Saturday, August 31, 2019

Air Pollution. What is it?

Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution. Pollutants of major public health concern include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause respiratory and other diseases, which can be fatal. Conservation of our environment has been a topic of discussion and concern to many leaders around the world throughout history. There is every need and reason for human beings to talk of the environment since the life wholly depends of the ability of the environment to support it without any threat. As a result, the fight against environmental pollution is still a challenge in both developed and developing countries. This aimed at having safe and sustainable water, air and soil among other natural resources. Of great concern has been air pollution. What is air pollution? This can be simply described as the introduction of harmful materials into the atmosphere which cause harm to human beings and other living things. The question has always been the understanding of the causes of the causes of air pollution without addressing relevant control measures. Air pollution is mainly caused by exhaust gases from cars, burning of low-quality coal for heating and uncontrolled factory releases. Ownership and use of cars and other automobiles has been considered as one of the greatest developments in the transport industry. Although cars are a luxury in life, many people have never given a thought to the harm they have on the environment. Research has revealed that exhaust gases from cars contribute significantly to air pollution in the world today. How exactly does this occur? It is important to mention that exhaust from cars, trucks and other engines release harmful gases to the atmosphere which severely affect life on earth. Common and dangerous gases emitted in the atmosphere include but not limited to carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide. Nevertheless, the process of emission has never been understood by many people who do understand air pollution. While the levels of these emissions ay seem minute and negligible, many lives continue to suffer. Global warming which is a worldwide scourge mainly emanates from high levels of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere. Accumulation of this gas in the atmosphere causes pores in the ozone layer, allowing the penetration of dangerous rays to the earth surface. It is painful to mention that most of the cancer related infections affecting the current generation are highly brought ab out by global warming. How economical and healthy would life be without it! In addition, Carbon monoxide causes respiratory problems in human beings. High levels of this gas inhibit proper breathing which may lead to suffocation and eventually death. Air pollution is also caused by burning of low-quality coal for heating. The use of low-quality coal and petroleum products threatens the safety and quality of air. When this type of coal is burnt, cases such as carbon dioxide are released to the atmosphere causing extremely severe effects to the environment. This has been on the increase due to ever growing demand for coal as the main source of energy and its fair availability. Carbon dioxide combines with oxygen and atmospheric water vapor to form a weak carbonic acid. This means that air becomes concentrated with the acid. During the process of rain formation this acid reaches the earth surface in the form acid rain which has countless effects. Acid rain is corrosive and affects plants and animals. This corrosion causes skin cancer and scorches plants. Acid rain also destroys metals and iron sheets used for roofing. Uncontrolled industrial emissions is another cause if air pollution. This has remained a thorn in the flesh of many leaders especially those from industrialized nations. Untreated gaseous releases to the atmosphere do more harm than good to people. Gases like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide contribute to thousands of health and environmental problems. Like Carbon dioxide, oxides of sulfur and nitrogen also lead to the formation of acid rain which later reaches the earth surface resulting to corrosion, destruction of crops on farms and cancer related infections among others. It is obvious that the world has to do something to salvage the atmosphere from pollution. Use of refined and good uality can help in cutting down the emission of dangerous gaseous materials in air. Finally, leaders need to formulate policies which control the amount of industrial waste released in the atmosphere. These are just but among numerous solutions towards air pollution. Nevertheless, exhaust gases from cars, burning of low-quality coal for heating and uncontrolled factory releases remain key causes of air pollution. Exposure to air pollution is associat ed with numerous effects on human health, including pulmonary, cardiac, vascular, and neurological impairments. The health effects vary greatly from person to person. High-risk groups such as the elderly, infants, pregnant women, and sufferers from chronic heart and lung diseases are more susceptible to air pollution. Children are at greater risk because they are generally more active outdoors and their lungs are still developing. Exposure to air pollution can cause both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) health effects. Acute effects are usually immediate and often reversible