M.D, Volkow, N. ( 2005 ) . NIDA – Research Report Series – Prescription Drugs: Maltreatment and Addiction. Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/Prescription/Prescription.html 3 ) Prescription Drug Abuse Information | Drug Rehab Programs. ( 2009 ) . . Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.prescription-drug-abuse.org/ 4 ) Thibodeau, D. ( 2009, October 20 ) . Prescription drug maltreatment now tops illegal drug usage | GoDanRiver. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www2.godanriver.com/gdr/news/local/danville_news/article/prescription_drug_abuse_now_tops_illegal_drug_use/14771/ 5 ) Drug Addiction – Doctor Shopping – Chronic Pain Medication Addiction. ( 2009 ) . . Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.drug-addiction.com/doctor_shopping.htm 6 ) Prescription Drug Abuse Chart – Drugs of Abuse and Related Topics – NIDA. ( 2009 ) . . Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/PrescripDrugsChart.html 7 ) Mayo Clinic. ( 2008 ) . Prescription drug maltreatment – MSN Health & A ; Fitness – Addiction|Quit Smoking. Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //health.msn.com/health-topics/addiction/articlepage.aspx? cp-documentid=100211994 8 ) Silverman, MD, S. M. , & A ; Brown, MD, L. ( 2009 ) . Prescription Drug Abuse: In the US and Florida. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hgexperts.com/article.asp? id=6649 9 ) Treatment Solutions Network. ( 2009 ) . Prescription Drug Abuse and Addiction. Retrieved December 6, 2009, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.treatmentsolutionsnetwork.com/prescription-drug-abuse.html

