A Reflection On Modern Medicine Essay

The Hippocratic Oath is a promise in essence â€Å"to do no harm† made by a new doctor before becoming a practicing physician. The oath has been a standard of the medical community for several centuries. It remains just as meaningful and valid today as when Hippocrates wrote it in 400 BC. Medical ethics in today’s modern society has become very blurry and hard to understand (Price 1). It is not the oath that has acquired a more complicated meaning. It is the practice of medicine that has become more complex. Presently, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for doctors to discern good medicine from bad medicine. In our current society political correctness, policy, and politics have come to define good medicine as opposed to what is best for the patient. Over a century ago, H. G. Wells was criticized for his novel The Island of Doctor Moreau written in 1896. Literary critics and the general public were appalled by the atrocities depicted in the text. Contemporary authors, physicians, and scientists could not fathom the cruel behavior of Doctor Moreau. And it was easy to see that Dr. Moreau was practicing bad medicine and had broken his vow ‘to do now harm. ’ The Island of Doctor Moreau was a novel written late in 1896 by H. G. Wells. The plot seems relatively simple and typical of a science fiction novel. A young civil servant is the sole survivor of shipwreck. He is found floating along side the island of Doctor Moreau who rescues him. The young man has no knowledge that Doctor Moreau has fled from his home nation fearing charges of animal cruelty. Upon first impressions, the young man falls in love with the island. Slowly he remembers stories about Dr. Moreau and the horrors he created. The lush fauna and sandy beaches are exciting and new to him. To paraphrase John S. Partington, in The Death of the Static: H. G. Wells and the Kinetic Utopia, Dr. Moreau’s island was like Eden, Dr. Moreau was God, and Prendick was like Adam. When curiosity gets the best of him he wanders deep into the overgrowth and what he finds there is deeply shocking. Doctor Moreau is using a process called vivisection to create a hybrid of animal and human. His research goal is to make man be absent of evil. In the end Moreau is killed and the young man, Prendick, escapes and lives to tell the tale. To gain a better understanding of the novel and the beliefs of H. G. Wells it is important to look at the prevailing scientific knowledge of the time in which the novel was written. The late 19th century was when Darwin first made known his theories of evolution and survival of the fittest. Darwin believed that all species including humans, change with time. In time when God was the creator of all, the idea of evolution and our link to other species was very disturbing to the general public. H. G. Wells was a contemporary writer of this time. In two of his most famous novels, The Time Machine and The Island of Doctor Moreau, he investigates the conflict between nature and God. In summary, H. G. Wells was not just an author but also a trained biologist. What could be more frightening than an island of beasts butchered by a mad scientist. Dr. Moreau does not just alter the bodies but using plastic surgery to make them appear human but also their minds (Mclean). He has them recite the laws he created. The gather together and chant â€Å"Not to go on all-fours; that is the Law. Are we not Men? † But that is not the worst of it. After the chanting of the Law comes the hymn of praise to their Creator: His is the House of Pain. His is the Hand that makes. His is the Hand that wounds. His is the Hand that heals. His is the lightning-flash. His is the deep salt sea. His are the stars in the sky†¦. To summarize Freeman Dyson point in his book titled Disturbing the Universe, a biologist like Wells has had to confront the idea, can the scientific community play god and if so, can they stay sane (Dyson 111). Can the scientific community remain objected and no let the power of life, death, and creation which is left in their hands go to their heads. If the answer is no, than the lesson is learned, and Dr. Moreau is what will be produced. A man who knows no ethical boundaries, who believes he is more powerful than God. Much of H. G. Wells writing explores the idea of what are the implications of modern biology gone wrong. By allowing people and animals to be altered, even if it is treatment for their â€Å"own good† the human race will loose two important anchors- our sense of identity, and the brotherhood of mankind. These two things keep us sane and of course any visitor to The Island of Dr. Moreau looses these completely. Certainly, Prendick does, he must fight for his life and kill, an activity he would never do had he not wandered upon the Doctor’s Island. The scientific community has come a long way since 1896. The knowledge of DNA, we know in detail how life is produced and reproduced. Whoever can read the DNA language can also learn to write it. Whoever learns to write the language will in time learn to design living creatures according to his whim. Presently, the public should fear not the crude Dr. Moreau’s with knives but the young, bright zoologist sitting at his computer cloning an extinct animal, or splicing genes in and out the human genome to create a superior human. Though it was science-fiction in 1896, Wells’ novel is frighteningly close to science today. The issues he pressed in this novel are still current. Even more so because the lines of what constitutes harm are very blurry. What Doctor Moreau did was wrong but aren’t plastic surgeons modern versions of Doctor Moreau? Except clients actually pay them to slice them up and make them more perfect humans. In 2003 there were 8. 7 million cosmetic plastic surgeries. This number is up 32% from 2002 (Hill). What Doctor Moreau did was wrong but aren’t therapists taking advantage of a nation’s worth of people who are â€Å"emotionally underdeveloped, psychically frail, and requiring the ministrations of mental health professionals to cope with life’s vicissitudes. Being â€Å"in touch with one’s feelings† and freely expressing them have become paramount personal virtues. Today-with a book for every ailment, a counselor for every crisis, a lawsuit for every grievance, and a TV show for every conceivable problem-we are at risk of degrading our native ability to cope with life’s challenges. † (Sommers). Is that any worse then Doctor Moreau solution of having his pseudo humans chant the rules of being human? Sally Satel who wrote Victimizing the ‘Victims’, which is the commentary exploring how political correctness in the medical profession is hindering the quality of patient care people receive. In summary Satel says, the goals of the public health sector have changed from using science to improve people’s lives to a â€Å"global ideology to manipulate the way people think about disease and its remedies. † The change is not for the better. Today, she argues, victimology is one of the biggest trends in medicine. There is a trend in the medical world to look at connection as the cause and make diagnoses accordingly. For example, it’s true that wealthier people tend to be healthier. But can you assume that poverty is responsible for higher levels of disease among the poor? Are the poor incapable of helping themselves? Well, yes, argue leading â€Å"indoctrinologists,† as Satel calls the backers of poltically correct medicine. Which is why two health experts could write in the American Journal for Public Health, â€Å"we must address the social inequalities that so reliably produce† these inequalities in health (Satel). HMO’s offer a similar problem. To paraphrase Sarah Cay Bradley viewpoint with the increase of HMO’s there has been a drastic decrease in how much Americans spend on healthcare, also decreasing is the quality of healthcare people are receiving. Doctors are forced to follow the rules of their demanding HMO partners. Even if what is in the best interest of the patient does not follow those rules. There are several cost effective policies that physicians are required to follow today. One concept is time is money, the quicker a doctor gets a patient out the more money that is saved. Doctors always seem to be in a hurry spending very little time actually speaking to their patients. Which can lead to misdiagnosis or overlooked health problems. Political correctness, policy, and politics drive the current scientific and medical communities. Instead of producing healthcare professionals who are compassionate and reflective, they produce professionals can simply follow instructions. Just because doctors today are following the rules set forth for them by insurance companies, and the government does not mean they are practicing good medicine. Perhaps they too, like Doctor Moreau, have forgotten their oath ‘to do no harm’ and replaced it with the creed ‘make more money. ’ In 1896 H. G. Wells, pondered in text, the â€Å"what ifs† of what could go wrong with modern medicine and science. The public rebuked his rather blunt commentary as foolishness and vulgarity. A hundred years later, Dr. Moreau has become the norm. Works Cited Dyson, Freeman. Disturbing the Universe. New York: Basic Books, 1979. Questia. 10 Dec. 2005 . Hill, Theresa. â€Å"More Than 8. 7M Cosmetic Plastic Surgeries in 2003, Up 32 Pct. Over 2002; For 12th Year, American Society of Plastic Surgeons Reports Statistics. † US New Wire Service. 8 March 2004. 09 Dec. 2005 . Mclean, Steven. â€Å"W. Warren Mclean. H. G. Wells: Traversing Time. † Utopian Studies 16. 2 (2005): 320+. Questia. 10 Dec. 2005 .