when exposure to the pollutant ends. Some acute health effects include eye irritation, headaches, and nausea. Chronic effects are usually not immediate and tend not to be reversible when exposure to the pollutant ends. Some chronic health effects include decreased lung capacity and lung cancer resulting from long-term exposure to toxic air pollutants. The scientific techniques for assessing health impacts of air pollution include air pollutant monitoring, exposure assessment, dosimetry , toxicology, and epidemiology. Although in humans pollutants can affect the skin, eyes and other body systems, they affect primarily the respiratory system. Air is breathed in through the nose, which acts as the primary filtering system of the body. The small hairs and the warm, humid conditions in the nose effectively remove the larger pollutant particles. The air then passes through the pharynx, esophagus, and larynx before reaching the top of the trachea. The trachea divides into two parts, the left and the right bronchi. Each bronchi subdivides into increasingly smaller compartments. The smallest compartments of the bronchi are called bronchioles, which contain millions of air sacs called alveoli. Together, the bronchioles and alveoli make up the lungs. Both gaseous and particulate air pollutants can have negative effects on the lungs. Solid particles can settle on the walls of the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles. Most of these particles are removed from the lungs through the cleansing (sweeping) action of â€Å"cilia†, small hair-like outgrowths of cells, located on the walls of the lungs. This is what occurs when you cough or sneeze. A cough or sneeze transports the particles to the mouth. The particles are removed subsequently from the body when they are swallowed or expelled. However, extremely small particles may reach the alveoli, where it takes weeks, months, or even years for the body to remove the particles. Gaseous air pollutants may also affect the function of the lungs by slowing the action of the cilia. Continuous breathing of polluted air can slow the normal cleansing action of the lungs and result in more particles reaching the lower portions of the lung. Briefly there are three main principle strategies to solve the air pollution problem which can be categorized as energy efficiency ,reduce waste and move to non-polluting renewable of energy production. In the first place and as the simplest strategy, reducing waste can be considered. Waste products increasing day by day and they have the effect of air pollution highly. If people care to reduce waste, the problem can be solved. To begin with, people choose eco-friendly product instead of non-environmentally friendly product such as handcraft products, paper bags and notebook. Therefore they can reduce waste. Secondly people can use hybrid cars and they can become prevalent using hybrid cars. This will not only increase waste of environment but also people attend to protect nature. Finally we can recycle our products. We are grouping in the form of waste such as glass, plastic, paper. We send them to recycling. In this way we reduce waste. This in three ways, we reduce waste so we can prevent the speared of air pollution. As previously stated, the second way to deal with air pollution crisis can be solved energy efficiency. People prevent unnecessary gas emissions by using energy efficiency. If they provide energy efficiency, they can reduce using fossil fuels so that they can prevent air pollution. First of all, people can benefit from sunshine. They can install solar-powered appliances in their home and job. By doing this , they can have a very large economic saving. The energy savings in a home and job reduce energy consumption. For example, they use combining insulation, high R-value windows, weather sealing, efficient hot water heating and other that minimize energy use. Thanks to energy efficiency , they expect to see lower energy bills and lower water bills. People can be save energy with some steps. To illustrate, they can check their windows for cracks and breaks in the seals but its long way to savings energy. Another step is adjust their thermostat before going to sleep. By doing this, their thermostat doesn’t work for hours. It is only working set hours. Secondly using time efficiency is another part of energy savings. For example the sun heats day time but it coals at night so they must use thermostat for to heat their house. This is very expensive for them. Therefore if they set up their time, they can use energy much longer and they will not have to use the thermostat. Finally people can establish organization to direct people to use energy efficiently or can support existing organizations. Actually we have very important organizations that inform to people about energy efficiency. These organizations are doing very important things. We can give them at least moral and financial support by joining them. Thus we can provide energy efficiency. By this ways, people can prevent a lot of elements of polluting the environment by using energy efficiency and they would avoid breathing polluted air. The third way to move non-polluting renewable of energy production. Currently widely used in fossil fuels run out and fossil fuels pollutes the air too much. Therefore people tend to non-polluting renewable energy production such as wind, water , and sun beat. Wind power is very important source for generating