Voting Rights History and Challenges

Democracy is always defined by the citizens’ right to vote meaning that it will not be in existence if they are denied such an aspect. In this case, they should be free to choose their leaders and government as a whole. The founders of America did not believe in universal suffrage as expected but this has been improving as time goes by.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Voting Rights History and Challenges specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the initial stages, voters were required to own property and this therefore excluded 60% of the population from voting. As much as this was dropped, the 1800s saw a lot of women and slaves being excluded from voting (Stout, 2009, p. 29). The ratification of 1870 can be described as a major achievement because it secured voting in a broad way. The exclusion of women from voting continued up to 1920 when the country was able to grant all its citizens universal suffrage (St out, 2009, p. 15). This was mostly after the nineteenth amendment and later on the Indian citizenship act that gave a lot of people some citizenship rights. In this case, all Native Americans were grated some citizenship which was a big achievement. As much as this had been reviewed, people’s right to vote was still being governed by the state through different laws. Despite these developments, some states still barred Native Americans to vote. In 1964, the qualifications for an individual to be eligible as a voter were reviewed. This means that various poll taxes and normal literacy tests were done away with. It should be known that this was enhanced by the twenty-fourth amendment. Later on, in 1971 the legal age that was needed for a citizen to qualify as a voter was lowered. This meant that a person of 18 years of age was eligible to vote in any election. 1976 saw the voting rights act make a provision for translations to people who did not understand English as far as ele ction materials are concerned (Finley, 2008, p. 35). In relation to all these constitutional achievements, many people have come to appreciate the fact that United States provides for ultimate universal suffrage. As time has gone by, the law has insisted that any new state laws should be reviewed and approved by the country’s chief legal officer. There is legal protection in relation to universal suffrage but the mentally incompetent have been excluded from voting which is acceptable. These are good developments that are likely to enhance universal suffrage but different people have argued that it is not enough. This means that all citizens should be effectively represented in government for long term sustainability in relation to democracy.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are various challenges to fair and equal voting practices that need to be sorted out in elections a t various levels. This can be either at the federal, state and local levels of elections. Representative democracy has emerged as a challenge that needs to be sorted out because there are people who might be chosen to represent the interests of voters as leaders yet they fail in their duties. Oppressive attitudes have been seen in various areas and this will limit equal voting rights in relation to administrative positions (Stout, 2009, p. 54). Another challenge to fair and equal voting practices is political redistricting practices because this is likely to weaken the gains that have been made in the past years. It should be known that voters’ rights have been protected by amendments to the constitution but poll worker recruitment might end up challenging the minority vote (Finley, 2008, p. 68). There is an argument that equal and sustainable education has not been achieved in the country and this does not provide an equal electoral opportunity. Reference List Finley, K. (20 08). Delaying the Dream: Southern Senators and the Fight against Civil Rights, 1938-1965. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. Stout, D. (2009). Justices Let Stand a Central Provision of Voting Rights Act. New York: The New York Times. This essay on Voting Rights History and Challenges was written and submitted by user Danna V. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Critical evaluation of a research article The WritePass Journal