Video Surveillance Cameras

Attempts to monitor employees have always existed in one form or another, from mechanical keystroke counters in the early part of the century, to the latest innovations in electronic monitoring. As technology advances, so do the monitoring possibilities in the workplace. As result of the endless possibilities in surveillance, anxiety in employee†s increase, which in most cases leads to illnesses. Studies have shown that individuals who are constantly being monitored at work suffer from inevitable effects, the majority being illnesses such as physical, emotional, and mental disorders. Employers feel they have the right to monitor their employees, however when extensive monitoring effects a employees health, then the employers has gone to far. Advance technology has lead to monitoring devices such as via computers, video surveillance, and active badges in the last decade, but as the intensity of the surveillance increases so do the negative effects on the employees. There has been a huge increase to pass legislation†s that will regulate the employer in monitoring his employees† by via computer. Monitoring an employee by via computer is one of the latest innovations in electronic monitoring, which is done by purchasing and installing software in the companies computer system. Once the software is installed, it will be able to do a variety of types of electronic monitoring from keystroke counting and accuracy, time how long it takes to make a transaction, and how long the computer has been on idle. This type of electronic monitoring that involves advanced technology and â€Å"the constant monitoring to measure employees† performance creates an enormous amount of pressure and stress†¦ he stress that is created by monitoring has caused serious physical effects† (Ternipsede 447) on employees in the work place. Many employees have been effected from such setting in the workplace, but they are unaware of the effects since they take many years to develop fully. Another type of electronic monitoring that can damage an employee†s health is video surveillance. Video surveillance has existed in the work place since the invention of the television. Video surveillance cameras come in all shapes and sizes, from the obvious ones to some that are small as a dime. Many employers purchase such devices to capture employees and customers who commit theft and fraud, or any other illegal activity. The increase of technology in electronic monitoring is now able to transfer images from a camera to a computer where the employer is able to zoom in and make a positive identity of the employee or customer who is committing an illegal act. This type of monitoring is also to make an employee feel under pressure in hoping â€Å"to enhance employee productivity and quality assurance,† (Ternipsede 447) which serves as a benefit to the employee, employer, and customer. However, many employees do not notice the effects of video surveillance has on their health since there only concern is getting there work done and making their employer happy. One other type of surveillance that causes health risk to the employee is an active badge. Active badges are another type of the latest innovations in electronic monitoring and one of the most controversial types of employee monitoring. The active badges are the size of a credit card that is worn on the outside of the clothing. It keeps track where the employee goes by infrared sensors that are located through out the workplace. Many employer†s who promote this type of electronic monitoring argue that it saves time when having to track someone down. They also argue that it is more of a private way of needing to speak to an employee privately, instead of having to announce their name over the intercom. These active badges also have their negative effects on an employee since they feel entrapped in their workplace because they know that someone else always know where they are. It makes an individual feel like they are in prison, except that they are not secured into their workplace by bars and concrete walls. This type of electronic monitoring is one of the most controversial because it is a new way to invade an individual privacy, without the exception of cameras and monitors. Employers have a right to know whether their employees are on task, however when it infringes on the employees privacy and causes health effects it has gone to far. The employers have the responsibility to hire trustworthy employees and make sure they do their job, not tracking every move they make. As technology advances, business management gets lazier and new monitoring devices pose a threat to employees. The employees well being should be considered before implementing any monitoring systems. Therefore, who knows what electronic monitoring will hold in the future, but will it become so sophisticated that it will cause an employee to choose not to work and live off the government?