electricity. According to Jacobson, the important way to improve energy security, mitigate reduce the number of death caused by air pollution to storm and bluster in the wind. It is very cheap than nuclear power plant and fossil fuels and it is cleaning. Another part of non-polluting renewable product is water rippling is another important way to product energy without polluting air. If government establish baraj, they can provide electricity for people. It is effective way to protect air pollution to people. Actually this way has been used worldwide for a long time to generate huge amounts of power from water stored. In this ways, people save energy as well as they protect nature and they don’t pollute the air. They would do something that does not harm for humans. To sum up, reduce waste, energy efficiency and move to non-polluting renewable of energy productivity are the three main ways to solve air pollution problem. Reduce waste is the easiest way to solve air pollution because it needs much less labor work than the other ways but it will be satisfied for to cleaning environment. Energy efficiency is the best way to solve air pollution because of helping by whole people that they can help and support energy efficiency. Because energy efficiency save both the environment and their money and move to non-polluting renewable of energy production is still the most difficult way to solve air pollution. The information show that people pay more attention to this issue every day and science and technology is developing rapidly people believe that experts will solve the problem. We should give more effort to solve this problem until that day.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Does Immigration Contribute to a Better America

Does Immigration Contribute to a Better America? Ever since this country was first discovered and settled, people from countries all over the world left their homelands and migrated to the â€Å"New World†. People from Spain, Germany, France, England and Asia traveled great distances to reach a new land of opportunity, to perhaps escape religious persecution or tyrant rulers. For centuries America has been viewed as a place for a fresh start, a place where anybody can come and begin a new life and follow their hopes and dreams. Even today people come to America for the exact same reasons that they did all those years before.However unlike the immigration of our ancestors, the immigrants of today aren’t able to just come here and do what they want without anybody noticing. Today most people view immigration as a problem to the United States. One of the most easily recognizable groups of today’s immigrants comes from Mexico. The Mexican immigrants often come here f or better economic and living opportunities than they had at home. But no matter how much these immigrants want to better their lives for themselves and their families, most Americans feel that they are trouble and a drain on our resources.Despite what many think, the Mexican immigrants are helping our nation. The immigrants take many low end jobs that Americans do not want or are over qualified for, they can also boost our economy with the money they earn from working, and they diversify the nation. Immigration does and will contribute to a better America. Most of the immigrants that come to America from Mexico are just looking for a better life for themselves and their families. The immigrants know that there are plenty of jobs in America for them and they are willing to risk being arrested just for a better opportunity.With all these people eager to work, you would think the immigrants would be more accepted by the American people. There are many jobs that most Americans simply w ill and do not want to take due to low pay and amount of work. But thanks to immigrants that would love to have the opportunity to work in our country these jobs are taken. With each immigrant that comes and gets a job, more money is spent within the American economy. The more money spent in the economy will eventually help it grow making us a more prosperous nation financially.The more money the immigrants spend in the US the more demand they cause for the people who make the goods they purchase. But the immigrants do not only help our country when they make money in the US, many send money home to their loved ones to help pay for things they need. Immigration does not only help the economy of the US, it also benefits the country that the immigrant comes from. According to Philippe Legrain, a journalist and economist, â€Å"migrants from poor countries working in rich ones send home much more – $200 billion a year officially,† (The Case for Immigration).With all this money coming and going from immigrants, it’s unbelievable that we look down on immigration. The people who make the immigration laws are blind to the fact that the migrants help our economy. Instead of trying to keep migrants out we should allow them easier access into our nation for work, and then when they are ready they should be allowed to leave. Once immigrants get into the US many become stuck and unable to go home because it is too risky. If we allowed them to move freely most would just come temporarily to get enough money for what they need back home.According to Legrain, â€Å"Most migrants do not want to leave home forever: they want to go work abroad for a while to earn enough to buy a house or set up a business back home. † (The