Racial Profiling And The United States - 1560 Words

Recently, there has been an epidemic in which minorities are being racially profiled on a daily basis. Individuals are being arrested, pulled over, and gunned down, simply because of the color of their skin. People cannot even walk down the street without someone thinking that they look suspicious. Whether the person is African American, Hispanic, Indian, or Muslim, racial profiling is wrong. With all of the recent controversy surrounding the problem, one would think that it would occur much less but that is not the case. Racial profiling has caused a recent uproar in America, and it has become the reason why many people have turned their backs on law enforcement for good. â€Å"Racial profiling is the discriminatory practice by law†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Who does racial profiling actually hurt†? using this as my research paper would shed light on situations that have been kept in the dark. This paper is intended for each race, the reader, and the next potential victim. This issue became important to me while reading many articles on officer Darren Wilson, and the mayhem that occurred in the aftermath when the riots in Ferguson began. I found that his case was not the only that had been subjected to being a potential accuser of racial profiling. True enough, there is a young African American male dead, due to an officer s actions, but with all of the media bashing and throwing dirt on his name, how is it affecting him? Who is the real victim? It makes absolutely no sense that African American men have to avoid wearing dark clothes, in fear that they might be gunned down. For instance, on February 26, 2012, Trayvon Benjamin Martin was just 17 years old when he was shot and killed by the neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman while visiting his father in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman called 911, to report a â€Å"suspicious person† who was walking in between homes. Martin was wearing a dark hoodie, and was returning home from the store with skittles, and an Arizona iced tea. He was not bothering anyone but his life came to an abrupt end solely because he was a suspicious looking African American teen dressed in dark clothing. Trayvon was not the first and certainly will not

Essay on I Must Write - 574 Words

I feel like giving up. Stop trying too hard because the result will always be the same despite of the effort I put in. I have tried to wheedle myself believing that I can do better, but so far there is no change in the outcome. Time is running out and hopes of making a change are dying and I am tempted to simply throw in the towel, and succumb to the defeat. It feels like am trying to catch the wind. Why is this so hard difficult for me? All I want is to make a step in English. To prove that I too can write a good paper. To relish writing the English papers, but it has proven to be extremely difficult. I wonder why it is the only subject that am not doing well or advancing. It is hard to concede that I cannot make any amelioration and†¦show more content†¦Now I’m forced to plan the little time remaining and finish with a remark to prove to myself that I can excel in English just as I do in other subjects. Improvements start today. I believe that my biggest problem is that I do not do much practice in writing. All my papers have no new ideas, because I do not read my notes, and I never make use of my extra time to practise the art of writing; even if it is just for the fun of writing. Since there are only two papers left. I will start with the one that is needed first, try to limit my time on this paper, evaluate it myself, then find someone else to go through it before handing it to the teacher. I am good at editing rather than doing the actual writing; so I must stop the editing and make sure the paper is complete first, and editing will be the last thing I do. I might not like writing because it demands more creativity, but I now know that the more I write, the more creative I become. I realize this is the time to make a sacrifice, that I should have made before, but because of my ignorance did not. I deceived myself thinking that i would remember the lecture notes without putting them in ink and paper. I now figured that to keep a record of my ideas I must be consistent in writing. I have drained myself by not keeping a journal to help keep my thoughts in writing and develop new better ideas. Although it seems a little too late, better late than never, and now I should do it mostly for myShow MoreRelatedWriting Essay : Going To Write Better1126 Words   |  5 PagesGoing to Write Better   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As researchers have shown, our brain naturally wants to learn, but if we want to be an expert in something, we must start to get more information. We are all living in such a century that for being successful, we must know academic knowledge. Our brain cells which are called neurons includes axon which could transfer information to the Dendrites. Dendrites would be grown by more information just like branches of a tree, if the tree gets more water and minerals, itRead More The Writing Process Essay608 Words   |  3 Pageswriting process?; and Must you follow one persons writing process if yours is different?; This is where I came across the answer to my questions, write however you wish to write. If one person likes free write first and another person likes to write a draft first, let them do how they please. The writing process is something that you figure out yourself as you go through school. I personally think that is why they make us take English for so many years. Through the years, I found that some teachersRead MoreHow Do I Learn Write? Essay987 Words   |  4 PagesHow Do I Learn to Write? Reading and writing go hand-in-hand. Those who learn to write, write so someone will eventually read it. Those who learn to read, learn to write through reading other people’s work. But, one must first learn how to do one of the following to succeed in both. So, how does one learn to write? The best, most concise, writers develop from avid readers. Through reading, I am always learning how to write. I believe reading is essentially the foundation of learning to write. WithRead MoreHigh School English Education Provides Every Students With A Basic Five Paragraph Formula872 Words   |  4 Pagescan I do to improve my own writing in college? Through high school I was herded, like most students, to write in the basic five paragraph formula and it provided a solid foundation for which to write a essay. But I am in college now I believe that the most important way I can improve my writing is to care more about it, to prod into unconventional sentence structure and to craft better works because I want to do better. In highschool I was more concerned with passing then learning, a mistake I doRead MoreHow Do I Learn Write?891 Words   |  4 PagesHow Do I Learn to Write? Reading and writing go hand-in-hand. Those who learn to write, write so someone will eventually read it. Those who learn to read, learn to write through reading other people’s work. But, one must first learn how to do one of the following to succeed in both. So, how does one learn to write? The best, most concise, writers develop from avid readers. Through reading, we are always learning how to write. I believe reading is essentially the foundation of learning to write. WithRead MoreWhat I Think When I Have A Writing849 Words   |  4 PagesWhat I Think When I Have to Write Since the first time I picked up a pencil and a piece of paper I have been taught how things ought to be done. Dot your i’s and cross your t’s, check your spelling, and do not forget the period at the end of each of your sentences. Writing shows you understand how to fit together facts and bits of information, but when does the real test of knowledge finally come into play? Your writing must express you, while still managing to cover all the appropriate content.Read MoreWhat Is Introductory English?758 Words   |  4 Pages One must be able to identify what the main idea is in each writing piece, and then transform the material into something greater. Students will learn to establish ideas in essay form, and then map them out by creating a rough draft, and then revising the essay. (â€Å"Course catalog†) Students will also learn how to find references for essays and how to cite information found. When I first started English class I was really apprehensive. The last time I was in English class was six years ago. I trulyRead MoreStephen King s Writing : A Memoir Of The Craft958 Words   |  4 PagesKing provided in his memoir that I believe is valuable for me as a writer is that you must read a lot and write a lot, trust the use of your own vocabulary, using simple sentences is not a bad thing, and to write the first draft with the door closed and the second draft with the door open. To write well, there are only two things you absolutely must do: read and write: â€Å"If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write† (King 147). I believe that reading and writingRead MoreThe And Of Content Marketing981 Words   |  4 Pagespretentious and useless fluff piece is all about. Are you unsure? Never fear! Here are some guidelines to help. How do I know if my content is useful? 1. Write content that suits your audience Your content must match your audience’s level of understanding. Experts won’t consider entry-level content useful and beginners won’t get much use out of advanced discussions. Your audience must have the required resources — time, energy, money, potato chips — to use the content. Telling new parents about a relaxationRead MoreThe Best Target Of Academic Writing Instruction Essay1497 Words   |  6 PagesI believe, every person has an accent in their writing in English, whether native English user or non-native English user. Therefore, it can be determined by sentence structure, word choices, and intelligibility of writing. There is no right or wrong accent in writing in English, also in speaking. Moreover, due to widespread of the English language, there is no way to determine who is writing and speaking in a right accent or wrong accent. Also, I disagree with the thought that, native users of English

Music and the American Culture Essay Example For Students

Music and the American Culture Essay Music has played a vital role in human culture and evidence based on archaeological sites can date it back to prehistoric times. It can be traced through almost all civilizations in one form or another. As time has progressed so has the music and the influences it has on people. Music is an important part of popular culture throughout the world, but it is especially popular in the United States. The music industry here is, and has been, a multi-million dollar business that continues to play an important role in American popular culture. This is also a art form and business that is forever changing as the times and more importantly, technology changes. Technology has changed the way music is made as well as how it is produced, marketed, sold, performed and other various factors associated with music. Women’s rights have progressed over recent history as well as gender roles associated with both genders. The feminist movement has made great progress for the betterment and advancement of women in this country. Women are seen as equals at home and in the workplace because of this feminist movement and theory. Women are not content with being stay at home moms and are pursuing higher education and better professions, previously reserved for men. The feminist movement fights for women in all aspects and is not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Over my generation I have seen examples and conflict between music and the feminist movement in multiple instances. The artifact I have chosen for this assignment is the recently popular Fat Joe and Lil Wayne song, â€Å"Make It Rain†. This song came out in 2006 but reached more popularity with the remix in 2007. This is also a song that was nominated for a Grammy award in 2008. This is a very catchy song that immediately became popular in the club scene, radio, MTV, and in popular culture overall. Many see it as a catchy rap song with a good beat, but the actual message it portrays would have many listeners and parents disgusted. The basic message of this song is that Fat Joe and Lil Wayne like to throw stacks of money at strippers and make it look like its raining in the club, hence the title of the song. These rappers are portraying the lifestyles of young, rich, defiant rap artists. A portion of the lyrics in the chorus are, â€Å"Got a handful of stacks better grab an umbrella. I make it rain, I make it rain (Oh), Make it rain on them hoes†. This chorus is repeated multiple times throughout the entire song. This type of message and song does not fit in with the messages, goals, values and beliefs of the feminists movement and we see a clash between the music industry, specifically rap music, and the feminist movement before and after this song. Since the beginning of its art form rap music has been subject to scrutiny throughout its existence. In a Theresa Martinez reading from the semester, the author describes rap music as a resistance. She builds on a theory of oppositional culture that was composed by Bonnie Mitchell and Joe Feagin (1995). In this article, â€Å"POPULAR CULTURE AS OPPOSITIONAL CULTURE: Rap as Resistance†, Martinez explains how African Americans, American Indians, and Mexican Americans draw on their own cultural resources to resist oppression. She states that this very resistance to the dominate culture in turn, influences popular culture. She goes into detail on possible reasoning behind rap music and where the attitudes and beliefs stem from. She briefly touches on the topic of women in rap and where the attitudes come from. This article gave me a different way of looking at rap music as a whole and the influences of it. In a genre that has tried to bring light to many social issues such as poli ce brutality, poverty, healthcare, discrimination as well as others, I don’t fully understand why rap artists and record companies openly degrade and put women down. Martinez suggests that the misogyny of women can reflect ones family experience and/or structure as well as reflect the sexist American culture and music industry. This type of behavior and example that is being set for younger generations seems to undo all the positive messages and plights that was endured by generations and musicians before. Rap music with negative messages towards women, or anything negative, adds to stereotypes, puts an even bigger microscope over rap music and makes it more apt to criticism. Song and Dance Journal EssayWorks Cited Adams, Terri, and Douglas Fuller. The Words Have Changed but the Ideology Remains the Same: Misogynistic Lyrics in Rap Music. Journal of Black Studies. Sage Publications. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.  . Johnson, James D., Mike S. Adams, Leslie Ashburn, and William Reed. Differential Gender Effects of Exposure to Rap Music on African American Adolescents Acceptance of Teen Dating Violence. Sex Roles 33.7-8 (1995): 597-605. Print. Martinez, Theresa A. Popular Culture as Oppositional Culture: Rap as Resistance. Sociological Perspectives 40.2 (1997): 265-86. JSTOR. University of California Press. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.