About Jhumpa Lahiri

She graduated from South Kingstown High school and later achieved multiple degrees in Boston university. In 2001, She married Alberto vourvoulias –Bush, A journalist who was then a deputy editor of â€Å"The Times†. Interpreter of maladies Lahiri’s short stories faced rejection from publishers for years. But, Finally in 1999, Her first short story composition was released. The short stories address sensitive dilemmas in the lives of Indians. Including themes such as miscarriages and martial difficulties. Also, the disconnection between first and second generation United States immigrants. It was highly praised by American critics and sold 600,000 copies. Also, it received the 2000 Pulitzer price for Fiction The namesake â€Å"The Namesake† was Lahiri’s first novel and was published in 2003. The story spans over thirty years in the Ganguli family. The Calcutta born parents emigrated as young adults to The United States Of America with their children Gongol and Sonia where they experienced the constant generational and cultural gap. Lahiri made herself as a cameo â€Å"Aunt Jhumpa†. Unaccustomed earth â€Å"Unaccustomed Earth, Her second collection of novels was published on 1 April, 2008. It went to the number 1 spot just few days after it’s release on the New York best-seller list. It was praised a lot by all critics and masses and sold thousands and thousands of copies. Achievements and awards * 1993 – TransAtlantic Award from the Henfield Foundation * 1999 –  O. Henry Award  for short story â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† * 1999 –  PEN/Hemingway Award  (Best Fiction Debut of the Year) for â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† * 1999 – â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† selected as one of  Best American Short Stories * 2000 – Addison Metcalf Award from the  American Academy of Arts and Letters * 2000 – â€Å"The Third and Final Continent† selected as one of  Best American Short Stories 2000 –  The New Yorker’s Best Debut of the Year for â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† * 2000 –  Pulitzer Prize for Fiction  for her debut â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† * 2000 –  James Beard Foundation’s M. F. K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award for â€Å"Indian Takeout† in  Food Wine Magazine * 2002 –  Guggenheim Fellowshi p * 2002 – â€Å"Nobody’s Business† selected as one of  Best American Short Stories * 2008 –  Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award  for â€Å"Unaccustomed Earth† * 2009 –  Asian American Literary Award  for â€Å"Unaccustomed Earth† About Jhumpa Lahiri She graduated from South Kingstown High school and later achieved multiple degrees in Boston university. In 2001, She married Alberto vourvoulias –Bush, A journalist who was then a deputy editor of â€Å"The Times†. Interpreter of maladies Lahiri’s short stories faced rejection from publishers for years. But, Finally in 1999, Her first short story composition was released. The short stories address sensitive dilemmas in the lives of Indians. Including themes such as miscarriages and martial difficulties. Also, the disconnection between first and second generation United States immigrants. It was highly praised by American critics and sold 600,000 copies. Also, it received the 2000 Pulitzer price for Fiction The namesake â€Å"The Namesake† was Lahiri’s first novel and was published in 2003. The story spans over thirty years in the Ganguli family. The Calcutta born parents emigrated as young adults to The United States Of America with their children Gongol and Sonia where they experienced the constant generational and cultural gap. Lahiri made herself as a cameo â€Å"Aunt Jhumpa†. Unaccustomed earth â€Å"Unaccustomed Earth, Her second collection of novels was published on 1 April, 2008. It went to the number 1 spot just few days after it’s release on the New York best-seller list. It was praised a lot by all critics and masses and sold thousands and thousands of copies. Achievements and awards * 1993 – TransAtlantic Award from the Henfield Foundation * 1999 –  O. Henry Award  for short story â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† * 1999 –  PEN/Hemingway Award  (Best Fiction Debut of the Year) for â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† * 1999 – â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† selected as one of  Best American Short Stories * 2000 – Addison Metcalf Award from the  American Academy of Arts and Letters * 2000 – â€Å"The Third and Final Continent† selected as one of  Best American Short Stories 2000 –  The New Yorker’s Best Debut of the Year for â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† * 2000 –  Pulitzer Prize for Fiction  for her debut â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† * 2000 –  James Beard Foundation’s M. F. K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award for â€Å"Indian Takeout† in  Food Wine Magazine * 2002 –  Guggenheim Fellowshi p * 2002 – â€Å"Nobody’s Business† selected as one of  Best American Short Stories * 2008 –  Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award  for â€Å"Unaccustomed Earth† * 2009 –  Asian American Literary Award  for â€Å"Unaccustomed Earth†

What is grammar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

What is grammar - Essay Example (Aitchison, 1993 p. 125) Respectively, grammar can be formal, notional, and functional. Formal grammar concentrates on the study of linguistic forms; it may apply formalized techniques of logic and mathematics. Notional, or semantic, grammar studies the meaning of linguistic patterns; it assumes the existence of extralinguistic categories in order to define grammatical units. Formal and notional grammars are competence grammars that center on the speaker’s knowledge of language (the rules the speaker must know to use the language properly). Competence grammar contrasts with functional grammar which studies the use of linguistic patterns in speech and writing. Competence grammars are primarily linguocentric; they study the language without its relation to the speakers and the situation of speech. Performance grammars are mostly anthropocentric; they consider the linguistic patterns used in speech and influenced by the characteristics of the speakers and the communicative situations. Lingocentric and anthropocentric grammars can be practical and theoretical. Practical, or normative, grammars are prescriptive; they attempt to establish rules for the correct use of language in society. The speakers of language use practical grammars as reference books. Theoretical grammars are descriptive; they provide a precise account of language in its actual usage. A theoretical grammar may go beyond the study of individual languages, in which case it uses linguistic data as a means of developing insights into the nature of language as such, and into the categories and processes needed for linguistic analysis. (Aitchison, 1993 p. 148) Theoretical grammars describing the linguistic patterns at a particular period of time are called synchronic grammars. Synchronic grammars comparing the systems of two or more languages are called comparative grammars. Along with synchronic grammars, there are diachronic, or historical, grammars that