Case for Immigration). Of course some of the migrants would want to stay, but there wouldn’t be an overwhelming number of them. The immigrants that do settle would not only contribute to our work force and economy, they will add diversity to our country. Having many people from all over the world is something that can be beneficial to any country. Many of America’s venture-capital backed start-ups have immigrant founders. Legrain) With introduction of new peoples come new ideas, cultural experiences, and skills that can all be used to benefit our country. High skilled people from other countries could help American companies develop new drugs, technologies, appliances and even new architectural ideas. † Twenty-one of Britain’s Nobel-prize winners arrived in the country as refugees. † (Legrain) The foreigners with new ideas could spark the next big American innovation with their different ways of thinking and perspective. Since they are new to our country they see differently than we do, and can have a completely different view on things.This cultural diversity can also transform little towns into cities with the new people inhabiting them. The immigrants could bring in their c ultures and help build our towns into culturally diverse cities that would maybe attract tourists and new residents. Although there are many benefits of immigration, many believe that the immigrants would take away from American workers and steal jobs. However this is not true, many immigrants cannot compete with American workers due to skill differences and jobs they are willing to do.Also, there aren’t a fixed number of jobs going around for everyone, and immigrant workers are not substitutes for American ones. These fallacies are really what deter many American people from lowering the immigration laws and allowing more immigrants into the country. If the people of our country knew the benefits of having more immigrants, the laws wouldn’t be so strict and more migrants would be allowed to come and work in our country. It is time that the government really recognizes the benefits of immigration to our country.More immigrants means more working people, more working pe ople means a lower unemployment rate and more money being spent in our country. The more money spent in the US means a better economy which is something that this country needs. We need to allow the immigrants into our country not only to help us, but to help them make money for themselves and their families. If America truly is an equal opportunity country, then we need to give all people the same opportunities. Sources: â€Å"Philippe Legrain. † The Case for Immigration :. N. p. , n. d. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. http://www. philippelegrain. com/the-case-for-immigration/.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Assignment 1

Can sit unsupported on floor for a period of 10-15 minutes. Is able to lean forward to pick up an object while maintaining balance. Can rotate body to look sideways and reach out to grasp a suspended object or to pick up a toy from the floor. Demonstrates energetic movements of entire body while in cot, pram or bath. Is able to advance across the floor by using rolling or squirming movements. Makes attempts to crawl and is occasionally successful. Has the ability to strand by using surrounding objects as support to achieve an upright position. But is unable to lower themselves back to the floor in a controlled fashion. When supported in a standing position, can take steps using alternative feet. Demonstrates a visual awareness of people, objects and events which occur in the environment. When offered an object, they will reach out to grab it. Handles objects eagerly and inquisitively, using hands to manipulate them for examination. Pokes at small objects with index finger and uses same finger to point at objects which are out of reach. Can pick up small objects between finger and thumb in a crude ‘pincer’ hold. Can release a held object by dropping it, but is unable to set it down in a controlled manner. Correctly follows the direction of fallen objects, including those falling out of sight. Observes actions of adjacent adults, children and animals with interest for period of a few minutes. Become steady on their feet and display more controlled movements. Can carry an object such as a toy whilst walking. Can climb onto a large chair and turn to sit on it. Kneel without any support and squat to pick up an object. Begin to run steadily but cannot avoid objects. Begin to walk upstairs using a railing, putting two feet on each step. Point to objects that they recognise. Build a small tower using 3-4 blocks. Hold their own spoon when feeding themselves. Hold a pencil with their whole hand or between the thumb and the first two fingers, known as primitive tripod grasp. Can thread large beads onto lace. walks or run by self up and down steps. can stand ,walk and hop. Skilfully climbs trees. Rides a trike expertly . Able to cross arms and legs. Able to throw, catch, Bounce and kick a ball. Dance to music Able to walk on a fine line Able to stand alone on 1 foot for about 1o seconds Can stretch touch toes without moving knees. Can grip strongly with both hands. Able to hop a short distance using both feet. Jump from objects with confidence Able to run and jump avoiding objects Hop with good balance and using both feet and kick a football Able to throw and catch with accuracy Use a two wheeled