The Rave Subculture Essays - Neurochemistry, Drug Culture

The Rave Subculture I walked into the dark room after paying the ten-dollar cover charge. The music was what I noticed first. It was very loud and made a ring linger in my ears. The music was house music, also known as techno or electronic music. The next thing I noticed was the people. The majority of them were young adults, anywhere from their late teens to early 20's. It wasn't the people I noticed so much, but how they were behaving. Most of them were dancing, but not just your typical dancing that you would see in most dance clubs. People were very close together and there was a lot of physical, euphoric interaction between them. They were dancing to the beat, almost together as one. Also moving the groove of the music were many lights of all different colors. Most people were dancing with glowsticks as well as other various kinds of lights. It was clear to me right away that the majority of the people inside the room were not sober but were under some kind of influence. I had walked into the world of the rave. It was a Saturday night in Jacksonville, Florida. I was at a club in the Downtown area called 618. It opens at 10 p.m., a time when most other places are getting ready to close. The patrons there however, were just getting their night started. I walked around the club, observing as I walked. I saw people hugging a lot, giving each other massages or giving each other light shows. I asked a girl what the light show was for. Her name was Sara and she replied, ?The lights look really cool when you're rolling.? Rolling is term most ravers use when are on the popular club drug ecstasy. Sara was 19 and dressed like a lot of the ravers I saw there. Loose shirts and baggy pants. She had jewelry on that looked almost like children's jewelry. She said kids there who wore that kind of apparel were called ?candie ravers? or ?candie kids?. Ecstasy pills are made of a compound called methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA. It's an old drug: Germany issued the patent for it in 1914 to the German company, E. Merck. It's chemists thought it could be a promising intermediary substance that might be used to help develop more advanced therapeutic drugs. It was not successful however and disappeared until 1953. That's when the U.S. Army funded an animal study of eight drugs, including MDMA. They were trying to find a lethal drug for use on soldiers during the cold war. They did not find it to be as toxic as they had hoped however and MDMA was forgotten once again. It wasn't until 1985 that it was outlawed and made a Class I substance, in the same category as heroin or LSD. By then, college-age people in Europe and India were taking the drug to enhance rave parties, where thousands of people danced to loud techno music. As years went by, MDMA got more and more popular, especially among users in their late teens and early 20's. The drug sells for $20 to $30 today in the United States. People who have taken the drug say the experience is a several-hour intense journey. All five senses are heightened. It's not uncommon for people to massage, touch and hug one another while ?rolling? to increase the pleasure. Some say it makes them happy and energetic. Others say MDMA releases their ?true selves?. I asked Sara how long she had been rolling and why she did it. ?I dropped my first pill around the middle of 1998. That first time was so awesome. It was like a whole new world that I'd never seen. Everything around you is just a hundred times better than when you are sober. The air you breathe feels good, just to breathe it. Your skin is really sensitive to touch. And it feels so good just to hug people because you just feel like you have to. It's like everyone here is a family and we are unified.? Then Sara reached over to me, grabbed me and gave me a very embracing hug. It caught me off guard and surprised me.

Should You Come Clean About Lying on Your Resume [INFOGRAPHIC]

Should You Come Clean About Lying on Your Resume [INFOGRAPHIC] We’ve all embellished our resumes from time to time. We’ve put down Excel proficiency knowing full well that the only thing we know how to do is copy and paste into a spreadsheet. We’ve listed ourselves as fluent in Spanish even though we barely passed high school Spanish (don’t judge me). But where do we draw the line between stretching the truth and lying? And when do you we come clean about lying on our resumes? If lying on your resume gets you the job but also gets you fired, is it really worth risking your professional reputation? Let’s take a gander at this infographic to get a better idea of when you should come clean about lying on your resume:Â   Source: [GQ]

How To Write One Of The Most Important Essays At College

How To Write One Of The Most Important Essays At College Helpful Tips on Writing a College Application Essay One of the most important college assignments is the college application essay. And this type of essays is absolutely different from all those you used to write throughout high school. It is not like a persuasive or argumentative essay, a college application essay allows you to be more creative and show yourself through writing. In this case, you will have to create not just a good essay but a really excellent one. But don’t be scared at once, everything is not that complicated. Thanks to the following guide, we are sure you will be able to master those skills as soon as possible. The Definition of a College Application Essay Sometimes, a college application essay is called an admissions essay, personal statement (statement), application essay, or purpose. The applicants are frequently asked to write several such essays, though some institutions might ask you to write just one. As a rule, you will be asked to complete just one question selected, though it’s possible to choose from several ones, too. The topics can be really specific or vice versa, very wide to write on. Most often, the essay statements are connected with three topics – talents of the applicant, the significance of the chosen area of expertise, and mutual benefits. If you are assigned a college application essay about the applicant’s talents, you should write about your life experience and why you are a serious candidate. You will have to share your dedication to art or sports, overcoming various obstacles, etc. If you are assigned a college application essay on the importance of the chosen field, you will have to share your academic pursuits and goals to show how ambitious you are. Mutual benefit questions should show why you would benefit from admission and why the college would benefit from such a student as you. Your main task is to give a unique answer to question and show your best sides. Format of a College Application Essay As a rule, college applications are being written online, so you will have to create your essay in a text box. At first, it is necessary to type it in Microsoft Word (or other compatible programs) and paste it to the text box. Make sure to check if everything is spaced properly to avoid various cutoffs. There is no certain structure set for formatting a college application essay. Some teachers insist that it’s necessary to follow the five-paragraph structure; however, it is not mandatory at all. Your essay has to be well-written and unique. And writing it in a five-paragraph structure won’t help you be accepted to college. Your essay should have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, it might consist of four, five, or even six paragraphs in total. All you need is not to forget about the word limit. How to Write a College Application Online Read the task and write down your ideas on paper. Here there is no need to restrict yourself, just let your ideas flow from your imagination and answer the question the best way possible. You might write your best answer from the very first idea, and it might take some time to think and choose the best answer. Keep in mind that the most unique, honest, and the attention-capturing answer will be the best one. Create a hook, which is the first sentence that will grab the reader’s attention and will be relevant to the prompt. Your essay doesn’t have to be one of the thousands of those essays the members of the admission committee read every day. It has to stand out from them all! For that reason, it is the most important sentence of your entire essay, while it promises your reader that the rest of the writing is really smart, interesting, and worth his or her time. Do not reply as hundreds of other applicants, but write something unpredictable, something vivid and something that will make your reader keep reading your writing. Once you have finished with the hook, it’s time to write an introductory paragraph, which will make the reader acquainted with the subject. The last sentence contains an overall thesis. You won’t have to prove the thesis here like when writing other types of essays. But a single point orbiting around is mandatory for a college application essay. If you are asked why the college will help you reach your goals, you will have to address this question in your introductory paragraph final sentence writing something like: In my opinion, this college will help me reach my top dream helping people by becoming a great dentist. However, it is not too unique and interesting. Instead, it’s better to write something like: I have always been concerned about human suffering, so I believe educating studying to become a dentist at such a great university is the best way to help people cope with their pain. Each body paragraph has to start from a very strong topic sentence and contain good examples to support your unique or life perspective. And your final paragraph has to link the reader to why you exactly need to study at that school. Create your first draft. Once you have your opening sentence, good outline, and an overall imagination of what you want to say in your body paragraphs, start to write. It would be perfect if you could take a one-hour or even more break and after that, read it again. When rereading your draft, you should underline everything that seems too weak to you, eliminate the repetitions and misspellings. The draft should flow very smoothly and sound engaging, so can rewrite it as many times as necessary. Now you can ask your family member, friend, or any other trusted person to read it and give their feedback. Ask for honest feedback from them, so they could tell you exactly what part is weak or boring. If necessary, make revisions. Now you can even put it away for a couple of days and only then reread it. once you feel comfortable with it, you can submit it online. Topics for Your College Application Online As a rule, students are being assigned a particular topic, but sometimes they may ask you to choose from five or seven topics. There are even cases when the college asks you to write on your own topic you feel comfortable with. Below, there are some topics to choose from and make them your own: Describe the biggest challenge you’ve overcome. What was your biggest failure and what lesson you took from it? Have you ever disappointed someone you love or care for and what lesson you took from it? What profession do you consider to be the noblest and why? They say every family is weird. What about yours? How the weirdness of your family made you grow into a better person? Who of the public figures you would like to interview and why? What lesson did you take from one of your flaws? What childhood memory embodies the best who you are today? What social issue is the most compelling for you and why? Is there any law you would like to change? Why? Conclusion The college application essay is one of the most challenging and important assignments for any student. And an average student often finds it very complicated and scary. And it happens for some good reasons, while a great essay will open lots of doors for you. If you are not sure about having good skills to write your best college application essay, you can use our tips and make them yours, as well as read some of the college application essay examples to get a better idea of how it’s better to create the essay of your life. Remember that your future might depend on your college application essay, so it’s necessary to put some efforts and get some special skills to show your best self to the commission!