Critical evaluation of a research article Introduction Critical evaluation of a research article IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction This work presents a critical evaluation of the research article entitled, ‘How traumatic is breast cancer? Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and risk factors for severe PTSS at 3 and 15 months after surgery in a nationwide cohort of Danish women treated for primary breast cancer’, written by O’Connor et al. and published in 2011 in the British Journal of Cancer, volume 104, pages 419-426. The evaluation provides a description of the aims, findings and arguments put forward in the article, a critical appraisal of the issues, theories and concepts included in the article and an assessment of the sources of information used in the article. The title of the article How traumatic is breast cancer? Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and risk factors for severe PTSS at 3 and 15 months after surgery in a nationwide cohort of Danish women treated for primary breast cancer is an accurate representation of what is included in the article, as the article, indeed, talks about PTSS and risk factors for severe PTSS in Danish women treated for primary breast cancer. The title is a very accurate description of what is included in the article. The aim of the article is clear: as noted in the abstract for the article, the stated aim of O’Connor et al. (2011; 419) was to, â€Å"†¦explore the prevalence of and risk factors for cancer-related PTSS in a nationwide inception cohort of women treated for primary breast cancer†. The clarity of the aim, coupled with the clear and accurately descriptive title, allows the reader of the article to orient themselves as to what the authors will be discussing in the body of the article. It is easy for the reader to feel that the authors ha a clear idea of what their research was, where it fits in the body of research and literature in this subject and, on this basis, how they would carry their research out. The objectives of the article are made not made so clear by the authors, but it can be understood, from the very clear stated aim, that the objective of the article was to determine what the prevalence and risk factors are for PTSS in primary breast cancer survivors in Denmark. In terms of the rationale for the study, the authors make clear, in the first sentence of the abstract, that the literature in this area, whilst extensive, is not concurrent, in that there are variations, across the reports in the research, as to the prevalence of PTSS in women living with and recovering from breast cancer. The rationale of the O’Connor et al. (2011) study was, therefore, to add to the literature in this area with a definitive study of PTSS, and its risk factors, in a sample of Danish women. A search of PubMed, for example, using the search terms ‘breast cancer PTSS’ returns five results: the O’Connor et al. (2011) article; an article by Andersen et al. (2008) looking at the search for sense in breast cancer survivors with low quality of life; an article by Morrill et al. (2008) looking at the interaction of post-traumatic growth and PTSS on the presence of depression in breast cancer survivors; an article by Tjemsland et al. (1998) looking at PTSS in breast cancer survivors one year after surgery; and the fifth and final article which is not relevant to the topic. It is clear, therefore, that the rationale for the study is valid: there are, indeed, few published articles looking at the specific research topic proposed by O’Connor et al. (2011). In terms of the sample and data collection, as O’Connor et al. (2011) note, the sample for the research was 4917 women from Denmark, aged between 18 and 70, all of whom had been diagnosed with, and were recovering from, primary breast cancer and who had undergone surgery for their breast cancer during a very specific time period, namely October 2001 and March 2004. In terms of the inclusion criteria for the sample, it was important that all women included had no history of other cancers and that the women could read and write in Danish (to ensure that they fully understood, and could respond to, the questionnaire used to collect the data). It is important to note that all women selected for inclusion in the O’Connor et al. (2011) research were breast cancer free at the time of the data collection. The women’s medical histories were checked and only women treated via the same treatment modality, namely the standardised guidelines as set out in the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group, were included in the sample used in the research. This was to ensure that the women had all received the same treatment, at the same time, to ensure that any potential bias was reduced. Bias could have been introduced, for example, if the women selected for study had been in recovery for longer or if the women had all received different treatment modalities or if the women was still living with breast cancer: by selecting women on the basis of a certain date for the surgery, and a certain treatment modality, and by applying the strict inclusion criteria, the researchers minimised the potential effects of bias, ensuring as high a possible validity and reliability for the results found (Gerrish and Lacey, 2010). As Roberts et al. (2006) note, â€Å"†¦reliability and viability are ways of demonstrating and communicating the rigour of research processes and the trustworthiness of research findings†. For research to be helpful, the research process and the results reported need to be as clear and transparent as possible: misleading information will cause the reader to doubt the research process and, therefore, the validity of the results reported. As Roberts et al. (2006) suggest, the trustworthiness of a research article depends on many factors including the research question posed, the initial research question, the ways in which the data is collected, the ways in which the data is analysed and the conclusions that are drawn from the findings presented (see, also, Cormack, 2000). At the moment, on the basis of the research question posed and the data collection methods, the O’Connor et al. (2011) seems to be trustworthy and, therefore, reliable. Reliability, in this context , can be understood as the degree to which a particular set up can, â€Å"†¦produce similar results in different circumstances, assuming nothing else has changed† (Roberts et al., 2006). Regarding the data collection method, O’Connor et al. (2011) utilised a mailed-out questionnaire to obtain data from the sample of women regarding their post-traumatic stress symptoms, as measured using the IES, which is utilised widely in the literature as a measure of PTSS, given the strong correlations in interviews between IES scores and clinical diagnoses of PTSS. Additional covariates were gathered from the women via the questionnaire, including demographic and socioeconomic variables such as age, marital status, number of children, income, educational level, social status and net wealth, amongst other variables (O’Conner et al, 2011). These variables were collected in order to test, statistically, the relationships between the degree of PTSS found in the patients and all of the variables, to see if there were any pervasive links between the presence of PTSS and any particular variable. It could be, for example, that a patient’s age predisposes them to be m ore likely to experience PTSS following surgery for breast cancer, or that the person’s educational attainment affects their likelihood of experiencing PTSS. It was important, therefore, that O’Connor et al. (2011) controlled for all potentially confounding variables, in order to be sure that any relationship found between the presence of PTSS and the most probable risk factors were actually true and not simply an artefact of the data collection method (Black, 1999). In terms of the data analysis, the data analysis was conducted using non-parametric tests, namely Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis (O’Connor et al., 2011). Comparisons between the independent variables and the PTSS score, as measured via the IES, were conducted using chi-squared tests. Adjusted analyses were conducted using logistic regressions with PTSS being the dependent variable (O’Connor et al., 2011). The results found were reported as adjusted odds ratios (O’Connor et al., 2011). It can be seen, therefore, that the statistical tests used were appropriate for the type of data collected: the use of non-parametric tests, for example, was appropriate, given the fact that the variances were found to differ markedly amongst respondents   (Bryman and Cramer, 1990). The use of the chi-squared test in this case is also appropriate, as discussed in Siegel (1957), given the fact that all participants were independent and that frequency data was collected from the par ticipants via the questionnaire. Overall, then, the selection and use of the statistical tests to analyse the data were appropriate, giving confidence that the data analysis was conducted appropriately and that the results found from the analyses are reliable. Regarding the interpretation of the results and the main findings of the article, around 20% of the women surveyed exhibited PTSS at 3 months after surgery, reducing to around 14% at 15 months following the surgery (O’Connor et al., 2011). Regarding the predictors of PTSS in women surviving breast cancer, the presence of severe PTSS was related to older age at 3 months post-surgery. Being a mother of small children also increased a woman’s chances of developing PTSS following their surgery. The data analysis also found that several socioeconomic variables were also strong predictors of PTSS: education, occupational status, personal income and household net wealth (O’Connor et al., 2011). Higher educational attainment was strongly related to a reduced chance of developing PTSS. It is clear, then, that there are various factors that are related to a woman’s chance of developing PTSS following surgery for primary breast cancer. In terms of whether the article makes any contribution to the field of health psychology, it is clear from the article that there are various factors that are related to a woman’s chance of developing PTSS following surgery for primary breast cancer. Given the strong link between these factors and the development of PTSS, there is an argument to be made that women patients with breast cancer who have such risk factors should be offered counselling pre- and post-surgery in order to be able to help to mitigate the risk factors and help these women to avoid developing PTSS. Regarding the conclusion of the article, in terms of whether the conclusions drawn are justified, as has been discussed in the critique of the article, the authors took every precaution possible to ensure that the sample selection and data collection were designed in such a way that the risk of bias was minimised, this increasing the reliability and validity of the findings, and conclusions, presented in the article. This means that the conclusions drawn are not only justified, in terms of the aim of the article, but also that the conclusions from the article can be considered robust and, therefore, trustworthy. The significance of the article, in terms of the contribution it makes to knowledge in this area is great. As O’Connor et al. (2011) themselves note, this is the first article to look at the prevalence of, and risk factors for, PTSS in breast cancer survivors. Additionally, given the large sample size of the article and the rigour of the data collection and data analys is, the results obtained can be argued to be very robust (Creswell, 2008) and, therefore, of high reliability. Regarding the extent to which people who have experienced breast cancer might be helped by the findings of the article, as O’Connor et al. (2011) note, breast cancer and surviving breast cancer is a highly traumatic experience for women. Knowing what factors cause women to experience greater levels of trauma post-surgery is very useful as this knowledge can be used to target those women at greater risk of suffering PTSS and, equipped with this knowledge, delivering counselling to these women to ensure that their risk of developing PTSS is lessened. As O’Connor et al. (2011) suggest, to have this knowledge is akin to being forewarned: pre-emptive measures can be taken to mitigate the potential negative effects of the risk factors and to reduce the chance of women at risk of developing PTSS. In general terms, then, the article – if its findings were transmitted through the general media – would be helpful to women as women could, if they were at risk of deve loping PTSS following surgery, seek help themselves from their medical team. As PTSS has been linked to depression and other psychiatric problems in breast cancer survivors (Morrill et al., 2008), any preventative measures that could be offered to such women would help save them from further trauma and help them to live with a better quality of life (Andersen et al., 2008). References Andersen, M.R. et al. (2008). Frequent search for sense by long-term breast cancer survivors associated with reduced HRQOL. Womens Health 47, 19-37. Black, T.R. (1999). Doing quantitative research in the social sciences. Sage. Bryman, A. and Cramer, D. (1990). Quantitative data analysis for social scientists. Taylor Francis. Cormack, D. (2000). The research process in nursing. Blackwell. Creswell, J.W. (2008). Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. Sage. Gerrish, K. and Lacey, A. (2010). The research process in nursing. Wiley. Morrill, E.F. et al. (2008). The interaction of post-traumatic growth and post-traumatic stress symptoms in predicting depressive symptoms and quality of life. Psychooncology 17, 948-953. Roberts, P. et al. (2006). Reliability and validity in research. Nursing Standard 20, 41-45. Siegel, S. (1957). Nonparametric statistics. The American Statistician 11, 13-19. Tjemsland, L. et al. (1998). Posttraumatic distress symptoms in operable breast cancer III: status one year after surgery. Breast Cancer 47, 141-151.