Racism in America Today Essay

Racism has been a terrible problem in American society for hundreds of years. Racism issues are not limited to one specific race, but include all races. It is the responsibility of the people of this nation to address racism and learn to accept and embrace each other for our differences, and allow this great nation to become even more united for our sake and the sake of future generations. To eliminate racism it is imperative to know first, where racism started and how it has developed, why it continues to be present in our nation today, and what we must do as a people to overcome this major problem. History The Middle Passage was the system set up as a form of triangular trade that forced millions of innocent humans from their homes in Africa, and forced them to become slaves as part of the Atlantic slave trade. These people were essentially traded as slaves for materials, food, supplies etc. Many of the enslaved Africans were shipped to the Caribbean and the Americas. The Middle Passage route began in Europe where they left with the manufactured goods and headed to Africa. The goods were then traded for the slaves, and then the ships set off for the Americas and Caribbean islands (Stoddard). After the trading was done there the ships would return back to Europe. According to Elizabeth Mancke, and Carole Shammas authors of, â€Å"The Creation of the British Atlantic World,† they write, â€Å"An estimated 15% of the Africans died at sea, with mortality rates considerably higher in Africa itself in the process of capturing and transporting indigenous peoples to the ships. The total number of African deaths directly attributable to the Middle Passage voyage is estimated at up to two million; a broader look at African deaths directly attributable to the institution of slavery from 1500 to 1900 suggests up to four million African deaths. † Historian Lisa Vox expounds on the origin of slavery in North America in her article â€Å"The Start of Slavery in North America. † Vox states that, â€Å"Historians normally date the start of slavery in the North American colonies to 1619. That year, a Dutch ship carrying African slaves docked at Point Comfort, which served as Jamestown’s checkpoint for ships wanting to trade with the colonists. The crew of the Dutch ship was starving, and as John Rolfe noted in a letter to the Virginia Company’s treasurer Edwin Sandys, the Dutch traded 20 African slaves for food and supplies. † It was not until the early nineteenth century that this practice was banned with a hefty penalty for those individuals that were found participating in it. Other groups of people were affected by racism as well. When Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492, he discovered the Native American Indians which he referred to as â€Å"savages. † The Europeans deemed the Native Americans as uneducated, uncivilized creatures, and treated them as such. Native Americans were manipulated and taken advantage of by the European people, and treated more like animals than human beings. This was another historical beginning of racism in America. As America began to flourish in the mid nineteenth century, many immigrants (Irish, Chinese, Norwegians, and the Italians to name a few) flocked to the New World to seek fortune and freedom. The accumulation of many different cultures, beliefs, and ethnicities resulted in nicknaming the United States as the â€Å"melting pot. † While they were all united in their resolve to be free and determined to live the â€Å"American dream,† prejudices began to form as one race considered itself superior to the others. Americans were not happy that there were others so willing to take low pay for the jobs that they were scarcely available. There was low tolerance for different cultures and beliefs. Immigrants sought refuge and segregated themselves from one another by forming their own communities, thus resulting in â€Å"Little Italy† and â€Å"Chinatown† etc. Prejudices dissolved somewhat with the initiation of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, along with the Bill of Rights. The Emancipation Proclamation was released in 1863 at the conclusion of the Civil War; however, slavery was not made illegal everywhere in the U. S. until the Thirteenth Amendment took effect in December 1865. Even though slavery was outlawed, there continued to be a strong segregation between the whites and African Americans. Although the Constitution states that â€Å"all men are created equal,† Latinos, Native Americans, African Americans, and other ethnicities were not receiving this kind of treatment. During the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s, many groups were formed to combat this problem of inequality. Groups such as the Black Panthers, and the Japanese American Citizens League sought to protest to gain equal rights. Such Civil Rights leaders like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. participated in nonviolent protesting to fight for these rights. In Alabama Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person and was arrested for it, this lead to the Montgomery Bus Boycott where African Americans refused to use the buses for almost a year, and then the state ruled that it was unconstitutional to have segregated buses. It was through leaders and acts like the one just mentioned that have ended segregations and given equal rights to all Americans. Post- Racial In 2008 after Barack Obama was elected president, during the time leading up to his inauguration, it was said that many people heard for the first time, the term post-racial. The term post-racism represented a new era initiated by putting the first African-American president in office. Several people expected, believed, hoped or wanted that this new presidency would change how racism was viewed and experienced in this land of the free and home of the brave. Many individuals wanted to be able to come to this country and be a part of the great opportunity that is presented in America. They wanted to embrace a country with freedom and with a democratic government. These are a few of the things that people from other countries can only hope for and dream that someday they might make the money for the documentation and be able pay for the trip over to this land of opportunity. There are many who make the trip with expectations in their heads of how wonderful it will be upon arrival to the United States. Unfortunately not all of these individuals receive a warm welcome upon entry to this country. Racism happens to every race. Depending on what race someone might be, or what town or city that person may go it is very possible that they will feel that they are not wanted there. In the following example Kevin Merida, a writer for the Washington Post, writes about an incident in his article, â€Å"Racist Incidents Give Some Obama Campaigners Pause. † While campaigning for Barack Obama in Indiana, Danielle Ross and her group experienced a horrible response that none of them expected. Ross recalled on that day that, â€Å"The first person I encountered was like, ‘I’ll never vote for a black person. † This does not sound like racism is out of our mists. On a National Public Radio broadcast, Rebecca Roberts interviews Ralph Eubanks author of â€Å"The House at the End of the Road. † Roberts asks Eubanks to define post-racial and his response is as follows, â€Å"I think there are two popular definitions of post-racial. I think the first definition is that we are – it’s where race is no longer an issue or an impediment to progress in American society. I think that’s one way that it is often defined. Another way that it is defined is that moving – that post-racial means a color-blind society where race is not an issue. We are all Americans, and we’re just completely color blind. So, there are issues with both of those definitions, and where we’re actually moving is somewhere in between those. † For a majority of Americans, this is the goal that is in the back of their minds. Every man is created equal; everyone has the same rights, and is not judged by the color of skin they were born with. This great nation has taken steps in that direction. America is not the same place as it was in the 1950’s. Members of minority groups are not invisible like they were back then. Eubanks talks more about how he does not think that there will ever be a post-racial society because of our demographics. He believes that a post-racial society is something to always hope for, and strive towards, but pictures a multi-racial society with many different components to it. And a lot of that depends on, over the next 20 years, where our demographics take us (Roberts). Striving towards the ideal of having a color blind society will not come to past by evading the issue. Stopping racism When the topic of racism comes up many may think, â€Å"Oh no, here we go again, someone else complaining about racism. Or, why do we have to talk about this? Isn’t it time we moved on? † This may be a very uncomfortable the topic for countless American, but this is a conversation that needs to happen and continue to happen until this problem ceases to exists. It won’t disappear just because we choose not to mention it. Tim Wise, writer for timwise.org, talks about the problem of racism here in America in his article â€Å"Denial, Evasion Won’t Solve Racism. † Wise says that, â€Å"Indeed, the problem is not talking about racism but racism itself: Contrary to popular belief, race is not merely a card played by those who wish to stir up resentment. Instead it is a real and persistent determiner of who has what and why in this country. † Nobody can help what family they are born into, or what color their skin might be. Looking at the issue of race from a spiritual stand point, we are all sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. Why would one human being think less of the other? The golden rule says that we do unto others like you would want them to do unto you. These are simple solutions to a giant problem. Like mentioned earlier, many are tired of hearing about these things, but however tired many are of hearing about this, people of color are more sick and tired of living it. Conclusion To eliminate racism it is imperative to know first, where racism started and how it has progressed so that mistakes from the past can be avoided. By understanding why it continues to be present in our nation today, one can understand that there are significant changes that need to take place in order for this problem to be overcome. In concurrence with Wise, â€Å"until whites join with our black and brown brothers and sisters to put an end to the kind of racial inequity described above, we’ll continue to be confronted with the uneasy conversations, as well we should be. † It will take courage, consistency, and time just as it has already, but we are making progress and in due time this nation will become all that our founding fathers dreamed it would be. Works Cited Mancke, Elizabeth and Shammas, Carole. The Creation of the British Atlantic World. 2005, page 30-1. Merida, Kevin. â€Å"Racist Incidents Give Some Obama Campaigners Pause. † Washingtonpost. com. Web. 13 May 2008. Roberts, Rebecca. The ‘Post-Racial’ Conversation, One Year In. Interview with Ralph Eubanks. National Public Radio: 2010. Print. Stoddard, B. , Murphy, D. Ph. D. â€Å"The Issue of Slavery†. Netplaces. com. Web. 25 April 2012 Wise, Tim. â€Å"Denial, Evasion Won’t Solve Racism. † Lexington Herald-Leader. 10 Nov. 2003.