Consumer behavior a strategic approach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Consumer behavior a strategic approach - Essay Example Opportunities The increased environmental awareness of the individuals has augmented the demand for eco friendly and organic products. Moreover, the new range of skin care products available for men has helped to boost the overall revenue of the company. This has also helped to increase the sales of the company (Spangler, 2008). Threats Though the company aims to sell eco-friendly cosmetics, the suppliers of the raw materials do not seem to adhere to the standards of eco friendliness. The biggest drawback of the company that can be a threat to its market position in future is the lack of an advertising and marketing department in the company (Muller, 2005). Companies like MAC, Make up Forever etc are now following the footsteps of The Body Shop by improving on the scale of their scope of social responsibility in business. The PESTLE analysis is given in the Appendix. The present market for the cosmetics industry is highly competitive in nature. At this juncture, the lack of proper ad vertising and marketing of the products of the Body Shop can substantially detrimental to its brand value and strength of the customers. The business of Body Shop is well known in the market for its ethical standpoint. The company strictly opposes to the testing new products on animals. But L’Oreal is blamed for this practice in the market. In 2008, the Animal Rights group have sternly warned the company to abolish such practices. As the ownership of Body Shop has been undertaken by L’Oreal since 2006 with an amount of $1.14 billion, the ethical standpoint of the company is now doubted by its stakeholders (Pitman, 2006). The fall in the disposable income of the individuals due to the soaring price levels have considerably... The key stakeholders and the target publics of the Body Shop are likely to be affected by the three main issues faced by the company. †¢Ã‚  Mergers of the company: the merger of the company would affect the existing shareholders and the employees of the organization. The shareholders would be suspicious about the performance of the company in the new merged position in the market. Rather the working culture of the organization would also change with the merger, this would affect the employees. The consumers would also doubt the ethical virtues of the company after the merger as LO real is known to not follow ethical issues in business. †¢Ã‚  The recession in the world economy: the crisis of finance in the global economies can force the company cut down some jobs, this would affect the employees. Rather the fall in the disposable income levels would hamper the purchasing power capabilities of the consumers. The suppliers would also be reluctant to provide raw materials at lo wer prices. †¢Ã‚  The ethical virtues of other cosmetics companies: this would directly affect the decisions of the consumers in the market. They might reduce the demand for the products of The Body Shop. Considering the initial business analysis, it can be stated that any change made in the business operations of The Body Shop would surely affect its stakeholders. Figure 1 and 2 in the Appendix, shows the stakeholders map for the Body. The most important stakeholders of the company are the customers and the shareholders.

Minimum Wage Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Minimum Wage - Research Paper Example People from different jurisdictions have different opinions and reasons on whether to raise the minimum wage or not. In my opinion, the minimum wage should be raised because of a number of factors that will be discussed in this paper. Statistics reveal glaring differences and variations in minimum wage among various EU member states. For example, in Bulgaria, the minimum wage as of 1st July 2014 stood at 174 Euros. This was extremely low compared to Luxembourg which had a minimum wage of 1,921 during the same period. This glaring variation in minimum wage should be bridged so that workers from both places can have almost equal chances of generating reasonable income. One region should not have such a high minimum wage yet another region has an extremely low minimum wage when both countries are EU member states. Inflation and recession have been common occurrences in the economic front over the years. For example, the value of money in the 1970s cannot be compared to the value of money now. More literally, the value of 10 Euros in 1973 is not the same as the value of 10 Euros in 2014. For this reason, even the minimum wage cannot stay at the same flat rate that it has stayed over the past years. What 10 Euros could do for a worker in 1970 is not the same as what it can do to the same worker in 2014, for example. The minimum wage has to be increased to accommodate these changes in the value of money as a result of inflation and recession (Card, 1992). Today, the productivity of a typical worker is much higher than what it used to be many years back. This is mostly because of advancements in technology which have increased productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency. For this reason, the workers at the bottom deserve to benefit from these gains of increased productivity. Many people around the world are relying in minimum wage jobs to earn a living and make ends meet. For example, between 2010 and

Legislation and Ethics Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legislation and Ethics Report - Research Paper Example Furthermore, it aims at improving developmental and educational outcomes for children attending learning and care services. In addition, it encourages continuous developments in the delivery of excellent learning and care services. In addition, it minimizes the administrative and regulatory problem for learning and care services by making sure information is shared amongst the Commonwealth and participating jurisdictions (Becker, 2007). This legislation influences the work practices of those persons or organizations that are fit to provide the learning and care services to the children. Their work practices should keep the best interests and the rights of the children at the foremost. There should be diversity, inclusion and equity in the education and care services they provide. The relationships with the children should be good, and they should ensure that they have cooperative partnerships with the communities and the families of the children (Farmer, 2014). The impact on ethical practices is that it ensures the providers of this service have equipment’s, furniture, and premises that are clean, safe, and well maintained. Additionally, their facilities should be adapted or designed to ensure participation and access by every child present in the service and to permit flexible interaction and use of outdoor and indoor space. Further, the providers should be able to support the children to become ecologically responsible and express respect for the ecology. Lastly, the resources, facilities, buildings and the indoor and outdoor spaces should be suitable for the purpose of learning and care services (Mendes and Moslehuddin, 2004). The impact of the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) on policy development and implementation is that, it ensures that the rules and regulations enacted and developed with different institutions or individuals, should act in accordance with the legislation. The policies should state the outdoor