2 Easy Examples of the Law of Conservation of Mass

2 Easy Examples of the Law of Conservation of Mass SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Chemistry is an important subject that you’ll definitely need to know if you’re planning to pursue a chemistry or other science major in college. One thing you should be familiar with is the law of conservation of mass.What is it? And how is it used in chemistry? Keep reading to learn what the law of conservation of mass is and how it came to be. We will also give you some law of conservation of mass examples to help you understand the concept better. What Is the Law of Conservation of Mass? First off, exactly what is the law of conservation of mass? This law states that in a closed system, matter can neither be created nor destroyed- it can only change form. Put differently, the amount, or mass, of matter in an isolated system will always be constant regardless of any chemical reactions or physical changes that take place. (Note that an isolated or closed system is one that does not interact with its environment.) This law is important in chemistry, particularly when combining different materials and testing the reactions between them. In chemistry, the law of conservation of mass states thatthe mass of the products (the chemical substances created by a chemical reaction) will always equal the mass of the reactants (the substances that make the chemical reaction). Think of it as being similar to balancing an algebraic equation. Both sides around an equal sign might look different (for example, 6a + 2b = 20), but they still represent the same total quantity. This is similar to how the mass must be constant for all matter in a closed system- even if that matter changes form! But how does the law of conservation of mass work? When a substance undergoes a chemical reaction, you might assume that some or even all of the matter present is disappearing, but, in actuality, it's simply changing form. Think about when a liquid turns into a gas. You might think that the matter (in this case, the liquid) has simply vanished. But if you were to actually measure the gas, you'd find that the initial mass of the liquid hasn’t actually changed.What this means is that the substance, which is now a gas, still has the same mass it had when it was a liquid (yes- gas has mass, too!). What Is the History Behind the Law of Conservation of Mass? Though many people, including the ancient Greeks, laid the scientific groundwork necessary for the discovery of the law of conservation of mass, it is French chemist Antoine Lavoisier (1743-1794) who is most often credited as its discoverer. This is also why the law is occasionally called Lavoisier’slaw. Lavoisier lookin' proud of his discovery. In the late 1700s, Lavoisier proved through experimentation that the total mass does not change in a chemical reaction, leading him to declare thatmatter is always conserved in a chemical reaction. Lavoisier’s experiments marked the first time someone clearly tested this idea of the conservation of matter by measuring the masses of materials both before and after they underwent a chemical reaction. Ultimately, the discovery of the law of conservation of mass was immensely significant to the field of chemistry because it proved that matter wasn’t simply disappearing (as it appeared to be) but was rather changing form into another substance of equal mass. What Are Some Law of Conservation of Mass Examples? Law of conservation of mass examples are useful for visualizing and understanding this crucial scientific concept. Here are two examples to help illustrate how this law works. Example 1: The Bonfire/Campfire One common example you’ll come across is the image of a bonfire or campfire. Picture this: you’ve gathered some sticks with friends and lit them with a match. After a couple of toasted marshmallows and campfire songs, you realize that the bonfire, or campfire, you've built has completely burned down. All you’re left with is a small pile of ashes and some smoke. Your initial instinct might be to assume that some of the campfire's original mass from the sticks has somehow vanished. But it actually hasn’t- it’s simply transformed! In this scenario, as the sticks burned, they combined with oxygen in the air to turn into not just ash but also carbon dioxide and water vapor. As a result, If we measured the total mass of the wooden sticks and the oxygen before setting the sticks on fire, we'd discover that this mass is equal to the mass of the ashes, carbon dioxide, and water vapor combined. Example 2: The Burning Candle A similar law of conservation of mass example is the image of a burning candle. For this example, picture a regular candle, with wax and a wick. Once the candle completely burns down, though, you can see that there is definitely far less wax than there was before you lit it. This means that some of the wax (not all of it, as you’ve likely noticed with candles you’ve lit in real life!) has been transformed into gases- namely,water vapor and carbon dioxide. As the previous example with the bonfire has shown, no matter (and therefore no mass) is lost through the process of burning. Recap: What Is the Law of Conservation of Mass? The law of conservation of mass is a scientific law popularized and systematized by the 18th-century French chemist Antoine Lavoisier. According to the law,in an isolated system, matter cannot be created or destroyed- only changed.This means that the total mass of all substances before a chemical reaction will equal the total mass of all substances after a chemical reaction. Simply put, matter (and thus mass) is always conserved, even if a substance changes chemical or physical form. Knowing this scientific law is important for the study of chemistry, so if you plan to get into this field, you'll definitely want to understand what the law of conservation of mass is all about! What’s Next? Are there other science topics you want to review? Then you're in luck! Our guides will teach you loads of useful topics, fromhow to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, to what the density of water is, to how to balance chemical equations. Need help identifying stylistic techniques in a book you're reading for English class? Let our comprehensive list of the most important literary deviceslend you a hand!