The core marketing concepts and various elements of marketing process Essay

The core marketing concepts and various elements of marketing process adopted by Apple - Essay Example Apple is one of the most successful companies of the current world in the electronic industry (O'Grady 2009, p.5). In fact, the company has witnessed tremendous growth since 1984 becoming a household name. All these are attributed to the marketing concepts and processes it adopted in order to reach its targeted customers. Gill Amello, the former CEO of the company pointed out that Apple’s marketing concepts are based on the scarcity and social proof powers (O'Grady 2009, p.5). In this regard, in order for the company to reach its intended customers, it adopted the ‘Golden Circle† marketing strategy, which entailed the why, how, and what. The â€Å"why† implies that everything that Apple do is aimed at changing the status quo and thinking differently from the rest of the competitors. The â€Å"how† pertains to the products manufactured by the company. In this regard, Apple has been at the forefront in making quality and beautifully designed products, w hich are user friendly to the customers. This has seen the company outcompete many of its rivals in the industry. The â€Å"what† has to do with the computers, in which the company has ensured that all its computers are of high quality and affordable to its customers according to O'Grady (2009, p.6). Apple has also used technology as its main marketing tool targeted at reaching the early adopters who then markets the products to the rest of the people (O'Grady 2009, p.7). This concept is termed the Law of Diffusion of Innovation. To achieve this, Apple has a team of experts that analyzes the needs, wants of customers, and adopts innovative technology in accordance with their needs. This has been witnessed in the popular iPhone and iPads, which have indeed changed the world. With these technologies, Apple has made it clear to its customers that no other competitor can match it in terms of quality and value for money (O'Grady 2009, p.7). However, once the products have reached the early adopters, these customers do the rest by spreading the good news about Apple’s products to the rest of the world. Source: O'Grady, J.D. (2009), Apple Inc. West Port, CT: ABC-CLIO. Thirdly, Apple believes that the key to success lies on being different from other players in the market while at the same time understating the needs and wants of customers. Apple is one of the companies that have faced many challenges over the past decade as was witnessed in the failure of Macs to catch in an industry dominated by PC. The failure was attributed to the fact that the engineers and developers of Macs assumed that they knew the needs of customers, which was not the case. Apple changed the situation towards the end of 1990s with the introduction of iMac, which came in several beautiful colors. This resonated well with the needs of customers, thereby seeing its sales go up. In addition, iMacs was also well received by customers because getting into the internet with it was qui te easy and faster as opposed to the Mac. This is because iMac only needs a plug in to the line of the phone, a feature, which did entice internet users (O'Grady 2009, p.9). Apple also considered tapping into a new market by introducing new inventions that are more efficient and cost effective to customers. It is noted that by the time apple was introducing the iPod in the market, there was already the mp3 player. This gave iPod a lot of competition for customers. Therefore,

Bible As Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bible As Literature - Essay Example It is also very rich in literary forms that can develop a student's appreciation and analysis of literature. The study of the bible can also help students practice their respect for each other's beliefs by analyzing the books within an impartial academic context that sets aside emotionality. Studying the bible can be very beneficial to students not only for learning about literature but also about life in general. Any legal or educational system builds its foundations from a set of moral values. In fact, Harvard, Yale and Princeton were schools established to teach young men to be pastors and America's children were once generally schooled with the Christian moral values that upheld respect for authority figures like parents and disapproval of sin. ("Cause and Effect," n.d.) Studying the bible as literature can help students identify, appreciate, and implement moral values that can be very beneficial not only to them but to the country itself. regarding the authenticity of the story of creation but the narration about the life of its characters provide clues as to how man had lived in the past. If the genealogy of its characters is to be examined, the bible's information dates back to 4223 years before Jesus Christ was born. (Petrie, n.d.) Its pages write about the culture and beliefs of people who lived through many different eras that can help students appreciate history. There is a great chance that more people have heard about the bible but not read it yet if one turns to the printed text as a shaper of reading, one can truly go further. (Norton, 2000, p. 78) People frequently read the bible in religious perspective yet many artistic forms of writing abound in it. The bible is rich in similes, metaphors, metonymy, synecdoche, personification, anthropomorphism, apostrophes, ironies, hyperboles, euphemisms, litotes, pleonasm, ellipses, zeugma, aposiopesis, allegories, riddles, symbols, narratives, tragedies, poetry, parallelisms, oratories, epistles, etc. Throughout the books of the bible, students can read many samples of literary forms that can help hone their skills in analysis of literature. ("Literary Forms in the bible," n.d.) Studying the bible as literature can help students appreciate their religious differences without emotional involvement. Many different religions have interpreted the bible in their own perspectives and these analyses have even lead to the birth of many other religious sects. Should the bible be studied for its moral values and literary form, students can learn to respect diversity because the books are treated academically instead of spiritually which can be very personal. Teaching Through the bible One of the problems encountered by some students today reveals some professors who cannot help themselves from using the course on bible literature to impose their own religious beliefs. The bible must remain as a learning tool by ensuring that professors are impartial to it. The National Council on Bible Curriculum's web site