The bottled drinking water industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The bottled drinking water industry - Essay Example Qualitative measures are to be given utmost importance as it will maintain good health and prevent us from deadly diseases. The awareness about the good quality water became significant for last two decades due to information technology and hence people started preferring bottled drinking water. There are several types of bottled water available in the world (FN2). 1) Purified drinking water 2) Naturally sparkling water 3) Mineral water 4) seltzer 5) Mineral water etc. mineral water contains dissolved solids like calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and bicarbonates. (a) In general the consumer surveys revealed that the taste of bottled water is fine compared to that of tap water. It is due to the fact that the disinfectant used for bottled water i.e. ozone doesn't leave any residue or smell. In case of tap water residue will be left by chlorine (disinfectant). As a result 54 % of the American population is found to be consuming bottled drinking water and the it is reported that the consumption of bottled water became tripled in the last decade in U.S.A. Bottled-water consumption has also increased around the world in the past 30 years. It is estimated to be worth $22 billion, the world bottled-water market represents an annual volume of 89 billion liters. It is reported that Western Europeans are the world's major bottled water consumers-85 liters per person annually (FN4). Concern over regulations of bottled drinking water: However there has been growing concern over safety regulations of bottled drinking water in the recent days. Hence here is a need to analyze the present level of regulations, its adequacy and relevance, organization controlling regulations and information provided to the customers relating to critical health contaminants and source of water supply. Let us discuss one by one. (1) What is the present level of regulation for bottled drinking water Presently the bottled drinking water is regulated by FDA (Food and Drug Administration). FDA regulates this product under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA or the Act) and several sections of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Bottled water quality standards were initially adopted in 1973 and were based on the 1962 U.S. Public Health Service standards for drinking water. In 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act gave the responsibility to the Environmental Protection Agency for ensuring the safety of municipal water systems, which includes setting maximum limits for chemical, bacteriological and radioactive contaminants and physical contaminants that affect odor, taste and color. In

Army Infantry Career Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Army Infantry Career - Essay Example Apart from the mere academic achievements, the leadership qualities count a lot in the infantry. The types of students required by the Army are those who are good athletes as well, with potentiality to shape into good leaders. If you decide not to serve beyond the agreed 5 years, there is lot of demand, scope and respect for the ex-Commissioned Officers. You are assured of senior positions in business, especially on the technical and security areas, and thereafter you will have no problems about supporting the family. Infantry Officers and men wear Army uniform according to the environment of their operation. The training is an all-environment training, such as mountain, desert, tropical and temperate. They are well trained to live off the land when then occasion arises. The training is intensive as well as extensive. That includes developing an ordinary individual into a tough Ranger/Officer in which they are trained to navigate, conduct clandestine combat missions in deserts, mountains, swamps and temperate terrains. You rise to different ranks that are part of the military hierarchy. Recruitment at the entry level, Ranger is through US Military Recruiters. They are fully conscious of their duties and obligations, dedicated to the basic values of their service; they are a hardworking lot and tough professionals. The job of the recruiter is to find and provide qualified volunteers for a particular branch or service. This is, and has to be straightforward because it is concerned with the most important aspect relating to the existence of the Nation, its security! Let us say, for the recruiter it is his business as well. Any business man wants his business to prosper. It is a number game also. When the pressure from the superior authorities is intense to get a fixed number of volunteers, and when sufficient eligible candidates are not forthcoming, the Recruiter then tries other alternatives. They plan