Relationship of D Vinci and Michelangelo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Relationship of D Vinci and Michelangelo - Essay Example This might explain why many people considered their artistic works exceptional. This discourse seeks to explore the relationship between the two artists of the Renaissance period. In so doing, the paper will analyze some of their greatest works that have earned them the fame. Michelangelo Buonarroti and Leonardo Da Vinci remains the most famous and celebrated artists of the Renaissance period. Their art, poetry, music, architecture, and scientific explorations and achievements show what it means to be a Renaissance man. Since the two knew of the fame and the huge influence they had with regards to their artistic works, they became very bitter rivals. In fact, stories are being told of how the two great masters of the Renaissance disliked each other. Experts attribute the rivalry between Michelangelo and Da Vinci to the stiff competition they had in the profession as artists (Jones 2). However, the most striking relationship between the two great artists of the Renaissance period is t he fact that both of them were Italians. Da Vinci for instance, was born in 1452 in a remote village called Vinci in Italy. Soon afterwards, he relocated to Florence, where he took up an apprenticeship to Verrocchio. He began working as a painter at a very tender age. However, because of his creativity, he was able to surpass his teachers with the way he painted very first. This earned him the tag of being a universal genus. He did not only prove himself as one of the best painters in the world at the time, but also an inventor, scientist, engineer and architect because of his ideas, which were far beyond their time. In addition, many of those who knew him described him as a physically strong man, who was not only handsome, but also had a good singing voice. Some of his most celebrated and famous works include the Mona Lisa and the fresco the Last Supper (Verspohl 7). Surprisingly, Michelangelo, who was born in 1475, which is about 23 years after Da Vinci was also an Italian. Howeve r, unlike Da Vinci, Michelangelo was born near Florence in Italy. Like Da Vinci, Michelangelo also began working as an apprenticeship when he was barely 13 years in Ghirlandaio. In fact, just as Da Vinci began his works as a painter, Michelangelo also did the same beginning his works as a painter. However, he gained fame as a sculptor. He was able to produce many artistic works which enabled him become a very famous and celebrated Renaissance man in the entire world. Some of his greatest and most famous masterpieces include the statue of David, The Pieta, the Sistine Chapel, and his architectural work, the ST. Peter’s Basilica (Barton par. 2). Another striking relationship that existed between Michelangelo and Da Vinci is the fact that both of them trained at Florence college. In fact, many people believe that the kind of training the got at Florence college might have contributed immensely to their great work and skills. Research indicates that there choice to train at Flore nce was informed by the fact that Florence was regarded as a vibrant arts center during the renaissance period. In fact, Michelangelo confirmed this claim by arguing that he opted to join Florence arts center since he viewed it as a place where he could innate his talent to advance and flourish. The same applies to Da Vinci who joined Florence arts center in order to be able develop his innate talent in arts (Verspohl 9). Both Michelangelo and Da Vinci also share their areas of expertise. In this regard, both Michelangelo a

Choose someone you deeply care for a sibling, a parent, a relative, a Essay

Choose someone you deeply care for a sibling, a parent, a relative, a spouse or a friend. choose 23 areas how you are similar, then choose 23 areas how you - Essay Example This is what will be dissertated in the following. To begin with, I will discuss how we are similar. One of the most obvious ways in which we are similar is our age, as we went to public school together and were in the same class and we became friends and have been ever since then. As well, we a have a lot of the same hobbies and pastimes, and we enjoy a lot of the same things, particularly in regards to food, fashion, and music, for instance. We have always gotten along quite well, and we enjoy each other's company, and we even have a lot of the same friends. In regards to how we are different however, there are many points to make in this matter as well. Although we are a lot alike, we do have very different views in regards to life in general, as I am more realistic, outspoken, and friendly, and she can be very uptight, cynical, and inconsiderate. She is certainly and absolutely a wonderful person at heart, however I believe that a lot of insecurity is built up in her and she brings her bad feelings about herself out on other peo ple; this is another difference that we have, as I am not superficial at all and do not worry about such things, as I would rather spend time helping other people than worrying about myself.