bicycle with or without stabilisers Skip alternating feet Build towers with blocks high and straight Hold a pencil, write numbers or letters, write their own name May start writing simple stories Walk along bean using arms for balance Use apparatus with skill Increased stamina Use colours naturalistic (green for grass/blue for sky Draw people with features Use a large needle to sew Can ride a 2 wheeled bike quite easily Can skip, hop and run quite confidently Begin to change in appearance and experience puberty Have more control in writing Become more detailed in drawing Growth accelerates Puberty Boys voice changes Girls breast grow Appetites increase Skin may become more oily, causing problems such as acne. Emotional, Social, Behavioural and Moral Newborn– 6 months 9 months –15mts 18 Months – 3 Years 4 – 5 Years 6 – 7 Years 8 – 12 Years 13 to 19 Years New born till 1 month:- Cuddling Shows pleasure at feeding 1-3 months:- Smiles at familiar adult Forces on adult face when being feed Starting to show emotions Take pleasure in sucking Looks in direction when someone is speaking 3-6 months:- Gets pleasure from familiar routine e. g. bedtime bath time Forces on parent/carer giver when feeding Shows enjoyment when cradled Smiles at everyone in their surrounding Stay awake for pro-longed periods At this age 70% sleep through the night 6-9months:- Copies other people emotions Starts finger foods Becomes upset when parent/carer leaves room Becomes shy around strangers Begin to share toys 9-12months:- Likes to chew/suck on objects Drinks from cup with a lid Takes pleasure in making noise with toys Gets pleasure from pointing at what they want Enjoys solitary play Likes familiar adult to be close by ( make strange) Gets pleasure from music and rhyme Know what they want when feeding and at bed time May want a comforter when unsettled

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Alice DunbarNelson's poem, I Sit and Sew Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Alice DunbarNelson's poem, I Sit and Sew - Essay Example Like the tasks of sewing, washing, cooking, etc., the rhyming couplets of a poem echo the 'scheme' of tasks that a woman must perform day in and day out, without reprieve. The refrain, although it is identical each time, does not rhyme with any other line or exist as part of a couplet. This seems to indicate that although it is a repeated emotion that the narrator feels very often, it is nevertheless not repetitive like the chores she has to do. Its repetition instead indicates that it is a powerful emotion that she feels again and again, an emotion that does not find an outlet and remains bottled up inside her. The first stanza contains a striking juxtaposition of the "useless task" of sewing with the tasks that men have to perform, which are instilled with grandeur and dignity, and are located in the public/political sphere, whereas the woman is confined to the domestic/personal sphere of existence: The lives of men are played out against a grandiose backdrop, suggested by words such as "panoply," "martial," and "grim-faced." In contrast, the woman is obviously relegated ton being one of the "lesser souls" who cannot participate in the all-important tasks of war and politics. The word "pageant" in stanza two may be compared with the word "panoply" in the first stanza. While the men are out creating history, women seem to be destined to play pre-determined roles in a pageant or masquerade which does not allow them to determine their own identities, but rather to passively sit back and accept the roles that a patriarchal agendas has created from them; they are defined by someone else's ideal of what they should be like. The first stanza also indicates that women's tasks are full of passivity. The verbs that are used to describe women's actions - "sit," "sew," "aches," etc - are all passive verbs that can be performed while staying in the same position. By contrast, the "martial tread" of men suggests that they are constantly moving forward. They are active while women are passive. Curiously, the appearance of men is described in considerable detail - their faces are grim and their eyes are stern. The woman, contrastingly, is not described at all in terms of her facial expression. It is as if the poet wants to present an external view of men, and an internalized portrait of a woman's thoughts and actions. It is clear that this is a woman's monologue, and that she is only capable of seeing herself as a fragmentary creature; it is only her hands that are described, and only in terms of being "tired." This stanza opens and closes with the refrain, suggesting that the woman's life is circumscribed on every side by reminders that she is supposed to remain passive. The opening lines of the next stanza suggest a burst of passion when the woman says fervently that her "heart aches with desire," but this fire has already been quenched by the "but" that immediately precedes it in the last lines of the previous stanza, reminding her that her task is to sit and sew, to remain passive and obedient. In the second stanza, the tone changes quite dramatically. Whereas the first stanza describes the actions of men in terms of a grand and