Essay on Weimar Germany Essay Example for Free

Essay on Weimar Germany Essay Weimar: Destined for Failure by a Weak Constitution and Poor Popular Support? A thread that runs throughout many analyses of the legacy of theWeimar Republic contains the idea that the fledgling German democracy was somehow doomed from the start. With a constitution that contained items such as Article 48 – a constitutional provision that permitted the Weimar President to rule by decree without the consent of the Reichstag – and a clause that allowed the Reichskanzler to assume office in the event of the death of the President, there were certainly structural inadequacies that, in hindsight, may not have been the wisest choices by the framers of the Weimar Constitution. Craig took aim at the consttutional inclusion of proportional representation (Verhaltniswahlrecht) in elections to the Reichstag, arguing that the resultant plethora of German political parties â€Å"made for an inherent instability that manifested itself in what appeared to the bemused spectator to be a continuous game of musical chairs† in the near-constant shuffling of Weimar coalitions and ministries. Eyck described the enormous number of political parties under proportional representation as â€Å"these many cooks [who] brought forth a broth which was neither consistent nor clear. † Mommsen, however, disagreed that proportional representation was a root cause of Weimar political instability, calling Verhaltniswahlrecht â€Å"at most a symptom† of the problems, and adding that the â€Å"reluctance to assume political responsibility† by Weimar political parties was the source of instability. Left: Weimar President Friedrich Ebert Other historians have pointed to the seeming lack of enthusiasm many Germans felt for the new government as contributing to a â€Å"doomed† Weimar. Erdmann argued that Germans faced a difficult dilemma in 1918-1919, faced with the choices of â€Å"social revolution in alliance with the forces pressing for a proletarian dictatorship,† or â€Å"a parliamentary republic in alliance with conservative elements such as the old officer corps. McKenzie, while acknowledging that the new Republic did not have broad support, nonetheless maintained that the motivations of most Germans remained simply â€Å"the restoration of law and order and return to peacetime conditions. † Fritzsche, arguing against the idea that Germans were anti-democratic, argued that â€Å"the hostile defamations of the president of the republic were as indicative of democratization as the presidency of the good-willed Fritz Ebert himself. Brecht disputed the notion that Germans, as a people, have somehow always been totalitarian, and cautioned against such the creation of such simplistic stereotypes to exlain the failure of Weimar democracy: †¦nothing can be more devious than the opinion that the Germans have always been totalitaran and that the democratic regime served only as a camouflage to conceal this fundamental fact. The overwhelming majority of the people at the end of the imperial period and during the democratic regime were distinctly anti-totalitarian and anti-fascist in both their ideas and principles. The rise of a culture of political violence in Weimar Germany should certainly be considered as a contributory factor in the Republic’s political instability. Beginning with the emergence of the Freikorps units immediately after the declaration of the Republic, this tendency toward violence became entrenched in Weimar politics after the 1919 assassinations of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. Evans argued that â€Å"gun battles, assassinations, riots, massacres, and civil unrest† prevented Germans from possessing the â€Å"stability in which a new democratic order could flourish. Moreover, noted Evans, all major political parties employed groups of armed loyalists whose purposes were to protect their political compatriots and to contribute to the waging of low-grade civil war: Before long, political parties associated themselves with armed and uniformed squads, paramilitary troops whose task it was to provide guards at meetings, impress the public by marching in military parades, and to intimidate, beat up, and on occasion kill members of the paramilitary units associated with other political parties. Thus, the rise of militant extremists such as the NSDAP should viewed within the context of the Weimar history of political paramilitary forces as a â€Å"normal† phenomenon. Groups such as the Stahlhelm, the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, and the Rotfrontkampferbund had memberships much higher than did the Ordnertruppen in the early to mid-1920s, and the rise of the Sturmabteilung as the muscle behind the NSDAP reflects the recognition by the Nazis of the unwritten rules of politics in Weimar Germany. Weimar Culture and Challenges to Tradition The personal freedoms often associated with Weimar culture – whether seen as an inevitable, pendulum-like reaction after decades of Wilhelmine authoritarianism, or as a flowering of postwar expression – led to a period of unparalleled vibrancy in literature, the arts, architecture, and philosophy. Kolb described the period as â€Å"the eruption of a new vitality, the liberation of creative forces in a short decade of unbounded intellectual and artistic freedom. Moreover, the Weimar period witnessed significant leaps forward in the emancipation of women, and it is not without considerable merit that many pundits have described Weimar Germany as the first modern culture. Left: Image of cabaret production of the Haller Revue in Berlin Yet these sudden cultural changes were far from being universally accepted by the average German, and groups on the right as well as the left decried what was perceived by many as the power of destructive internal forces. Leftists tended to focus on the bourgeois infatuation with base materialism, while many conservatives believed that republican Germany was becoming a morally decrepit nation. Hitler himself played off such sentiments in his speeches, using widespread perceptions of decadence and disaffection with modernity as springboards for his anti-Marxist and anti-Semitic philosophies. In his first public speech after accepting the post of Reichskanzler, Hitler blasted those whom he believed to have quickly led Germany to moral decay: Communism with its method of madness is making a powerful and insidious attack upon our dismayed and shattered nation. It seeks to poison and disrupt in order to hurl us into an epoch of chaos. This negative, destroying spirit spared nothing of all that is highest and most valuable. Beginning with the family, it has undermined the very foundations of morality and faith and scoffs at culture and business, nation and Fatherland, justice and honor. Fourteen years of Marxism have ruined Germany; one year of bolshevism would destroy her. Chief among the evidence for the supposed moral decline cited by contemprary critics of Weimar culture was the open sexual freedom proclaimed by many younger Germans, especially in the larger cities. Berlin, in particular, became something of an international destination for people seeking its wide variety of sexual subcultures. Henig argued that the â€Å"bright lights and avant-garde cultural attraction of Berlin incurred the hostility of traditional communities in rural areas. † The Weimar era, maintained Mommsen, was a period â€Å"that was characterized by the tension between extreme modernity in a few cultural centers and the relatve backwardness of life in the provinces. † Kolb noted that â€Å"confrontation in cultural matters still further exacerbated the basic political discord among Germans in the Weimar period. Lacqueur observed that many German artists were seemingly clueless of just how far removed their work was from the sensibilities of the average German citizen: Strange as it may appear in retrospect, they were genuinely unaware of the fact that the distance between the avant-garde and popular taste had grown immeasurably and that the dctrines preached by the right were much more in line with popular taste. Those who emphasize the cultural decadence of Weimar Germany, of course, run the risk of sounding prudish, or even worse, as apologists for the fascist regime that followed the demise of the Weimar Republic. Still, it is important to note that the perception of moral decay by many comtemporary Germans – on both the political right and left – was a contributing factor in the moving away from mainstream political parties by German voters and toward extremist factions such as the NSDAP and KDP. Combined with political instability and – most importantly – deleterious economic conditions, the concerns of many Germans about moral decline and social decay began to be expressed in the electoral results of 1930-32 and the eventual collapse of the republic-supporting Weimar Coalition. Hyperinflation, Depression, and Politcial Opportunity One of the consistent themes that underscores the period of Weimar Germany is that of economic instability, and the economic calamities that occurred throughout the history of the Republic mirror periods of political upheaval. The Weimar government, at various times, faced food shortages, hyperinflation, massive unemployment, and an unprecedented economic depression, and any analysis of the failures of democracy in Weimar Germany needs to take into account these inherently disruptive economic phenomena. Craig succinctly summed up the economic problems facing the new republic with this comment: â€Å"Its normal state was crisis. † Left: German children playing with worthless banknotes in 1923 The debts incurred by the German government during the war and the economic downturn that followed the transition away from a wartime economy weighed down the fledgling Weimar Republic. Industrial production in 1919, noted Evans, was only 42 percent of what it had been in 1913, and grain production had fallen by over 50 percent from prewar figures. These economic factors, however, paled in comparison with the effects of the reparations demanded and received by the Allies in the Versailles negotiations. In addition, Germany suffered significant territorial losses as a result of Versailles, including Alsace-Lorraine, West Prussia, Posen, Upper Silesia, and the Saar. The terms of the Treaty called for the new German government to make an initial payment of 20 billion gold marks to the Allies by May, 1921, and the Reparations Commission eventually settled on a total reparations bill to Germany of 132 billion gold marks. John Maynard Keynes – a participant in the Versailles negotiations – accurately predicted that the onerous terms of the Treaty of Versailles were far beyond the means of the new republic: The policy of reducing Germany to servitude for a generation, of degrading the lives of millions of human beings, and of depriving a whole nation of happiness should be abhorrent and detestable,—abhorrent and detestable, even if it were possible, even if it enriched ourselves, even if it did not sow the decay of the whole civilized life of Europe. The initial German economic losses due to the Treaty of Versailles were staggering. Germany lost about 13. 5 percent of its territory, approximately 13 percent of its industrial productivity, and slightly more than 10 percent of its population. In addition, the loss of important mining areas such as the Saar and Upper Silesia resulted in a loss of 74 percent of German iron ore, 41 percent of the country’s pig iron supplies, and approximately 25 percent of its coal reserves. Historians and economists have long debated the actual effects of the Treaty of Versailles on economic conditions in Weimar Germany. Fraser argued that the Treaty â€Å"was in no sense the unjust and cynical imposition that the propagandists alleged it to have been. † Eyck held that many Germans believed â€Å"that they had been duped by the armistice,† and that the effect of the heavy reparations served mostly to reinforce the Dolchsto? legende. Craig argued that the economic conditions that followed the burden of the reparations bills resulted in ordinary Germans suffering â€Å"deprivations that shattered their faith in the democratic process and left them cynical and alienated. Kolb noted that most of the reparations that were paid ultimately were sent by the debtor nations of Britain and France to the United States, which in turn reinvested this capital in the German economy. Webb called into question the very process of analyzing post-Treaty German economics, arguing that the effects of inflation in the early 1920s make calculations especially difficult, as inflation â€Å"altered the real va lue of all financial flows and confounded their measurement. † Yet it would be naive to dismiss the idea that reparations payments were a heavy burden on the new Weimar government. With a sputtering economy, high unemployment, and weak tax revenues, the government of Ebert found itself trying to balance the needs of German citizens with the additional debt load from the reparations bills. Moreover, to a German population that was experiencing widespread poverty and food shortages – not to mention the wartime sacrifices – reparations that were being sent to recent wartime enemies came as a shock.

Manipulation of Truth in Oliver Stones JFK Essay -- essays research p

Manipulation of Truth in Oliver Stone's JFK   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oliver Stone is a master of manipulation. Being an expert in the art of directing, Stone is able to make an audience believe whatever he wishes. In the 1991 film JFK, Oliver Stone manipulates facts in order to convey a fictional conspiracy involving the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The Zapruder film and the magic bullet theory are two facts that Stone employs to trick the audience into believing his fabricated tale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stone unfolds this film through the eyes of Jim Garrison, the district attorney of New Orleans, who believes that there is more to the assassination than what has been presented in the past. Although three years have gone by since the conclusion of the trial, Garrison feels personally obligated to uncover classified information that will prove a complex government coup d'etat. Garrison's idea that the United States government is somehow related to Kennedy's assassination is first seen in the opening of the film. Stone flashes scenes from the Zapruder film (an eight millimeter live video of the shooting) where he mutes the original audio sounds and replaces them with ceremonial music, representative of the United States government. Being that the Zapruder film is a piece of documented evidence; a general audience does not question its validity. This replacement of sound is a conscious attempt to foreshadow the conclusion that Stone wants the audience to come to at the end of the film. By linking together visual images of the assassination with military music, Stone sends a subliminal message that two are somehow related. In reality, this connection is nothing more than a fictional interpretation contrived by Oliver Stone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Where does reality end and fiction begin in Garrison's conspiracy theory? This is a question that one must ask themselves before viewing the final episode of JFK. The final element of the movie is made up of an intense and captivating courtroom scene. It is here where Garrison culminates the entirety of his speculations and presents them in front of a court of law. Are Garrison's suppositions valid, or is it the way in which he presents these conjectures that makes them appear to be true? Garrison's passionate and charismatic rhetoric makes his accusations exce... ... righteousness in the name of their former president. Testimonies from witness present at the assassination, in reality, do not exist. Because of the emotional high being experienced, viewers do not take the time to separate what is fact in Garrison's testimony from what is fiction. Stone successfully uses his final presentation of the factual Zapruder film to coerce a majority of both audiences into believing his contrived tale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oliver Stone incorporates facts such as the Zapruder film and the magic bullet theory into his 1991 film, JFK. This film is not intended to be a documentary, but rater a persuasive work of art that uses facts in order to convey fiction. Being a master of manipulation, Stone is able to alter the way in which he presents these facts, causing viewers to believe that there is a conspiracy involving the Kennedy assassination. By using techniques such as replacement of sound and repetition of footage, Oliver Stone forces viewers to make false connections and experience intense emotions. Through careful manipulation of evidence in JFK, Stone successfully persuades a majority of viewers to believe an ultimately fictional conspiracy.

Disruptions of Meanings in Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby”