Sports Policy Essay Example for Free

Sports Policy Essay Sports policies and the sports environment are extremely important to promote safe participation on an athlete, by ensuring these factors are optimal, the chance of injury can be avoided, thereby promoting safe participation. The rules or laws that govern an organisation are in place to protect all participants and spectators. Clubs generally have a set of rules and regulations, which often include the club’s constitution In case of injury; the sports organisation must have appropriate first aid facilities and an insurance policy, which covers both the individual and the sports organisation. first aid facilities allow quick treatment of any injuries to promote safe participation. The grounds and facilities must be safe for all players. This effectively reduces the risk of many injuries and provides support for the players in the care of an injury. The grounds must be well lit, such as with good lights, so that competitors have clear vision. The grounds must be clear from obstruction to prevent injury. For example, potholes may cause a player to fall over and fracture their ankle. Filling these potholes will promote safe participation. Some reasons why grounds might be inadequate may be due to financial limitations. Where children are concerned, applying simplified or modified rules will contribute to a more enjoyable safer and satisfactory sporting experience. The emphasis is on fun and promoting participation rather than competition. For example, as children cannot focus for as long and become fatigued more easily, using smaller fields and shorter games will contribute promoting safe participation, similarly providing more breaks limit risk or overheating. An example of a modified sport is Netta Netball. Netta Netball is a modified version of netball, some of the rules that accommodate participation for children include; reduced height in the goal post, 8 feet instead of 10 feet, which makes it easier to shoot goals. Shorter quarters, 410 minute quarters rather than 415 minute quarters which reduce fatigue. More time to pass the ball, 6 seconds rather than 3 seconds, which makes it easier to pass the ball. Sports policy must also enforce or encourage the use of appropriate protective equipment. The playing equipment needs regular checks and must be suitable for the size of the player. For example, a cricket helmet must be free of cracks and a suitable size for the athlete. Protective equipment can often soften blows to reduce the risk or injury. Ill-fitted equipment may cause discomfort for players and this increases the risk of injury. For example supportive and cushioned shoes for runners will reduce the risk of injuries such as shin splints. Mouth guards are frequently used to protect teeth and the jaw in sports such as, boxing, rugby league and hockey or any other sport where there is a possibility of getting hit in the face. The rules and competition structures must also be modified based on the skill level, growth and development. This effectively promotes safe participation as it decreases the risk of injury. Mentally athletes are more positive when playing against people of their own size. There are certain sports such as rugby union, which promote ‘weight for age’ competitions, where players compete under weight categories to promote safe participation associated with size contact. Combat sports such as boxing an judo are also examples where competitors are based on weight category.

Free Essay: Deception of Satan in John Milton’s Paradise Lost :: Milton Paradise Lost Essays

Deception of Satan in Paradise Lost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The speeches of Moloch, Belial, Mammon, and Beelzebub represent particular ways of looking at life. Milton derived these views from I John 2:15 and 16 which says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world." Coming into the world, these demons transferred their philosophies to the human race. That is why these views are still common in today's world, even though the battle of the supernatural is often overlooked. Even at Christian schools, the effect of these philosophies can be seen. However, in hell and in the world they have proved a failure - the high ideas of the plans will not work with the separate realities that both hell and the earth represent. Only Beelzebub's idea seems to work, but that to will be proven false with time. In the Bible, Moloch was the god of the Ammonites who sacrificed their children to him, believing that then he would bring them power. They lusted after power and went to extreme, perverted measures to attain it. In Paradise Lost, Moloch also lusts after power. After being cast down to hell, he calls for the demons to wage war again on heaven. He believes (probably he has deceived himself) that they can defeat God now because they are strong with fury - the fury that comes from being cast out of glory. They have acquired the new, torturous weapons of hell that would that coupled with their wrath would prove victorious over God. "I just don't think I'll do well ... I don't understand the... As he strutted into the classroom, the two kids in conversation groaned. "So... " he intoned to one annoyed guy, "Have you studied for the test?" "Last night, yeah." More hesitantly, "How 'bout you?" "Oh yeah, piece of cake." A smile stretches across his face. "I heard you saying you don't understand, " he put his hand on her shoulder in a sort-of motion of comfort, "You'll do fine. " Again the smile, and he walked size off to another group of kids. The two kids rolled their eyes.