Free

Freedom of speech Essay Introduction: The American Flag is slowly being folded into a perfect triangle by soldiers. Bystanders watch as a twenty one gun salute is given to a veteran’s family who gave his life for our country. The family weeps over their lost loved one. This sacred moment in time is one that no one should interrupt. A group out of Kansas known as Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) travels around the country protesting at soldiers’ funerals that the death is God’s punishment to the U. S. for tolerating homosexuality in the country. This so called â€Å"church† is able to hold protests due to constitutional rights and express their freedom of speech; however they should not be allowed to protest at funerals out of respect for the deceased and disturbing the peace. The Westboro Baptist Church is disturbing the public’s peace, but still has the freedom of speech to picket and protest what they please. Funerals should be sacred, and therefore Congress should pass a law placing limits on where it is acceptable to protest. Research Section: The Brief Bio of Pastor Fred Phelps states, in Topeka, Kansas, Fred Phelps founded the Westboro Baptist Church in 1955. Phelps was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, but instead enrolled for Bible/Ministerial training at Bob Jones College. Joined by his family and friends, Phelps is still leading the church today. The Westboro Baptist Church is a non – profit organization, and the church considers itself an â€Å"Old School† Baptist Church. The Westboro Church groups are traveling around the country making stops several times a week to protest and picket. â€Å"Targets include schools the group deems to be accepting of homosexuality; Catholic, Lutheran, and other Christian denominations that WBC feels are heretical; and funerals for people murdered or killed in accidents like plane crashes and for American soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, a tactic the group started in 2005† (The Anti-Defamation League). Not only directed at soldiers and gays, The Westboro Baptist Church fuels on any tragedy happening in the United States. After the natural disaster of hurricane Sandy, the church protests that it was a sign from God. The Constitution, under the Bill of Rights, protects this groups’ advocacy to protest wherever they wish. The church holds signs saying â€Å"Pope in hell†, â€Å"Thanks God for dead soldiers†, â€Å"God Hates Fags† and anything else to offend the people or groups it is towards. They also wear American flags around their waste and will kick it around on the ground. The community cannot endure the verbal torture any long and this has led to court cases and out breaks. Jonsson states â€Å"While Westboro is usually careful to stay within the law and clear protests with local police, counter protesters have in the past attacked members of the group, even pouring coffee on them and spitting on them.† Argument: The Westboro Church should not be able to disturb the peace and privacy at a funeral nor picket institutions or individuals for supporting homosexuality. The signs they display are disturbing, inappropriate, and offensive. The Westboro Church’s controversial appearances have led to several court cases dealing with places restrictions on the freedom to protest, particularly distance limits on how close you are authorized to protest from a funeral site. One case was brought forward by Albert Snyder, father of Mathew Snyder, a 20 year-old solider killed in Iraq. Ariane de Vogue stated â€Å"The case, one of the most controversial on the court docket, was brought by Albert Snyder, who sued the church, after members picketed the funeral of his son, Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder, who died in Iraq†. The Church has many opinions that should not be said or displayed to the public due to the emotional cause and pain the public has to endure. Having hurt the American citizens, the Westboro Church, under the first amendment, has the freedom of speech. The First Amendment states Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Therefore, this gives the Westboro Baptist Church the right to protest in public while being protected by federal law. The Church groups were standing far enough away from the funeral that the court could not prove the protest was exactly pointed at the Snyder’s son’s burial. Warren Richey stated â€Å"The protesters stood in a cordoned off area approved by police about a thousand feet from the church.† The Supreme Court used the distance the group was away from the burial to say that the protest was not pointed directly at Snyder’s family during the burial. Even though The Westboro Church has the First Amendment protecting them, they are still disturbing the peace and offending the public by protesting. Our freedom of speech is protected by the Constitution which is protected by our soldiers, a freedom Westboro Baptist Church has abused by protesting the very soldiers who fight for this freedom. Holding signs saying â€Å"you’re going to hell†, â€Å"God hates America†, and â€Å"Thank God for IEDs†, are insulting to the public and the country and are affecting Americans everywhere. â€Å"Snyder has called the day his son died ‘the worst day of his life’. His grief was compounded, he said, by being targeting by the church’s demonstrations. ‘It is one thing no family should ever have to go through’†(De Vogue, Ariane). The definition of disturbing the peace is â€Å"A person who fights in a public area, or who brings about the threat of fighting, anyone who is purposefully disruptive of an otherwise peaceful public assembly, one who solicits money while in a public place a person who is drunk, and unruly in a public area, or any group that participates in an unlawful assembly† (For the people). Westboro would fall under anyone who is purposefully disruptive of an otherwise peaceful public assembly. The church is showing poor judgment and an utter disregard for human dignity when they protest at a funeral. Proposal: With all the disturbances that the Westboro Baptist Church has caused, Congress should incorporate litigation to prevent insults to others. Congress must pass a law placing limits on the extent of free speech and the right to protest in regard to memorial services. Given the freedom of speech, Congress cannot prohibit the protestors from displaying signs that are obscene or stating their opinions, but can pass a law stating how far away from the funeral the protests have to be. Williams stated, â€Å"Indeed, in the incident in question, Westboro complied with police requests to stay 1,000 feet from the funeral, and all but the tops of its members’ signs were hidden from mourners’ view†. Congress should take this into consideration and reflect upon veterans and American citizens civil rights. In my opinion, family members should not have to face such obscenities during a period of mourning. The First Amendment does not prevent Westboro Baptist Church from offending the family members and citizens from their perverse signs and protests. Therefore, many civil law suits have not proven effective towards the church under the right of the First Amendment and freedom of speech. Most Americans whose thoughts are negative towards the church’s views choose to hold counter protests in support of veteran’s family members who have been killed in combat (Policinski, 2011). Congress passing the law should help these families during a time of grief to remember their loved one, and not have to see the disgraceful sign of hatred to this country. Conclusion: The First Amendment to the Constitution is a privilege Americans take grand ownership of. However, a group of individuals from the Westboro Baptist Church are taking advantage of this right we all have, pushing the freedom of speech to the point where citizens are questioning its true value. Individuals are starting to come together to counter protest toward Westboro so they will stop insulting those that fight for this country. Policinski stated â€Å"A few weeks ago, in Nashville, Tenn., more than 1,000 counter-protesters turned out in support of family members of a soldier killed in combat, overwhelming the presence of a small Westboro contingent†. The daily lives of Americans should not have to be interrupted by such insanity, and having to see vulgar signs shooting down the citizens and their country, also that their nation’s flag is being tossed around like a rag doll. If we fail to police our own responsibilities as citizens, America will shrink back to the oppressed nation it once was. Congress must push to clarify and define what is protected In the Constitution and end this travesty that is disrupting our peace. Works Cited: â€Å"Disturbing The Peace.† For The People. Morgan and Morgan. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. Gene, Policinski. Commentary: Inside The First Amendment: Laws Are Not Best Way To Thwart Westboro. Daily Record, The (Baltimore, MD) (n.d.): Legal Collection. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. God Hates Fags. God Hates Fags. GHF, 2012.Web. 27 Nov, 2012. Jonsson, Patrik. â€Å"What recourse now to Westboro Baptist Churchs rude protests?† Christian Science Monitor. 3 Mar. 2011. 1Pg. Academic Search Complete. Web.28 Nov. 2012. Richey, Warren. â€Å"Supreme Court: hurtful speech of Westboro Baptist Church is protected.† Christian Science Monitor. 3 Mar. 2011. 1pg. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. The Anti-Defamation League. The Anti-Defamation League. ADL, 2012. Web. 19 Nov, 2012. â€Å"The Preamble to The Bill of Rights.† Give me liberty. (N.p.) (n.d.) Web. 27 Nov, 2012. Vogue, De Ariane. â€Å"Supreme Court OK’s Protests at Military Funeral.† ABCnews. 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. Vogue, De Ariane. â€Å"Westboro Baptist Church Comes to the Supreme Court.† ABCnews. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. Williams, Patricia. License And Liberty. Nation 292.13 (2011): 9. Legal Collection. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.