Despite its brevity Kate Chopin’s â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† offers a rich account of the disruptions of meaning within literary texts. Such disruptions were achieved by Chopin through the use of Desiree Aubigny. The possibility of such is evident if one considers that Desiree Aubigny [as the main protagonist] enabled a more complex understanding of the meanings embedded within the concepts of race, sex, and class. In lieu of this, what follows is an analysis of Desiree Aubigny in Kate Chopin’s â€Å"Desiree’s Baby†. In this drama of misinterpretations, Desiree undermines certainty about the ability to read signs [e. . skin color] as clear evidence about how to categorize people. The disruption culminates when Desiree, whom everyone considers white, has a baby boy who looks partly black. When she is rejected by her husband, Armand, she takes the infant, disappears into the bayou, and does not return. Armand later finds out, however, that he himsel f is black, on his mother's side. This, though unintentional has devastated him by means of these two surprises, one concerning her supposed race and one concerning his own. In order to fully understand this, it is necessary to present an analysis of how the story unfolds. The story takes place in an antebellum Creole community ruled by institutions based on apparently clear dualities [master over slave, white over black, and man over woman]. Complacently deciphering the unruffled surface of this symbolic system, the characters feel confident that they know who belongs in which category and what signifies membership in each category. It is important to note that within the story the aforementioned dualities parallel each other as critiques of their hierarchical structures. Within this system of race, sex, and class, the most complacent representative is Armand Aubigny. Confident that he is a white, a male, and a master, he feels in control of the system. However, such confidence will later be challenged by his wife Desiree. In order to understand how his wife challenged the hierarchical representation of signification [and hence that of meaning], we must take a closer look at the surprises that Armand encounters. The tale begins with a flashback about Desiree’s childhood and courtship. She was a foundling adopted by childless Madame and Monsieur Valmonde. Like a queen and king in a fairy tale, they were delighted by her mysterious arrival and named her Desiree. It is important to note that Desiree means â€Å"the wished-for one† or â€Å"the desired one†. Desiree in this sense was depicted like a fairy-tale princess who â€Å"grew to be beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere,-the idol of Valmonde† (Chopin, 1995, p. 160). When she grew up, she was noticed by Armand, the dashing owner of a nearby plantation. He fell in love immediately and married her. She â€Å"loved him desperately. When he frowned she trembled, but loved him. When he smiled, she asked no greater blessing of God† (Chopin, 1995, p. 162). They were not to live happily ever after, however. Thus occurs the initial subversion of meaning resulting from the reversal of the accustomed â€Å"happy ending† that usually concludes such fairy tales. It is important to note that the short story initially started with the depiction of the figures [Desiree and Armand] in such a fashion as that of fairy tale figures despite of such an initial description and depiction of their situation, the ending [or rather the later parts of the story] shows that such an ending as that which is warranted by such stories which takes the aforementioned form [fairy tale stories] was to be subverted within the aforementioned tale. Soon after the story proper opens, Armand meets with the first surprise. He, other people, and finally Desiree see something unusual in her infant son's appearance. She asks her husband what it means, and he replies, â€Å"It means . . . that the child is not white; it means that you are not white† (Chopin, 1995, p. 163). Desiree writes Madame Valmonde a letter pleading that her adoptive mother deny Armand's accusation. The older woman cannot do so but asks Desiree to come home with her baby. When Armand tells his wife he wants her to go, she takes the child and disappears forever into the bayou. Thus, Armand's first surprise comes when he interprets his baby's appearance to mean that the child and its mother are not white. What seemed white now seems black. Desiree, with the child she has brought Armand, has apparently uncovered a weakness in her husband's ability to decipher the symbols around him. Ironically, Desiree's power comes from the fact that she seems malleable. Into an established, ostensibly secure system, she came as a child apparently without a past. As a wild card, to those around her the girl appeared blank, or appeared to possess nonthreatening traits such as submissiveness. Desiree seemed to invite projection [as Madame Valmonde’s desired child, Armand’s desired wife]. Both [Madame Valmonde and Armand], however, deceived themselves into believing they could safely project their desires onto Desiree, the undifferentiated blank slate. Actually, however, her blankness should be read as a warning about the fragility of representation. One aspect of Desiree’s blankness is her initial namelessness. As a foundling, she has lost her original last name and has received one that is hers only by adoption. Even foundlings usually receive a first name of their own, but in a sense, Desiree also lacks that, for her first name merely reflects others individuals’ desires. In addition, namelessness has a particularly female cast in this society, since women, including Desiree, lose their last name at marriage. Namelessness connotes not only femaleness but also blackness in antebellum society, where white masters can deprive black slaves of their names. Although Desiree’s namelessness literally results only from her status as a foundling and a married woman, her lack of a name could serve figuratively as a warning to Armand that she might be black. Concerning sex, race, and class, Desiree upsets systems of meaning but-by failing to connect the personal with the political-stops short of attacking hierarchical power structures. Disruption of meaning could lead to, and may be necessary for, political disruption, but Desiree does not take the political step. Instead of attacking the meaningfulness of racial difference as a criterion for human rights, Desiree takes a more limited step as she reveals that racial difference is more difficult to detect than is commonly supposed [e. g. through physical traits]. In this view, suffering can result if people classify each other too hastily or if, having finished the sorting process, people treat their inferiors cruelly. However, the system of racial difference, with its built-in hierarchy, persists. In this system, superiority is still meaningful; the only difficulty lies in detecting it. The importance of Chopin’s aforementioned story is thereby evident if one considers that it presents three reasons [unconsciousness, negativeness, and lack of solidarity] to help explain why Desiree does reveal her society's lack of knowledge but fails to change its ideological values, much less its actual power hierarchies. She poses so little threat to the dominant power structures that she holds a relatively privileged position for most of her life. Yet subversiveness need not be bound so tightly to traits such as unconsciousness that makes it self-limiting. Desiree’s existence as enabling the subversion of meaning must thereby be taken seriously if one is to consider that Chopin through the aforementioned character and her story enabled to show that explicit meanings although necessary are not sufficient means for understanding the underlying conditions implicit in existence. In a sense, Desiree serves as a reminder for individuals to continually consider what lies beneath the implicit assumptions that generates meanings [and hence stereotypes or modes of classification] within society.

Abortion: the most controversial issues in America

Nina Emmrich English 1 Abortion Guy Thorvaldsen 14, April 14, 2013 Abortion, this is one of the most controversial issues in America. It’s been an issue for over 200 years. In 1973 it was protected under law. But today it isn’t. Most American’s believe that it’s a sin to have an abortion while others see it as a choice to do it. There have been many legal cases against and also for abortion. Many have won but many have lost. This issue will never end. It will always be an argument. By having an abortion the mother is killing and innocent child who has no say in it.The family and father should also have a say in it as well. A little before the 1800’s states practiced some form of the English Common Law which happened to also lack codification. Abortion and unwed pregnancy didn’t exist in this time period. Finding the history of abortion is more difficult than people can imagine because there aren’t very many records of it to go off of. Starting in the 1600’s, there was the first conviction of the intent to abort a child. This went down in the state of Maryland, and then four years later another girl was arrested for murder because she had an abortion.This also happened in Maryland, but that case was dropped after the woman married the only witness who of course refused to testify. Another case that happened was in 1710 where Virginia Law made it a capital crime to be pregnant and then be found with a dead baby. In 1719 Delaware made it that anyone who counseled abortion or even infanticide an accessory to murder. According to Olasky’s notes â€Å"infanticide was probably the most frequent way of killing unwanted, illegitimate children†. â€Å"Abortifacients were known to and used in the early America.But by using them â€Å"was like playing Russian roulette with three bullets in the chamber†. So already there are beginning to make it a crime to have abortions. (abort73. com) There are many key factors that went into the process of deciding a case. They didn’t always have specific legislation for abortion and infanticide, those who did happened to have the same problem. It was impossible to have the right evidence to convict someone, and even more so pregnancy was hard to confirm. There was never a corpse or a witness to prove it. But on the bright side there was a great deal of the ury that had sympathy for the abandoned and desperate woman. Either way there was a lot of non-legislative factors that had been working against infanticide and abortion. A major factor was that the man should â€Å"act honorably† and propose to the women if he got her pregnant before they were married. (abort73. com) To give more to the influence of the society was the religious and scientific community. They condemned abortion both for how the bible speaks of an unborn child and also for the well-known testimony of church pillars like John Calvin who forbade abortion.Fr om the 1600’s-1800’s the scientific community believed that babies actually existed before they were conceived. This was also another anti-abortion influence. The difficulty confirming pregnancy before quickening made early abortions almost impossible, and late term abortions ruined marriage prospects, and were extremely dangerous. (Abort73. com pg. 2) There’s more to the history than just the community. Lawmakers had to start dealing with abortion in the late 1800’s. It was 1821 when the first abortion legislation had passes in Connecticut.The lawmakers everywhere else tried to keep up. New York legislation changed on abortion 10 times between 1828 and 1881. (Abort73. com) Abortion should be illegal. When women have abortions they are killing innocent children. It’s a sin to do so. Of course it’s a choice of the mother but what about the family. What about the father? Don’t they have a say in what happens to their child. As America g rew and expanded, most of the support mechanisms that helped provide for women during their crisis pregnancies had begun to want.The increase in social isolation and separation through urbanization had removed the societal and familial safety net for pregnant and non-married women had to fall back on. The concealment of a women’s pregnancy alone with smothering the baby after it was born was then considered a choice. Therefore abortion was beginning to get a foothold, but it was still not considered legitimate or legal. The frequency of was increasing as more young women found alone and pregnant. Dr. John Trader of Missouri stated that â€Å"contended that men were (the ones) pushing women into abortion†.So it goes to show that the men are also part of the abortion’s happening. (abort73. com) Slowly the opposition of abortion began to lose a lot of its moral framework. In the med. Books abortion was beginning to be counseled against for the potential risks as it had been presented to many women instead of the life being destroyed. It was said that â€Å"the right to destroy† became the central belief to a women named Margaret Sanger. She began to expose it in publicity. She would celebrate the virtue of sexual promiscuity and she would attack any women’s shelter.She then would have gone on to fount Planned Parenthood which still today remains the largest abortion provider in the United States. The government funding was required to remove all religious indoctrination and professional social workers replaced the evangelically-oriented matrons. The compassion shifted from helping to do what is right to doing whatever people feel like doing. (abort73. com) The birth control issue split the pro-life community for many years and hamstrung their efforts during the crucial 1960’s. (abort73. om) In the year of 1962 there were reports of a women who died form and illegal abortion and she was then cut into pieces which had horri fied the entire nation. Sherri Finkbine became famous women for having an abortion in Sweden because she was worried that her child was going to be disabled. An average American had begun to see illegal abortion instead of abortion itself as the real problem. In the year of 1967 Colorado and California became the first states to legalize abortions for only pregnancies that resulted in rape, incest, or pregnancies that threatened the life of a women as well as a pregnancy of a severely handicapped child.Then within the next three years, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina and Virginia soon followed. Then in 1970 New York became one of the first states to offer unrestricted abortion, but only during the first 24 weeks of the women’s pregnancy. Then in 1971 the Roe v. Wade case came to trial. The verdict was decided in 1973 which was that all state laws regulating abortion were strict. And the demand became the law of the land. So as you can see that abortion had a lot of history in front of it, but does it still make it right for it to be legal?Some believe that abortion should only be legal for certain reasons, such as Rape victims. While many disagree with this option there are many who do agree. A woman who was raped and is carrying the rapist baby should have the right to decide what she would like to do with the baby. It's not the court's decision it's hers. It's been a woman's right since the Roe V. Wade case that abortion is legal. This caused an outrage. There were protests out on the steps of the courthouse where people were screaming that they are allowing woman to kill innocent children.And they have a point too. Killing a child when they have no say in it is considered murder to some people. Anytime you kill a human being is murder so how is this any different. A woman in the army was 19 and was in an abusive relationship and he had gotten her pregnant. She didn’t want to tell him. She was called a whore, a tramp and embarrassment to her family. They told her to come home and discuss it as a family. Well little did she know they had made an appointment for her to get an abortion. No matter what she said it was all wrong.Her oldest brother whom she respected wouldn’t even talk to her he was so ashamed of her. Her family kept telling her to get an abortion but she was against it. The argument lasted 3 hours and finally she went to bed. But her family wouldn't leave her alone until she made a decision. She was denied food that night and when she awoke the next morning she was denied food as well. So she finally gave in and they drove her to the clinic. She had the abortion and she saw a 16 year old girl in there and she hugged her and they cried together.Her parents as well as her brothers never apologized for their actions. Her take away from this experience is that she can be compassionate to young teens that have made the horrible choice of having an abortion. She is now 47, married with 2 children and adopting a third. This story shows that there is regret to getting an abortion. She never stopped thinking of her first child. She told her now 21 year old daughter who had gotten pregnant 19 about what happened and her granddaughter is now one year old. There will always be that regret of having a child. (abort73. om) There was a case called Roe v. Wade. This was a case between a single pregnant that brought a class action challenge to the constitutionality of the Texas criminal abortion laws by procuring or attempting an abortion on medical terms for the mother. A licensed physician named Hallford who had to cases pending against him was somehow permitted to intervene. A married couple who were unable to bare a child separately attacked the laws as well based on alleged injury from the failure of contraceptives, pregnancy as well as impairment of the wife's health.Roe and Hallford were standing to sue and presented justiciable controversies. The court decided to that the abortion status void as vague as those plaintiff's Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments. The District Court granted declaratory relief to Roe and Hallford. It was then decided in 1973 that the Court's ruled that the Texas criminal abortion statures are unconstitutional. (Cornell. edu) There are places that do abortions. These are called abortion clinics. The main one that is most popular is Planned Parenthood. These places should not exist.Allowing young teens to come in and murder their child is wrong. In the case Planned Parenthood v. Casey the Supreme Court considered a Pennsylvania law that imposed the regulations on abortion. This case was not directly connected to Roe v. Wade. Although the Court didn't contend that Roe v. Wade was a correct application of reasoned judgment. In extreme arrogance the Court declared â€Å"where the performance of its judicial duties, the Court decides the case in such way a s to resolve the sort of intensely divisive controversy reflected in Roe and those rare comparable cases†¦.Contending sides of a national controversy to end their national division by accepting a common mandate rooted in the constitution. † In this case Planned Parenthood because of the case Roe v. Wade and how abortion is legal because it's a national law. (Lifenews. com) There are so many reasons as to why abortion should not be legal but we have to look at the other side of the picture. We have to look at reasons why is should be legal and the reasons behind that. The big reason is Rape victims. Why should they have to carry the rapist's baby. They should have every right to get rid of it.And with abortion being legal they can. To them it's not a sin. They are getting rid of something that was part of a horror that they went through. They have the right to decide and to them they aren’t doing the wrong thing they are doing the right thing. No one can stop them. They have the freedom to choose. Abortion is used for many different reasons. Those reasons can be that the mother was raped and didn’t want to keep the child or if they didn’t abort the mother would die. These are two serious reasons as to why some people are for abortion.It can save someone's life when it comes to the decision of life or death. Or it could be the free release from something tragic that happened to someone. Abortion isn't all bad in some ways. Those two reasons are important to some people. A mother who doesn't want to carry a rapist's baby shouldn't have to. And if the child is killing the mother and abortion is the only way to save her life then do it. There are medical reasons to do abortions. Not just personal. Not only is it the mother's decision but it should also be the father's decision as well.He should have a right to decide whether the baby lives or not. He helped create it. It's unfair to think that he will never be able to see is child be cause the mother aborted it without him knowing. It's unfair. Every father should have the right of say in what happens to his child. Then there's the issue of the family. The family should also have a say in what happens as well. They can help take care of the baby. Be there for the mother. Help her along the way. Help her, guide her. Give her and the baby love. They will be there for. The mother should want that, should have that.The families are supposed to be there for their children. Love them no matter what happens to them. They will love their grandchildren just the same. So they should have a right of say as well. They will help guide the mother through the tough times. They will be there for her and the child, no matter what. So with all that history and all that information, have you come to a conclusion as to whether you are for or against it. You should be against it. It's murder. Killing an innocent child is just wrong. Everyone has the right to do as they please but in common sense it's the worst thing you could do.There are other options like keeping the baby or giving it up for adoption. Why kill the baby when you can give it life. Give it a home, a place to eat, sleep, live and be happy. Or give it to a family whose always wanted a child but could never have one of their own. Give that baby a future. Don’t kill it. It deserves to live. Everyone deserves to live. Not die. It's wrong. So with all this information, I hope you've made the right decision as to whose side you're on. Killing an innocent child is wrong, and it needs to be stopped.