Haiti Earthquake Essay

January 12, 2010 became the moment of tragedy for the population of Haiti: an earthquake of terrible force stroke the small island, killing and injuring thousands of people. The earthquake turned into a devastating power, destroying everything in the epicenter and miles beyond. It was the most powerful earthquake in Haiti in more than 100 years. Now, several months after the tragic event, Haitian authorities still work to restore the economic and social stability in the region. Earthquakes are difficult to predict – the Haiti earthquake did not have any warning signs or foreshocks. It was equally unexpected and powerful. The aftershocks that followed confirmed the complexity of the natural processes that usually occur during earthquakes. The terrible earthquake that stroke Haiti on January 12th, 2010 affected around three million people, with between 100,000 and 200,000 dead (Physics Today, 2010). Measured 7. 0 according to the earthquake magnitude, the Haiti quake became the most powerful and the most devastating in the region over the last 100 years (Physics Today, 2010). 7.  0 earthquakes are believed to be large, but not huge, and the Haiti earthquake was not the strongest and the most tragic in the human history. For the regions with high seismic activity, 7. 0-8. 0-magnitude earthquakes are a norm of life which, despite its power and negative consequences, is impossible to escape. In case of the Haiti earthquake, three essential factors contributed to the human and material losses: first, the epicenter was in 10 miles from the capital city, Port-au-Prince (Physics Today, 2010). Second, the earthquake was shallow by itself; in other words, it was only 10-15 kilometers below the land’s surface (Physics Today, 2010). Third, given the state of the Haitian economy and the level of poverty in the region, most of the local buildings were not designed to withstand the pressure of an earthquake and simply collapsed (Physics Today, 2010). The three mentioned factors turned the Haiti earthquake for the worst-case scenario for its people (Physics Today, 2010). A belief persists that the current state of technology facilitates the prediction of earthquakes. Today, thousands of people are confident that seismologists could have predicted the course of events in Haiti. Yet, the reality is quite different. Notwithstanding the recent technological advancements, predicting earthquakes (especially, in the long run) is still far from possible. No, that does not mean that seismologists do not monitor tectonic activity. Monitoring zones like Haiti â€Å"around the world to get a general sense of where the next such pops may happen is not that difficult, mostly because tectonic activity is hard to conceal completely† (Kluger, 2010). Scientists have information and technologies necessary to make predictions about where on the landscape earthquakes are the likeliest to occur, but forecasting in the long term is problematic and rarely objective (Kluger, 2010). During the 18th Caribbean Geological Conference in March 2008, five scientists presented their paper, stating that the tectonic zone on the southeastern side of the island was a serious seismic hazard (Griggs, 2010). The scientists had been increasingly concerned about the fault zone which, eventually, became the source of the major problems and the epicenter of the earthquake. Professionals justify the lack of attention toward the report by the fact that such strikes and zones can remain dormant for hundreds of years (Griggs, 2010). Given the difficulties which seismologists usually experience in the process of predicting earthquakes, the reliability of their reports is often questionable. The findings presented on the 2008 Conference followed the 2004 study in the Journal of Geophysical Research, which reported an increased earthquake risk in the Septentrional fault zone near Haiti, not far from the Dominican Republic (Griggs, 2010). However, because Haiti is fairly regarded as one of the most active seismic zones in the world, even the heightened seismic activity does not necessarily imply that the region is facing an earthquake threat: the nearest strike can occur years and decades later. The Haiti earthquake was unique in the sense that it was not preceded by any evacuations or warning signs. The earth in Haiti did not give any sign of a foreshock and did not send either a water or an electrical signal (Kluger, 2010). Even the P wave equipment, which seismologists use to detect vibrations, did not display any changes in the tectonic activity in the region (Kluger, 2010). People did not have a chance to foresee the events that would follow the first shake. The earthquake stroke at 21:53 UTC, January 12, 2010, in South Haiti, not far from the capital Port-au-Prince (RMS, 2010). The quake was felt across the Haiti region, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Southern Bahamas, up to the northeast and southeast coasts of Cuba (RMS, 2010). The two cities closest to the epicenter, Port-au-Prince and Jacmel, experienced up to 7. 0 intensity shaking on the MMI scale (RMS, 2010). The strikes of such intensity usually cause moderate damage to property (RMS, 2010). The earthquake was not followed by a tsunami, and no tsunami warning was issued (RMS, 2010). Seismologists tend to differentiate between the three different types of earthquakes. The dip-slip-fault means than one clashing plate slides under the other (Kluger, 2010). The reverse dip-slip fault implies that tectonic plates pull apart (Kluger, 2010). The strike-slip is associated with a sideways grinding of the plates (Kluger, 2010). The Haiti earthquake was of the strike-slip type, meaning that the two tectonic plates on the both sides of the fault moved in opposite directions – the Caribbean Plate went east, while the Gonvave Platelet moved to the west (Physics Today, 2010). The more interesting and important, however, what people are likely to experience during an earthquake of the magnitude similar to that in Haiti. A missionary from Haiti said: â€Å"It felt like a train was coming down the road. It (the house) wasn’t shaking, it was rocking. I went outside and the vehicle in the driveway was rocking, glass breaking all around the house† (Leach, 2010). Another witness described the beginning of the earthquake as the rumbling of the ground underneath his feet: he saw a 400sq m house collapsing on the ground, with people trying to pull an elderly woman out of the rubble (Leach, 2010). Everything was shaking, people were screaming, while houses kept collapsing (Leach, 2010). Like any other earthquake, the one that stroke Haiti threw people into the whirl of shaking, trembling, and noise. Within minutes after the strike, witnesses could see a huge cloud of dust and smoke rising from the Haiti capital (Leach, 2010). The moment of the first shock was only the beginning in a series of aftershocks that followed. By Friday, 22 January, seismologists noted 54 aftershocks between Mw 4. 0 and 7. 0 (RMS, 2010). The two largest aftershocks rated Mw 5. 9 (RMS, 2010). The first aftershock occurred minutes after the main quake and was located 20 miles southwest of the mainshock (RMS, 2010). The second stroke the island eight days after the mainshock, on January 20, 2010 (RMS, 2010). Seismologists report that both aftershocks could not reach intensity higher than V which, according to the MMI scale, would cause very light damage to buildings (RMS, 2010). However, buildings in Haiti had not been designed to withstand the pressure of an earthquake; moreover, by the time the aftershock occurred, they had already been weakened – as a result, the second aftershock could readily turn into another serious attack on the Haitian property. The aftershock that hit Haiti on January 20, 2010 frightened the Haitians, already traumatized by the devastating earthquake that had happened several days before (Murphy, 2010). Those who survived experienced the growing fear and concern about their lives and the property that had not collapsed during the mainshock. Yet, the aftershocks caused little or no additional damage (Murphy, 2010). It should be noted, that although 6. 1 and 7. 0 magnitude look almost similar, the difference between the two is much greater. Unlike temperature scales, in which units of increase are constant, the method used to measure earthquake magnitudes is logarithmic. What this generally means is that the amount of shaking [†¦] caused by a 5. 0 earthquake is 10 times less than that caused by a 6. 0 earthquake and 100 times less of that caused by a 7. 0 earthquake. † (Murphy, 2010) Earthquakes of the magnitude between 6. 0 and 7. 0 are not uncommon in the Haitian region, and the aftershocks that followed the devastating earthquake on the 12th January were not significant. The effects of the aftershocks were more emotional than physical which, given the seriousness and the consequences of the event, were natural and justified. Today, when Haiti struggles to eliminate the consequences of the quake and to restore the economic stability in the region, seismologists and scholars in geology science keep arguing about whether the Haiti earthquake could have been predicted. Whether seismologists could have predicted the Haiti earthquake is no longer important, and it is equally difficult to estimate the value and importance of the 2008 scientific report. Nevertheless, the Haiti earthquake teaches seismologists numerous lessons and once again emphasizes the need to develop sound technologies and systems, which would predict earthquakes and warn local populations about them. Conclusion The Haiti Earthquake hit the island on January 12, 2010. With the magnitude not higher than 7. 0, the quake turned out to be the worst-case scenario for Haiti, killing and injuring thousands of local residents. The quakes of such magnitude are believed to cause average damage to people and property, but Haiti historically lacked resources necessary to build houses, which would withstand an earthquake. As a result, buildings collapsed, killing thousands and injuring even more. No warning signs or evacuations preceded the earthquake; it was equally immediate and unexpected. People felt the land shaking and rumbling beneath their feet, with a cloud of smoke and dust rising above the capital. A series of aftershocks that followed did not cause much additional damage but became the source of serious emotional effects. The Haiti earthquake was another good lesson to seismologists, and once again emphasized the need to develop sound technologies which would predict earthquakes and warn populations about it.