Scottish Government public services reforms

Scottish Government public services reforms The Scottish Government together with local authorities, partners and stakeholders have initiated reforms in the way in which public services should be provided to achieve ‘a sustainable, person-centred system, achieving outcomes for every citizen and every community’. (Scottish Government 2011a) It is believed that everyone has to make a contribution. The Government set the aims to the services that should be person-centred, seamless and proactive. Services that would allow everybody to have best quality of life and give the full potential of contribution to the communities people live in. The key aspects involved in the public service provision focus on equality, respect and dignity, support in overcoming inclusion barriers and general positive outcomes and well being. The underlined values relate also to the individualised needs such as religion, culture or ethnic. Problems such as growth in public spending, social inequalities, poverty, lack of clarity in what lies behind organizations etc. have their origins in the way different services are funded, planned and managed. However, the aim of the Scottish Government remains unchanged and is to reduce the frustration resulting on long standing problems such as inefficiency of the public services, and the gaps that frequently exist within care systems. (Scottish Government Publications 2000). Researchers investigate what people value most to archive real-life improvements in the social and economic wellbeing of the people and communities. Half of the public finds that the Government’s foreground for service provision should be what is good for everyone in society as a whole (Ipsos MORI, 2010). This show that a progress in the development of an integrated public service has already occurred but requires continuation to success. Reaching an understanding It needs to be understood that public services and support systems exist for the society that use them. Evidence such as Christie Commission report (Christie, 2011), demonstrate that the needs have not always been central to the planning of services. The people that use the services often perceive themselves to be not sufficiently informed and not fully able to take part in the growth process of the services. Some changes in the service provision in relation to ‘shifting the philosophy ’ have already taken place. This makes the service provision more user centred and allows the user to participate actively in the changes and benefit the majority. (Rose, 2003) Client centredness became the watchword for the twenty-first century; however the progress in the implementation of person-centred planning in practice appears slow. Since devolution, there has been development, changes and new policies for health care, with reorganisations taking place, that are generally called reforms. These refer mainly to patients choice; system efficiency; quality of care and accountability acquired through transparency. In Scotland, for example, the separation of purchasing from provision of health care was abolished (National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990); it is not recommended for the providers to compete; The National Health Service (Free Prescriptions and Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Scotland) Regulations (2011) implemented free drugs prescriptions as well as personal social care for the over-65s (Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002). Recent changes relate to the abolition of primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs), new commissioning of clinical groups (CCGs) and  Healthwatch England. Other examples of success relate to improving the quality of services that include smoking ban legislation; lower mortality levels or decrease in heart disease and stroke through a number of governmental initiatives. These changes led Scotland to become a leader in public service reforms and made visible improvements for the Scottish society. The system’s integration with social services discourages provider competition and encourages patient choice and strong performance management. The Scottish Governments 2020 Vision (Scottish Government (a) 2013) aims to enable everyone to live a life that is longer, healthier; possibly at home or in a homely setting. To achieved that the healthcare system that focuses on prevention and anticipation and on the integration with social care. Positive changes improving people’s lives do take place at national and local levels. However, studies show that the public are overall more negative about services nationally and show positive stance about local services. This can be reasoned by the affirmative actions in which the public can have a bigger impact on how local services operate and the on the decision making. Public Service Trust states that more than a half (58% ) of the public would like to be actively involved in shaping public services. Although this is more than a half of the public it proves that there is the need for more community and local activity an engagement in relation to the public services in order to reduce and minimise the substantial barriers.(Ipsos MORI 2010) These are only a few examples of the improvement that has occurred due to the governmental actions focused at partnetships between service providers and investment in people. (Scottish Government (c ) (2013) New legislation was introduced ( The Scottish Government (c)2013) to improve the integration of health and social care provision to make care for the citizens better. This affects particularly older people free personal care for them and acknowledging the facts highlighted in the Christie report (Christie, C. 2011) that by 2033, the number of people aged over 75 will increase by 84%. The report ( Christie, 2011) estimates however that additional demands on social care and justice services will be costly ( Although there is evidence demonstrating progress especially in implementing diverse and innovative approaches that appeal to healthcare and social care professionals, practitioners and policymakers there are also many challenges of implementing the client-centerness. Achieving outcomes for every citizen and every community While many professionals espouse the principles of client-centred practice it seems much more difficult to implement these into everyday practice. Health care providers, staff and clients must work together to facilitate changes and ensure that each client receives respectful, supportive, coordinated, flexible and individualized service where standards affirm basic ethical principles, beneficence and social justice. This is however a real change, due to many factors including changes in funding, culture and power relations, as well as in approaches to service management and staff supervision. This is why attention is paid to more openly and transparent performance of the services .This however according to Dr Barry ( Barry, M. 2007) requires comprehensive strategies to ensure fair, good quality but foremost integrated services for people with the knowledge and well structured priorities in relation to their professional and social roles. Across researchers (Ipsos MORI, 2010), it is to see that not all the issues policymakers find important for reforming public services resonate with the general public at the same levels. The fairness, good quality standards of customer service, local control, accountability, personalisation and choice are seen as public’s key priorities, however the first two aspects seem to be more important to the public. 63% think that standards of public services should be the same for everyone and everywhere in UK and over 47% would prefer greater local decision-making. This could be a consequence of declining trust in politicians. The findings of Ipsos MORI (2008/9) suggest that the citizens would like to feel more welcomed to take a part in an honest debate about the options ahead for public services because information about the scale of the approaching challenges has not reached citizens in a form they understand. This demonstrates the need of more control and choice in the consumer, and facilitates individualised rather than universal services. Roles, relationships and responsibilities of partners within an integrated public service. Many of current public services continue to operate on the basis of the traditional model of service provision. To allow the changes in how resources are managed and allocated to happen there is a growing need for appropriately trained staff and management. However to support the reforming public services change for a well integrated multi-agency working not just at managerial level is needed but a change to the whole culture that governs services. Collaborative working, partnership and community involvement Co-operation that would replace competition is required as well as focus on professional responsibility on meeting the increasing complexity. (Royal College of Nursing, 2004). The collaborative work, in practice should involve joint planning between health authorities both local and national as well as the private and voluntary sectors and education. Working together includes the whole process of researching, assessing, planning, implementing and evaluation. Balancing power relations in partnership across cultures, ethical, political or religious differences play an important role in promoting appropriate services for the service users. Teamwork and partnership often do not operate in an integrated way where the patient or service user would be seen as the central figure. The users involvement is vital. Working together, joining trade unions, expanding knowledge and engaging with local authorities helps find ways to reach excluded and marginalised groups of a society.