Cognitive Theorists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cognitive Theorists - Essay Example In like manner, students in a vocational school who are required to finish certain skill within a period of time are expected to complete such task (2006). Furthermore, the participation of students and staffs in the attainment of the school’s goal reflects the other assumption of Tolman’s theory that behavior is analyzed through the actions of a larger group rather than the movements of individuals. Although, reward is not evident in the accomplishment of the school’s purpose, students still comply owing to their internal discrimination with the presentation of the goal. After all, the concept of Tolman’s theory indicates that learning and motivation is still possible even without a reward. Cognitive mapping of Tolman could also be applied to vocational trainings considering the performance of the participants. As the instructor teaches a skill, students paint an outline in their brain to indicate the route with how they could retain the sequence of skill s taught. Once a blueprint is fixed in their mind, they can repeat the skill even in the midst of changes or difficulties like when they are nervous.

Is Iran a threat to the U.S Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Is Iran a threat to the U.S - Research Paper Example Iran’s military also plans for a three-stage missile capable to hit targets some 3700 km away4. Despite Iran’s repeated assurances that its nuclear program is for purely peaceful purposes, the West and Israel believe that the Islamic Republic is striving to obtain a nuclear weapon, which is more or less substantiated by the latest IAEA’s report on the issue5. Alternatively, Iran doesn’t pose any serious threat to the United States because of the reasons below: Iran’s economy is suffering heavy blows with the country’s oil revenues being dramatically slashed and other trade disrupted due to the international sanctions6. This would eventually hamper both the country’s geopolitical ambitions and military programs; The expansion of the Iranian ballistic missile arsenal, along with both space and nuclear programs, will drain the country’s resources sooner or later; The military capabilities of United States overwhelmingly exceed even the most unbridled wishes of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards; Iran has recently declared that welcomes a US offer of bilateral nuclear talks. With all the ambiguity of the possible outcome, such talks have the potential for a certain reconciliation7; The so-called Arab spring, or its after effects, whatever the case might be, would eventually reach the Islamic Republic. Weighing the Pros and Cons The US-Iran relations have gone from bad to worse ever since the Shah’s fall from power in 19798. The hostage crisis, which lasted for 444 days, along with the American support for Saddam Hussein and the number of armed incidents involving US and Iranian air and naval units during the Iran-Iraq war, brought about a deep crisis in the bilateral relations9. The first Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, had demonized the US as the â€Å"Great Satan† in 1979, which image was projected across the Middle East and beyond, as well as deeply embedded in anti-American rhetoric10. Not surprisingly therefore, Hezbollah’s leader Nasrallah stated in 2002 - one year after 9/11 – that â€Å"our hostility to the Great Satan is absolute†11. Accordingly, Iran was placed on the list of rogue states, alongside Cuba, Burma, North Korea, etc., and was designated by the President George W. Bush as one of the countries that constitute the â€Å"Axis of Evil†12. The current Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, is renowned for his animosity to the US13, and if his power and the survival of the Islamic theocracy are in danger, he would not hesitate to order strikes against US targets within the operational range of the Iranian ballistic missiles, including military and civilian installations, as well as against key American allies, most notably Israel. The anti-Semitic and anti-American rhetoric of the incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also implies such a possibility, although the real clout in Iran belongs to Ayatollah Khamenei and the circle around him. What makes the situation particularly precarious, however, is the fact that