The Evolution of Citizenship essays

The Evolution of Citizenship essays As citizens living in the 21st century, we take for granted the rights and freedoms we have. We dont think about and cherish the freedoms and rights we have as citizens, which many people had to fight for. Citizenship today has changed from that almost 300 years ago. The concept of citizenship is a fairly recent invention. Being a citizen use to mean you had to do whatever the government ordered you to do, which for most people was pay outrageous taxes. This changed in the 1700s when John Locke when he had the idea that individuals should be put ahead of the government and that citizens have the right to life, liberty, and the protection of property. John Lockes ideas served as a reason for future revolutions. The next revolution that had a big impact on citizenship was the Industrial revolution (1750 1900). This led not only to the rise of organized labor, but the rights of employees. Employers were giving their employees shorter work hours, and benefits for their families. Both the Apartheid (1980s) and the Civil rights movement (1960s) helped improve the rights and freedoms for blacks all over the world. Also in 1982 we had the Constitution Act in Canada. The constitution outlined the rules of how the government (federal and provincial) should operate. The Constitution Act also included the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For that last century we have had many rights and freedoms (the BNA Act) but for the first time in our history there are written down and protected by this constitution. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is the ending point for the rights that we now have as a Canadian citizen. As you can see, citizenship is actually a fairly recent invention and we have many people in history to thank for the rights and freedoms we now have as Canadian citizens. ...

5 Steps to Quitting the Right Way

5 Steps to Quitting the Right Way Sometimes it’s just time to part ways from a job that is no longer working out. It’s time for you to take your job to a nice dinner, and break the news gently: â€Å"It’s not you, it’s me.† (Okay, let’s be honest: it’s always â€Å"you.†) If you’ve just plain reached the end of your patience and/or have a shiny new job waiting for you, there are ways to exit gracefully so that you can move on to the next opportunity with no regrets. Determine whether you really want to quitIf you’re angry over a particular ongoing situation, or you find that your dread and anxiety about work are dragging down the rest of your daily life, think long and hard about what quitting would mean. If you don’t yet have another job lined up, are you financially able to support yourself while you hunt for another one? It can be very tempting to bolt when things aren’t going well at work, but make sure you’ve put a lot of thought into whether this is truly quit-worthy, and that your overall well-being is served by leaving the position.Figure out whether you can fix the problem firstAgain, impulse quitting can be a very appealing option. Ask yourself questions like, â€Å"Is this situation likely to resolve soon if I don’t quit?† and â€Å"Are there any steps I can take to fix the situation without drastic measures?† If possible, talk things over with your supervisor. Let him or her know that you’re not happy with the way things are going, and you’d like to find a way to resolve that. There may be options available that you’re not aware of in the moment, when everything seems awful.Give noticeIf quitting is indeed the way to go (or you’ve got a better opportunity lined up), make sure you give an appropriate amount of notice. In most cases, that’s about two weeks. Your company may have a different policy, though, so double check with your HR depar tment if possible. If you’re breaking the news to your boss in person, make sure you follow up the conversation with a professional email that outlines your resignation and your end date.Be ready to train your replacementYour departure could leave a bit of a vacuum for your colleagues, especially if you have crucial tasks and responsibilities that affect others. Work with your soon-to-be-former boss to determine what the needs are for the post-you workplace. That could mean showing other coworkers the ropes on particular processes, or even training your replacement if your company is able to line one up before you leave.Don’t burn bridgesThe most important part of all: be gracious on your way out the door, regardless of the circumstances. This is especially true if you’re staying in the same field. You never know who’s connected on LinkedIn, or who were interns together ages ago and still meet for monthly drinks. A little graciousness lets you leave your current situation (no matter how lousy) and enter your new one without baggage- because who needs that kind of negativity? Sometimes jobs just don’t work out, and it’s not worth risking damage to your professional reputation to go all scorched-earth on your current workplace.

Managerial Applications of Technology (Virtual Workforce) 2 Assignment

Managerial Applications of Technology (Virtual Workforce) 2 - Assignment Example Technology is also the backbone of virtual working because it provides applications and appliances that enable such endeavors. Using remote workers can bring flexibility to a business organization as it will not have to depend on the state of their premises or the accessibility of their premises. Virtual employees do not need any physical office, making the financially advantageous to an organization. Due to fact that virtual employees have no geographical restriction on where they are supposed to work they sometime have higher productivity as compared to the physically available ones (Marquez, 2008). For example, virtual workers do not have to spend time travelling to the offices. The disadvantages of using virtual include the fact that monitoring them is usually a hard task. It is also hard in bringing them to be part of collective efforts by the other members of the workforce. Good strategies can help an organization in minimizing the disadvantages and maximizing the advantages of using virtual workforce. In hiring virtual workers a company should make sure that they hire self-motivated and self-disciplined individuals (Gillis, 2003). There should also be frequent and meaningful communication between an organization and their virtual employees. This will be important in monitoring their progress. Giving virtual employee targets to meet after a given duration will help in making sure that they are able to maximize their contribution to the organization. Hill, E. J., Ferris, M., & MÃ ¤rtinson, V. (2003). Does it matter where you work? A comparison of how three work venues (traditional office, virtual office, and home office) influence aspects of work and personal/family life. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 63(2),

Relationship Between ANA Test Titers Autoimmune Disease Research Paper - 9

Relationship Between ANA Test Titers Autoimmune Disease - Research Paper Example Among the patients ‘data we collected, 13 (29.5%) patients had 40 ANA test titers, 4 (9.1%) had 80 titers, 4 (9.1%) had 160 titers, 10 (22.7%) had 320 titers, 4 (9.1%) had 640 titers, 6 (13.6%) had 1280 titers, and 3 (6.8%) had 1320 titers. This is well illustrated by both table 1 below and graph 1. During the sample, analysis three groups of diagnosis of autoimmune disease were detected. Group 1 had 13 (29.5%) patients, group 2 had 19 (43.2%) patients, and group 3 had 12 (27.3%). Table 2 and figure 2 better illustrate this Among the 13 patients who were found to fall in the category of 40 titers ANA test SLE, 2 were found to fall in group 1, 6 were found to fall in group 2, and 5 were found to fall in group 3. Among the 4 patients who were found to fall in the category of 80 titers ANA test SLE, 2 were found to fall in group 1, 1 one was found to fall in group 2, and another 1 was found to fall in group 3. Among the four in the category of 160 titers ANA test SLE, 2 were found to fall in group 1, 1 in group 2, and another 1 in group 3. Among the 10 in the category of 320 titers, ANA test SLE, 3 were found to fall in group 1, 4 in group 2, and 3 in group 3. Among the 4 in the category of 640 titers ANA test SLE, 1 was found to fall in group one while the other 3 were found to fall in group 2. Among the six in the category of 1280 titers ANA test SLE, 2 were found to fall in group 1, 2 in group 2, and 2 in group 3. Among the three in the category of 1320 titers ANA test SLE, 1 was found to fall in group 1, and the other 2 in group 2. Table 3, figure 3, and figure 4 had better illustrate this. In this project, we test the null hypothesis that the ANA and diagnosis are associated. According to Hirschfield & Heathcote (2011), the ANA test is the main testing tool used for the diagnosis of autoimmune rheumatic conditions. This test makes use of antinuclear antibodies in the diagnosing of these conditions.