(Department of Health 2000 a). This is already notable in the programs of most of the political parties. The citizens empowerment is seen as a social manner that can influence and shape the public services to suit better the users need. Giving people a say in the design and delivery of public services. This is however a social challenge as the public opinion research show a decrease from 58% to 47% in disposition to the interests in decision-making related to the local areas. ( Ipsos MORI 2010). This is why people should be motivated to get involved in collaboration and partnerships within the public services, they should be offered the chance to share experiences and discuss actions and widen the pool of resources and skills. The impetus for integration and collaboration has been pointed out in legislations and government policies such as The Vital Connection (Department of Health, 2000a), NHS plan (Department of Health, 2000b) or in the Governments Equality Framework (Department of Health, 2012) This demonstrates clearly that seamless health and social services provision has been a concern of policy makers for many years and that the UK governments underline the need for collaboration. However when the public was asked about getting personally involved in local decision-making, the commitment to involvement in decisions affecting their local area has dropped to 47% from 56%. (Ipsos MORI (2010). This could be one of the explanations why problems continue to exist. Service planning, empowerment and engagement The notion of empowerment is central. This however requires peoples engagement. Research shows that people find that vast majority are more interested in having a say (24%) or in knowing more (47%) than actually getting engaged. The service planning should therefore include informative element how the services are delivered and by whom for the users in order to engage them to recreate services they need. According to the annual Audit of Political Engagement only 11% of adults can be classified as ‘political activists’ and over half the public (51%) have no interests. (Ipsos MORI 2010). It seems that co-making decisions is less important than having the influence to make them. Managers and frontline workers Poor image, desinformation and low pay contribute to general feelings of helplessness among many frontline workers that should be involved decision-making and planning processes (Eborall,2003). Managerial styles need to be empathetic in order for frontline staff to adopt person-centred approaches to their work ( Sherad, D. 2004) A good style helps demonstrate and articulate the values of the organisation, values personal commitment and relationships with the people it supports. Look for ways to use staff interests and strengths in directly supporting people. The style shall rather review itself in decision making and in having a clear vision and direction. This encourages new ideas as well as personal involvement and helps to achieve the purpose as a team. . The Government support management and frontline staff in public services by implementing programmes that lead to integration of health and social care. One of the examples is The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Bill. The act underlines the importance of the integrated work for health and social care provision across Scotland. They both have a key role to play reforming the public services, therefore the reform should involve more educational, council, employer and training bodies to help improve the workforce awareness and leadership development. Also thethird sector organisations should have access to appropriate skills development opportunities, including leadership development .(The Scottish Government ( 2011 b) Summarising it needs to be believed that people learn from the past experiences and improve partnership at local and national levels to build a well functioning system that could seamlessly provide care for the whole community, including people with complex care needs because at the end of the day we do it for us. ( words 2641) References: Barry, M. (2007) Effective Approaches to Risk Assessment in Social Work: An International Literature Review Social Work Research Centre University of Stirling Scottish Executive Social Research [online] available http://scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/194419/0052192.pdf [accessed 11.11.13] Christie, C. (2011) Commission on the future delivery of public services [online] available http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/352649/0118638.pdf [accessed 01.12.13] Department of Health (2000 a ) The Vital Connection an equalities framework for the NHS [online] available http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4007652 [accessed 11.12.13] Department of Health (2000 b) The NHS Plan: Principles [online] available http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en/publicationsandstatistics/publications/publicationspolicyandguidance/browsable/DH_4901318 [ accessed 11.12.13] Department of Health (2012) NHS Outcomes Framework 2013 to 2014 [online] available https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-outcomes-framework-2013-to-2014 [ accessed 02.12.13] Eborall, C. (2003) The State of the Social Care Workforce in England. First annual report of the TOPSS England Workforce Intelligence Unit [online] available www.topssengland.net [ accessed 10.11.13] Hall, S. (2009) Spending priorities in the benefits system: Deliberative research with the public DWP Research Report No 559. Ipsos MORI (2008/9) Real Trends Slide Pack [online] available http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/publications/1191/Real-Trends-Flyer.aspx [accessed 11.12.13] Ipsos MORI (2009) Public Services and Public Spending, RSA Slide Pack Leaders, Parties and spending cuts [online] available http://www.ipsos-mori.com/Assets/Docs/News/news-ipsos-mori-conferences-2009-briefing-pack.pdf [ accessed 18.12.13] Ipsos MORI (2010) What do people want, need and expect from public services [online] available http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/publications/1345/What-do-people-want-need-and-expect-from-public-services.aspx [ accessed 12.12.13] Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Bill (2013) [online] available http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_HealthandSportCommittee/Public%20Bodies%20Joint%20Working%20Scotland%20Bill/PBJW0073_-_Scottish_Social_Services_Council.pdf [ accessed 01.12.13] Rose, D. (2003) Partnership, co-ordination of care and the place of user involvement Journal of Mental Health, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 59–70 [online] available http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09638230021000058300 [ accessed 01.12.13] Royal College of Nursing (2004) Collaborative working, partnership and community involvement [online] available http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/learning/transcultural_health/multiagency/sectiontwo [ accessed 11.11.13] Sheard, D. (2004) Person-centred care: the emperor’s new clothes? Journal of Dementia Care, March/April, Vol. 12, Issue 2, pp. 22–4 The Scottish Government ( 2011 a) Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services [online] available http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/06/27154527/10 [ last accessed 09.01.14] The Scottish Government ( 2011 b)  £7 million for third sector [online] available http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2011/07/18120453 [ accessed 10.11.13] The Scottish Government (2013 b) Route Map to the 2020 Vision for Health and Social Care (no author) Topics[online] available http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/Policy/Quality-Strategy/routemap2020vision (last accessed 04.10.13) The Scottish Government (2013 c) Scotland leads the way on public service reform (no author) News [online] available http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2013/06/PSR19062013 [ accessed 01.12.13] The Scottish Government (a) (2000) Our National Health A plan for action, a plan for change ( Deacon, S) Publications [online] available http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/158732/0043081.pdf (last accessed 05.12.13) The Scottish Government 2013 a) 2020 Vision (no author) Topics [online] available http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/Policy/2020-Vision (last accessed 04.10.13) Reading: Social Research (2004) Health and Community Care Research Programme Public Attitudes to the National Health Service in Scotland http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/26800/0025702.pdf – 2004 Survey Research st accessed 04.10.13)Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services