How far is it acceptable for technology to be used only for financial benefits Essay

?The inexorable development of technology has indeed become an integral part of our lives. Evidently, we often involve technology almost in every aspect of our lives. As a result, business in technology area seems very enticing for most people as they can potentially generate a lot of profit from this field. Hence, more and more people start to invest in it. However, as people are getting indulged in profit maximisation, problems concerning ethics and societal welfare start to arise from technology. Some argue that the usage of technology only for financial benefit is acceptable because such benefit can be redistributed to the less privileged ones to improve their welfare. However, others claim that it is unacceptable to do so because people, more often than not, may pursue such benefit at the expense of others. I, personally, am more inclined to the latter stand as the sole usage of technology for financial benefit will deal a fatal blow to the global society. It is acceptable to use technology for financial benefit only because it can indirectly contribute to the societal welfare. This is because some of the profit gained from the selling of such technology is used to help those in need. Hence, money earned is, in a way, redistributed to the poor to boost their welfare. A case in a point is the Gates Foundation in which Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, channels some of his profit from his business in the computer field to build this foundation to empower the needy to lead a better life. his is obviously unacceptable because every person has the right to have fair wages and enjoy conducive working environment. Thus, the use of technology only for financial benefit is still unacceptable, regardless of such benefit that may be used to help the last and the least, if some groups are being made worse off in the process. Furthermore, focusing only on financial benefit when we harness technology will make technological development shifts towards the favour of rich people only. Rich and poor people certainly have different kind of needs; while the rich aims, mostly, for self-enhancement, the poor are still struggling to survive. Hence, since the rich’s demand seems to be more lucrative for many investors because self-enhancement, like plastic surgery, is indubitably extornionate and, hence, generates a lot of profit, they will just invest their money for technological development in this area. As a result, more rudimentary aspects of technology, such as the mass production of food using food technology, are neglected. The poor will then suffer even to a greater extent than before. Another concern from this shift is that the widening of chasm between the rich and the poor will be more pervasive. Such result entails even worse implications in our society as social unrest may occur. Hence, given the dire consequences of the ill-use of technology, utilisation of it for financial benefit solely is unacceptable. Finally, the sole use of technology for financial benefit may corrupt our intrinsic values and virtues as human beings. Paradigm shift on our attitudes towards technology -more accepting and dependent – has made commodification of technology more successful. Thus, more and more people are focusing in this area and if their only goal for the use of technology is on monetary reward, they will do anything to its commercialisation to be even more successful. This includes the addition of elements in the technology itself to allure more people to use it. Unfortunately, those elements sometimes blemish our values as responsible humans. A case in a point would be the advent of violent video games (gaming technology) that distort the values of people, especially the teenagers and children. If they are exposed by the wrong principles throughout their stages of life, they will, most likely, not grow to people whom the society wants them to be. Hence, since the use of technology only for financial benefit results in such a case, I believe that it is unacceptable. In conclusion, it is unacceptable if technology is only used for financial benefit because others aspects concerning global welfare are most likely to be neglected. Therefore, a holistic approach should be adopted in harnessing the technology, so that multifarious fields in human lives are benefited. Hence, â€Å"technology is a social product† encapsulates the essence in the usage of technology as it should act as a representation of the fundamental needs of our society.