Comparative Analysis of Human and Chimpanzee Genome Research Paper

Comparative Analysis of Human and Chimpanzee Genome - Research Paper Example In justification of these new findings, molecular studies have been conducted and results have indeed shown that the two species exhibit some differential characteristics, mainly contributed towards genetic changes mostly on the human genomes, which have significantly contributed towards the differences in the genomes of humans and the chimpanzees. For a substantive period, scientists have always stated that there are substantive similarities between humans and chimpanzees. History has it that human beings and chimpanzees have at one time shared a common ancestor over 5 million years ago, eliciting research on the determination of the contribution factors towards such a development (Cheng et.al. 88). As science has revealed, the genome, which is the genetic material in an organism is the contributing factor towards the determination of whether an organism possesses certain similarities or differences to other. The genome is encoded in the DNA of organisms or RNA as in the case of viruses, which includes all the genes and the non-coding sequences of a DNA or RNA. From a comparison analysis of human and chimpanzee genomes, it is conclusive that despite the similarities that the two have had from sharing an ancestor, studies have ideally shown that significant changes have occurred in the genome sequences of the two species. That has indeed contributed towards the differences that are currently observed in both the human and chimpanzee genomes. Additionally, the genomic changes have also contributed towards the diverse changes in the phenotypes of the two species of organisms.