Miyazakis Animations and the Japanese Culture Essay

Miyazakis Animations and the Japanese Culture - Essay Example This essay stresses that the contemporary society does not embody any relationship between financial independence and the spirits. Contextually, many people engage in modern jobs to earn money and not to pursue their dreams. As opposed to the ancient Japan where people engaged in work and believed in spirits as the ones that provide and help in their various life instances. This paper makes a conclusion that the Japanese society had a matriarchal system where women could take control of family structures and various relationships in the family. However, the gender and gender roles gradually changed due to modernization and Westernization influenced by the Second World War, Western culture, and advancements made in technology. Through Miyazaki, a renowned film director in Japan, the Japanese Society received various works that enhanced the shift of gender roles. Miyazaki’s personal psyche had a great impact on his animation career and bring about a positive influence on the shift evidenced in the Japanese shift regarding gender roles. Kiki’s Delivery Services forms a basis for the shift of gender roles seen in Japan through Miyazaki’s contributions. Confucianism in the ancient Japan accelerated the change of gender roles since the Japanese copied the modern cultures from China and Korea. Therefore, Hayao Miyazaki makes a considerable contribution toward the changing of culture in Japan through his Kiki’s Delivery Service, his personal psyche and commitment to the animation industry.

Education management Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 35000 words

Education management - Thesis Example This mobility is something special as it is confined to a single country. It has some similarities with international mobility because Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region administered under separate set of different from the mainland China. Administrative and education pattern in Hong Kong differs much from that obtaining in mainland China, and also with other parts of the world. Education in Hong Kong is the stepping stone for further education at the international levels also. The segment of education in Hong Kong is affected with student flow from mainland China and also from international quarters, with globalization and neo-liberalism. Discussion is also made in this article about the forces that have impacted and continue to impact the education system in Hong Kong. What are the characteristics that attract the students to pursue their studies in Hong Kong and encourage parents from mainland China to get their children admitted to schools in Hong Kong right from the ki ndergarten levels? Want are their special problems and how the administration is grappling to control the situation? The paper concludes by indicating the significance of management of education of students of mainland China and Hong Kong. Two diametrically opposed political philosophies are working with a purpose to hammer out a common educational policy but it is futile to expect that Hong Kong will give up the upper hand in the field of education. The authorities at mainland China will not mind it, because Hong Kong is an integral part of the People’s Republic of China. Hong Kong has been a Special Administrative Regions (SAR)of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since their sovereign reversion to PRC from the United Kingdom within the structure of â€Å"one country, two systems† in 1997. On the education administration of any country the political system has the direct bearing. At the official ideological level, the mainland China

Political philosophies of Utilitarianism, Libertarianism, and Research Paper

Political philosophies of Utilitarianism, Libertarianism, and Egalitarianism - Research Paper Example Nevertheless, there are varying ethical perspectives on the roles of the government in provisions to citizens and the citizens’ own individual rights. Some of these ethical perspectives are Utilitarianism, Libertarianism, and Egalitarianism. Utilitarian perspective The fundamental doctrine of utilitarian is that people should make the society as well as they can; this can be done by making people’s lives worthwhile. A utilitarian believes that government resources should be allocated in such a way that they will have the greatest impact to most people. Stuart Mills argued that just distribution of resources provides the maximum good to most people. Mills held that people should not just think about the utility of isolated acts but the convention of conduct, which if adopted and adhered to would capitalize on utility (Irudayam 5). According to the principle of utility, we always ought to do whatever will maximize on the total amount of happiness. For a utilitarian, a jus t distribution of wealth is the one that maximizes on the total amount of happiness. ... s that such very unequal distribution of wealth would not maximize contentment and would not, on utilitarian grounds, be morally optimal or just (Irudayam 7). Utilitarianism would advocate for progressive taxing based on the principle of diminishing marginal utility designed at maximizing happiness. Utilitarians believe in taxing the wealthy and giving subsidies to the underprivileged to lessen the level of income disparity and increase total happiness. However, this can only work up to a point. If the tax is excessively repulsive, it will dent incentives to work, hence, production of fewer possessions; as a result, reduce the overall happiness. Therefore, from the utilitarian perspective, the superlative solution is the one that maximizes on overall happiness and this maximal point will be achieved when the tax rates are precisely put at the point where additional gain from the redistribution would be offset by bigger losses resulting from undermining of incentive (Irudayam 9). Libe rtarian response The core hypothesis of libertarianism is that persons have strong moral claim to the serene enjoyment of their own persons, as well as an accomplishment of their voluntary agreement with others. Christian Libertarians insist that the government should not be concerned with the business of redistributing any possessions. They argue that every resource distribution should be communitarian in nature, voluntary and non state sponsored. Libertarians critically object state compelled wealth redistribution since they argue that property rights are so vigorous that they do not give way to the attention that motivate demand for redistribution (Benkler 38). To some libertarians, property rights seem to comprise the full personification of some individuals’ rights and are the only