Interracial Marriage Under Apartheid

Interracial Marriage Under Apartheid Officially, there  were no interracial marriages under Apartheid, but in reality, the picture was much more complicated. The Laws Apartheid rested on the separation of races at every level, and preventing interracial sexual relations was an essential piece of that.  The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act from 1949 explicitly prevented white people from marrying people of other races, and the Immorality Acts prevented people of different races from having extra-marital sexual relations. Moreover, the 1950 Group Areas Act prevented people of different races from living in the same neighborhoods, let alone the same house. Yet despite all of this, there were some interracial marriages, though the law did not see them as interracial, and there were other couples who broke the Immorality Acts and were often jailed or fined for it. Unofficial Interracial Marriages Under Apartheid The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act  was one of the first steps in setting up Apartheid,  but the law only criminalized the  solemnization  of mixed marriages, not the marriages themselves.  There were a small number of interracial marriages prior to that law, and while there was not much media coverage given to these people during Apartheid, their marriages were not automatically annulled.   Secondly, the law against mixed marriages did not apply to non-white people, and there were proportionally more interracial marriages between people classified as â€Å"native† (or African) and â€Å"Coloured† or Indian. While there were in effect mixed marriages, the law did not see them as interracial. Racial classification under Apartheid was based not on biology, but on social perception and one’s association. A woman who married a man of another race was, henceforth,  classified as being of his race. Her choice of husband defined her race. The exception to this was if a white man married a woman of another race. Then he took on her race. His choice had marked him, in the eyes of white Apartheid South Africa, as non-white. Thus, the law did not see these as interracial marriages, but there were marriages between people who prior to the passage of these laws had been considered to be of different races. Extra-Marital Interracial Relations Despite the loopholes created by pre-existing mixed marriages and non-white interracial marriages, the Prohibition Against Mixed Marriages and the Immorality Acts were strictly enforced. White people could not marry people of other races, and no interracial couples could engage in extra-marital sexual relations. Nonetheless, intimate and romantic relationships did develop between white and non-white or non-European individuals. For some individuals, the very fact that interracial relations were so taboo made them appealing, and people engaged in interracial sexual relations as a form of social rebellion or for the excitement it offered.  Interracial relations came with serious risks, though. The police followed people who were suspected of engaging in interracial relations. They raided homes in the night and inspected bed sheets and underwear, confiscating anything that they thought showed evidence of interracial relations.  Those found guilty of violating the Immorality Acts faced fines, jail time, and social censure. There were also long-term relationships that had to exist in secret or be camouflaged as other types of relationships. For instance, most domestic workers were African women, and so an interracial couple could camouflage their relations by the man hiring the woman as his maid, but rumors often spread and such couples were also harassed by the police. Any mixed-race children born to the woman would also provide clear evidence of an interracial relationship.   Post-Apartheid Interracial Marriages The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages and Immorality Acts were repealed in the mid-1980s during the loosening of Apartheid. In the initial years, interracial couples still faced significant social discrimination from all races, but interracial relations have become more common as the years pass.  In recent years, couples have reported far fewer social pressures or harassment.

Buddhist And Christian Ethics Theology

Buddhist And Christian Ethics Theology Buddhism and Christianity are religions with comprehensive and contrasting ethical laws and customs. Throughout this essay the ethical practices of both religions will be described in detail, with an exploration of their similarities and differences presented. Description of Buddhist Ethical Practices Seven weeks after Prince Siddhartha Gautama had attained enlightenment whilst meditating under a bodhi tree, he delivered his First Sermon to his five former ascetical companions under that same tree. The contents of that initial sermon are knows as the Four Noble Truths, which are essentially the foundation of the religion. They are as follows: (Gwynne 2011, p. 93) â€Å"1. Suffering: Now this, monks, is the noble truth of suffering: Birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering. 2. The Source of Suffering: Now this, monks, is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: It is the craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there; that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination. 3. The Cessation of Suffering: Now this, monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: It is the remainder-less fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, and non-reliance on it. 4. The Way to the Cessation of Suffering: Now this, monks, is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: It is this Noble Eightfold Path: that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.† Like its parent religion Hinduism, Buddhism teaches that the ultimate goal of the lives of adherents is to bre ak free from the wheel of reincarnation and attain nirvana. Where it differs from Hinduism is instead of stressing the importance of obligations related to caste, gender and age (varna ashrama dharma), it stresses the embodiment of the sublime truth that was rediscovered by Prince Siddhartha on his night of enlightenment, which was imparted to his early followers in his First Sermon. The essence of Buddhist dharma (as opposed to Hindu dharma) is the Four Noble Truths which, along with the Buddha himself and the community of adherents (Sangha), make up the Three Jewels of Buddhism. The last of the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, is often divided into three categories: 1. Wisdom (panna) – right view and right intention 2. Meditation (samdhi) – right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration 3. Virtue (sila) – right speech, right action and right livelihood. This category specifically provides ethical instruction for Buddhists, insisting that a dherents must refrain from abusive, deceitful or divisive words through right speech; calling buddhists to be generally righteous in their actions; and implying that certain occupations may be immoral and hence unsuitable. (Gwynne 2011, pg. 92) Buddhism lacks a clear belief in a supreme being, resulting in Buddhist morality being based upon the degree as to which thoughts and actions will advance or impede one’s quest for final liberation. It is not based upon commandments issued by a transcendent God which are to be unquestionably followed by adherents, as is the case in the Abrahamic religions. Without a God to dictate what is good and evil, Buddhists refer to certain actions as â€Å"skillful† (kausalya) or â€Å"unskillful† (akausalya) rather than right or wrong. Buddhist morality is based upon considerations of individual progress on the road to liberation from the wheel of reincarnation rather than practicing the will of a divine God.

Special Needs populations and their impacts on Parole and Probation Essay

Special Needs populations and their impacts on Parole and Probation Officers - Essay Example Studies show mixed results about the effectiveness of these programs; however, no one can deny the importance of these programs in the judicial system when the criminal activities have reached new levels. Juvenile rehabilitation programs are of major importance in special needs populations apart from other programs. The ever growing special needs population and the nature of their needs have affected the role of Parole and Probation officers. A shifting focus to the needs of special needs populations is not unique to Parole and Probation officers; special needs populations by their very nature have unique needs, and many government institutions are attempting to shift to cater to these needs more appropriately. The primary role of a Parole and Probation officer is obviously to monitor the rehabilitation of criminal offenders outside of a prison environment with an eye towards re-integration and reducing rates of repeat offenders. The increased complexity of the nature of crimes has caused the judicial system to initiate a diverse number of offender programs to address them. It has also extended the scope of the role and duties of parole and probation officers who are being assigned in charge to supervise the programs. To understand the ways special needs populations have changed the roles of Pa role and Probation officers, one must first understand key differences between those two roles. Probation officers are in place to supervise rehabilitation without the offender having been in prison at all for a crime – they are assigned probation as a replacement to prison, with the understanding that if they violate the terms of probation they will be sent to prison. Parole officers, on the other hand, deal with people who have been released from prison on parole after completing part of their sentence – the fact that they have been in prison makes addressing special needs populations, who often have a harder time dealing with correctional institutions,