Importance of Documentation Care in Nursing

Importance of Documentation Care in Nursing This scenario presents a number of problems to the staff nurse. In relation to the sphere of practice, as a D Grade Staff Nurse I have a senior nurse present on the ward, who will be in charge during the shift. This provides me with a source of support and experiential knowledge, and also someone with whom to liaise over any issues which arise. However, as a Registered Nurse I am responsible for my own practice, accountable for all aspects of nursing practice and therefore must act on everything pertaining to practice that should arise. In an ideal situation, the E Grade will act on any information or concerns I bring to her. If she does not, then it is my responsibility to act on these concerns myself. The NMC Code of Conduct (NMC, 2004) requires that all qualified nurses act in the best interests of their patients at all times. The NMC code of conduct also states that all nurses are accountable for their own practice, and must account for their own acts or omissions (NMC, 2004). The focus of this analysis of the scenario is on documentation and the nurse. The nursing literature suggests that the completion of nursing documentation has been one of the most important functions of nurses, even from the beginning of the profesion in the time in the time of Florence Nightingale (Cheevakasemsook et al, 2006). Documentation of nursing care is an important source of reference and communication between nurses and other health care providers (Martin et al, 1999). Documentation is a fundamental component of nursing activities such as assessment and care planning, according to the various models which have been designed for these functions (Nazarko, 2007). The importance of proper documentation may also be because it serves multiple and diverse purposes for nurses, for patients, and for the health profession, because current health-care systems require that documentation ensures continuity of care, furnishes legal evidence of the process of care and promotes and facilit ates the evaluation of the quality of patient care delivery (Cheevakasemsook et al, 2006). In this instance, following handover, the first source of information to be checked will be the nursing records and care plans of each patient, as part of an individualised approach to care. The nursing records for Mrs Smith, for example, should provide the medical history and social history which will allow me to provide holistic nursing care. However, one of the problems with nursing documentation, as found in some empirical nursing studies, is that the complexity of nursing documentation does not always allow it to serve its many functions (Cheevakasemsook et al, 2006). However, the medical record is a legal document that tells the story of the patient’s encounter with the nurse and other professional caregivers, and as such should provide a complete and accurate account of his condition and the care he received (Austin, 2006). Whatever the difficulties of the documentation processes concerned here, the documentation should have been complete and correct. Documentation issues here include the improper recording of the administration of intravenious antibiotics. Given the strong nature of this medication, their specific nature and mode of action which can be tailored to the individual disease following culture and sensitivity tests, and the need to ensure they are given at the correct intervals, particularly as some such drugs can become toxic in larger doses, the proper recording of their administration is a vital part of the administration process. Bjorvell et al (2003) in a study of 377 nurses in Sweden found that nurses believed documentation to be fundamental to nursing practice, in particular, in promoting and ensuring patient safety. Protocols for the administration of intravenous medications exist, which, if followed, should promote safety. For all medications that nurses give to patients, they must know indications, contraindications, dosage parameters and adverse reactions (Austin, 2006). Nurses must always ensure that the ordered medication is appropriate for the patient, and that the prescription is clear and legible (Austin, 2006). And once a nurse has administered a drug, they must monitor the patient for signs and symptoms of drug toxicity or other adverse reactions, and these monitoring activities must be fully documented, including any actions taken on notable findings and the patient’s response to these interventions (Austin, 2006). This creates a record which demonstrates that the nurse met the prescribed standards of patient care when administering medication (Austin, 2006). Two qualified staff should have checked the drug dosage, route and timing, and the prescription against the patient identfication band, and then recorded the adminstration of the antibiotics on the chart and in the patient records . Incomplete records in this instance could be suggestive of improper procedures in the adminstration of this medication, a serious issue which could lead to legal action and professional sanction, even dismissal and loss of registration (Austin, 2006). Similarly, the issue of the blood transfusion error should be highlighted, because again patient safety is the fundamental point of nursing care. If proper procedures had been followed, this error could not have occurred. Administration of blood and blood products is subject to strict surveillance, and each Trust will have clear guidelines and protocols which govern and support this kind of activity. Checks should have been carried out on collection of the blood – the documentation should have been checked against the blood bag – patient name, number, blood group and type. The blood form, with the number of the blood bag, should have been checked properly. This should have been carried out by two qualified staff. The same checks should have been carried out at the bedside, checked against the patient notes and his identification band. Had the documentation been checked in this way, by two qualified staff, the wrong rhesus factor blood could not have been administered. T his demonstrates how correct documentation supports safe nursing practice and facilitates patient safety as well as recording nursing actions. Not only should the mistake be rectified, the doctor in charge of the patient informed and sumoned to examine the patient, and ongoing observations be carried out to ascertain if there are any side effects from the administration of the blood, but all of this should be clearly documented. Further, it should also be documented how this mistake occurred, through an examination of the documentation pertaining to the error and the actions of those who administered the blood. All medically releveant facts realted toan incident should be recorded in the medical records, according to the Trust and ward policies and protocols (Austin, 2006). A critical incident reporting from should also be completed, according to Trust policy, in order to ensure that risk management are informed and actions can be taken to prevent such occurrences in the future. Thus, such a form should also be completed for the percieved drug error. The NMC code of conduct states that nurses should act to identify and mini mise risk to the patient or client (NMC, 2004), and this applies to the action taken in the current situation and the potential protection of all clients in the future, in the avoidance of future errors of a similar nature. Another error which relates to documentation is the issue of the patient who was discharged inappropriately. It is understandable that the relative should be distressed and should be dealt with sensitively and apologetically. Liaison with management, risk management and any hospital or Trust agencies which deal with patient complaints should commence immediately. The most important issue here is to address the error, and not to question whether or not the error took place. It obviously did, because the patient arrived home in that state, and the usual discharge protocols cannot have been adhered to. If they had been, the discharge documentation should have been complete, and would have been communicated with the receiving district nursing team. The nurse plays a unique and pivotal role in discharge planning, as a key member of a multidisciplinary team (Fielo, 1998) role. If, as Bull and Roberts (2001) suggest, a proper discharge occurs in stages, and can be characterised by involveme nt of all team members within interacting circles of communication, then this discharge error should not have taken place at all. Therefore, any work done to address this error must examine where communication processes failed, and the documentation here should provide the evidence of where this failure occurred. Communication is fundamental to discharge planning, both between nurse and patient and between professionals across the divide between hospital and community services (Fielo, 1998), and so the documentation here should have been both individualised and comprehensive, functioning both as a record and as a communication tool. Effective discharge planning is also a vital link for continuity of care (Bull and Roberts, 2001), and so the failure of this process will lead to negative impact for the patient and their carers. Similarly, patient and carer participation is important in discharge planning (McLeod, 2006; Bull and Roberts, 2001). Research by Cleary et al (2003) demonstrates that consumers want information on medication, treatment, awareness of their rights and opportunities to participate in decision making. The nurse engaging in discharge planning also needs to take into account the needs and capabilities of carers (Qualey, 1997). The failure of the discharge planning process in this case therefore has a number of complex effects and may be shown to have failed in a number of key areas. It is also imperative that nurses value the social aspects of patient care and that this is seen as an integral part of the discharge process (Atwal, 2001). There are some ways in which this could be improved, and a close examination of what went wrong might highlight ways in which this could be avoided in future cases. The discharge documentation may need to be adapted to better reflect the processes and knowledge involved (Reed, 2005). This might ameliorate relationships between the acute and community sectors (McKenna and Keeney, 2000), and may prevent these errors occurring in the future. It might also be necessary, from the evidence of the available documents relating to the case, and from the ward rota, to identify who failed to properly discharge the patient so they can be engaged in education and development activities to develop their competence in this area. The documentation used should have served to enhance the ability to deal with this difficult situation (Sollins, 2007) by providing the family with the answers to their questions about what went wrong. Cheevakasemsook et al, (2006) in their study found that complexities in nursing documentation include three aspects: disruption, incompleteness and inappropriate charting. Of these, this scenario shows occurrences of incomplete documentation, whereby the documentation related to discharge planning has not been completed. Related factors that influenced documentation comprised: limited nurses competence, motivation and confidence; ineffective nursing procedures; and inadequate nursing audit, supervision and staff development functions (Cheevakasemsook et al, 2006). These findings suggest that complexities in nursing documentation require extensive resolution and implicitly dictate strategies for nurse managers and nurses to take part in solving these complicated problems (Cheevakasemsook et al, 2006). These are learning points to take forward into future professional development and practice. However, the more immediate needs would be to address the problems associated with these fail ures. The nurse must act to redress the balance and to minimise, for example, the potential litigation which may arise from this unfortunuate situation. The family are likely to make a formal complaint, and, depending on how this has affected the discharged patient, may even take legal action for compensation. In this instance, the incomplete discharge documentation demonstrates that the required nursing care did not take place (as there is no evidence of it in the records). Therefore, legally, the nurse taking care of this patient will be liable for the errors that have occurred. There are other issues to be considered, taking the wider view, in perhaps understanding why such errors occurred and how they can be avoided in subsequent cases. Hyde et al (2005) highlight the limitations of the forms of documentation (and the forms of communciation which characterise that documentation) within nursing practice. They suggest that this nursing documentation depicts the domination of reductionist medical models, utilising scientific rationality in linguistic and communication forms, rather than reflecting the holistic nature of nursing practice (Hyde et al, 2005). Therefore the documentation may be at odds with the autonomy of the patient, bringing up issues of control and power, where the documentation may serve to exert and maintain the power of the nurse or the medical profession rather than support the wellbeing of the patient (Hyde et al, 2005). Professional autonomy on the part of nurses demands a degree of mature clinical and ethical judgement in emergent and complex situations, and it is the documentation, if correctly completed, which should also signpost this process of judgement and decision making. But if the documentation is difficult to complete, onerous or time consuming, it may be that it detracts from the quality of patient care and the easy recording of this, rather than supporting it. Documentation provides the legal protection nurses require in modern healthcare practice (Frank-Strombourg et al, 2001). Educating nurses about the principles of documentation and the importance of implementing risk-reduction practices may help guard against liability and ultimately improve patient care (Frank-Strombourg et al, 2001). Perhaps developing better charts and records, in liaison with all staff, might also ameliorate the situation. The literature demonstrates unequivocally that nurses are the professionals that patients have the most interactions with in the hospital environment (Williams, 1997). The work and competence of the nursing staff is therefore perhaps the most significant factor in determining quality of patient care (Williams, 1997), and so it is vital to ensure that nurses record their practice accurately so that their competence can be audited, and the effectiveness of their practice evaluated. If, as suggested, evidence-based practice is now at the heart of nursing care (DOH, 2001), then documentation will also allow the implementation of evidence based practice, through care protocols and pathways, and through auditing processes and reflective practice which reviews care against the available evidence. Martin et al (1999), in their research of nursing documentation activities, found that good nursing documentation supported the implementation of evidence-based practice. This takes us back to the quality of the documentation processes, and it may be that they are under development – towards evidence-based care pathways or the like, or this kind of thing may need implementing. Utilising alternative modes of documentation may also enhance practice and recording behaviours. Lee (2006) in a study of one computerised documentation system in practice, found that nurses generally viewed the content of the computerized nursing care planning system as a reference to aid memory, a learning tool for patient care, and a vehicle for applying judgement to modify care plan content. This suggests that such tools may do more than simply streamline nurses work (Lee, 2006). It may be that using a computerized care plan system can also enhance nurses’ knowledge, experience and judgement of descriptions of patient problems and care strategies (Lee, 2006). It is my opinion that it may also serve to minimise the kinds of errors that have occurred in the assignment scenario. The nature of the documentation (ie the content and structure) may therefore need to be changed. O’Connor et al (2007) show how new, streamlined nursing charts improved planning and evaluation of care and served promote patient involvement in the care and documentation processes. In reference to the discharge planning incident in particular, this might be an area to develop within the clinical area. One innovation which supports this is that described by the NHS (2007) in The Essence of Care, which was launched in February 2001, as providing a toolkit to help practitioners to implement a structured approach to sharing and comparing practice, through principles of clinical governance, enabling them to identify the best and to develop action plans to remedy poor practice. This would appear to be a key activity in the longer term to develop from the learning points contained within this problematic scenario. These kinds of benchmarks and guidelines can provide useful guidance, in association with other activities such as evidence-based care pathways and protocols, to develop more streamlined and effective practices. Another point of action is the need to carry out specific empirical research into this area. In a systematic review of research literature to test the hypothesis that care planning and record keeping in nursing practice has no measurable effect on patient outcomes, the authors were unable to identify any robust studies for review (Moloney and Maggs, 1999). This suggests that the potential effects of documentation failures cannot be fully evaluated, anticipated or described without future research. This also underlines the need to ensure the highest possible standards of care are both implemented and fully documented throughout every stage and componenet of nursing practice. This analysis shows that documentation serves a number of purposes within nursing practice. It records care, demonstrating and communicating what procedures were carried out, when, and why. It rationalises clinical decisions and evaluates clinical and nursing actions. It also allows the direction and planning of care. It provides legal proof that nurses have followed proper protocolsand procedures for the administration of medicines and blood products, for the implementation of medical and nursing orders, and in particular supports complex activities such as discharge planning. Lack of proper documentation can indicate that proper procedures were not carried out. Poor documentation can lead to confusion and to patient compromise, whereby a patient may not receive the medication required, or may erroneously receive an overdose. Similarly, the blood error could have had significant consequences, and should not have occurred, given the nature of the procedures involved, and the clear li nks between safety and existing documentation. These errors point to either a lack of competence in basic nursing procedures, or a lack of care on the part of the staff who made them. Documentation would also have supported the D grade nurse here when dealing with the problems. The discharge planning errors could have been dealt with more effectively if the documentation had been complete. This would be their primary source of information when dealing with a patient complaint and a complaint from a district nursing colleague. The expectation on all parts that such records will be complete and will answer the questions raised by all parties places the responsibility firmly on the nurse to ensure they properly fulfill this vital part of their role. Nurses can engage in proper documentation of the errors and incidents noted so that they are appropriately and comprehensively dealt with now that the errors have been identified, and so can meet all the professional requirements of their role within this siutation (NMC, 2004). And all staff can learn from these incidents, and be included in processes of research, improvement and development to implement better documentat ion and care practices in the future. References Atwal, A.. (2002) Nurses’ perceptions of discharge planning in acute health care: a case study in one British teaching hospital. Journal of Advanced Nursing 39 (5) 450-458. Austin, S. (2006) Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, I present: the nursing documentation. Nursing 2006 36 (1) 56-65. Bjorvell, C., Wredling, R. and Thorell-Ekstrand, I. (2003) Prerequisites and consequences of nursing documentation in patient records as perceived by a group of Registered Nurses. Journal of Clinical Nursing 12 (2) 206–214. Bull, M.J. and Roberts, J. (2001) Components of a proper hospital discharge for elders. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 35 (4) 571-581. Cheevakasemsook, A., Chapman, Y., Francis, K., Davies, C. (2006) The study of nursing documentation complexities. International Journal of Nursing Practice 12 (6) 366–374. Cleary, M., Horsfall, J. and Hunt, G.E. (2003) Consumer feedback on nursing care and discharge planning. Journal of Advanced Nursing 42 (3) 269-277. Department of Health (2001) ‘National Service Framework for Older People’, England: HMSO. Fielo, S. B. (1998) Discharge Planning for the Elderly: A Guide for Nurses. Nursing and Health Care Perspectives Volume 19(2) 94-95. Frank-Stromborg, M., Christensen, A.and Elmhurst, D. (2001) Nurse documentation: not done or worse, done the wrong wayPart I. Oncology Nurses Forum 28 (4) 697-702. Hyde, A., Treacy, M., Scott, P.A. et al (2005) Modes of rationality in nursing documentation: biology, biography and the voice of nursing. Nursing Inquiry 12 (2) 66–77. Ting-Ting Lee, T-T. (2006) Nurses perceptions of their documentation experiences in a computerized nursing care planning system. Journal of Clinical Nursing 15 (11) 1376–1382. Macleod, A. (2006) The nursing role in preventing delay in patient discharge. Nursing Standard. 21 (1) 43-48. Martin, A. Hinds, C. and Felix, M. (1999) Documentation practices of nurses in long-term care. Journal of Clinical Nursing 8 (4) 345–352. Moloney, R. and Maggs, C. (1999) A systematic review of the relationships between written manual nursing care planning, record keeping and patient outcomes. Journal of Advanced Nursing 30 (1), 51–57. Nazarko, L. (2007) Care planning and documentation. Nursing Residential Care. 9(7). 333-6. NHS (2007) Essence of Care Available from: http://www.tin.nhs.uk/local-networks/essence-of-care/background. Accessed 10-5-07. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004) Code of Professional Conduct Available from www. nmc-uk.org. Accessed 30-4-07. OConnor, K., Earl, T. and Hancock, P. (2007) Introducing improved nursing documentation across a trust. Nursing Times. 103(6) 32-33. Qualey TL. (1997) Assessing the patients caregiver. Nursing Management. 28(6): 43-4. Reed, J. (2005) Using action research in nursing practice with older people: democratizing knowledge. Journal of Clinical Nursing14 594-600. Sollins, H. (2007) Handling difficult family situations: practical approaches. Geriatric Nursing. 28(2) 80-2. Williams, S.A. (1997) The relationship of patients’ perceptions of holistic nurse caring to satisfaction with nursing care. Journal of Nursing Care Quality 11 (5) 15-29.