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Project Management Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Project Management Plan - Essay Example Presteigne is a small town which is right at the border of Wales and England. This formulates a virtue for its relative isolation. The fact that it is situated between England and Wales makes it a strategic town because both England and Wales will want to contribute to its development and gain from it. The transformation of Presteigne town into a technology city will not only help to strengthen the ties between Wales and England but it will also help in the creation of over 60,000 jobs in the first phase of the project and over 200,000 other in the completion of the project. Since Presteigne is secluded from the modern world it has maintained a great deal of ancient relics of both Wales and England and hence the museum which will be built in the city will also go a long way in preserving the relics and putting them on display for everyone to see. The project will be completed in both phases the first phase will be the longest taking 6 years and the second phase will require 5 years f or completion. By phase one’s completion, the following objectives must have been met: a science and technology square, a commerce process outsourcing center, intercontinental finance center an ancient relic’s museum, tourism amenities, a top notch research center and other basic social utilities such as schools churches malls and the like. The completion of this phase will be accompanied by a creation of over 60,000 job opportunities for citizens of both England and Wales the second phase will only be a polishing up of the facilities and the establishment of other multinational companies in the city. At its completion around 200,000 jobs will have been created with the highest percentage coming from the science and technology square. Assessment of the project environment For expediency of a project, its environment must be considered might be considered. The considerations of the environment are done in the perspectives of the project period environment, the interior project mores, the commercial culture, and the exterior societal environs when a consideration of the internal and external factors that might influence the project was done, the following was established. The factors external to the project included political interference, demonstrations by the town’s residents, remoteness of the town and also the unavailability of building materials in the town. The internal factors included leadership techniques and organizational charter which was espoused for the project and the management of the funds of the project since the project was running on a limited budget and there were numerous risk factors that surrounded the project. Project organization If it is possible, a project ought to be seen through by an incorporated squad comprising of the client squad, specialist consultants, constructors and professional contractors functioning jointly as a unitary squad. To attain a thriving incorporation of synchronized numerous activities; th e activities must be clustered. Clustering effect is a "chaining" or "networking" activities based on recognizing criterion: practical technology, ordinary clientele, geographical vicinity, the manufacturing procedure, etc. Gareis (2004) and Thiry and Deguire (2007, p. 652) recognized three main factors that can improve organizational structure of any project and these factors include: 1. Horizontal incorporation progression of projects in the artefact’

Monday, August 26, 2019

History of Wireless Electricity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History of Wireless Electricity - Research Paper Example When Maxwell presented a theory about electro-magnetic theory it stimulated the scientific environment and scientific investigators from all over the world started to look for its experimental proof or authentication. In fact, the scientists and investigators were sure about that it can be survived and achieved in an environment of keen anticipation, strangely encouraging to the response of any proof to this conclusion. Without a doubt, the history of science reveals that ideas and concepts are unpreserved. In fact, every new idea and concept beings improved perspective and understanding of nature and the environment and as a result of this improvement our thoughts and concepts are adapted and improved (Tesla, 2006; Bomber, 2006; Shinohara, 2010). Actually, in the 1891, Dr. Hertz did not present a new theory or an opinion. On the other hand, he just presented his ideas regarding equipment and how it supports to the theory which had already been presented by some other scientists. If we would have taken notice of it then it was not surprising that an electric circuit, processed through an interrupted current, release a wide variety of space signals, however nobody else ever tried to understand their character. So, Dr. Hertz was the first who actually presented a practical authentication that there were transversal signals and waves in the atmosphere. In this scenario, the majority of people considered this thought as his huge achievement. However, in actual fact it can be seen that the eternal value of this theory or idea was not so much in this theory as in the getting the concentration of investigators on the actions are being performed in the ambient means Hence, it gave the Hertz-wave theory a huge importance in the history of wireless energy transmission, in view of the fact that its charming control over the thoughts, had hushed resourceful endeavor in the wireless energy sector as well as retained it for more than twenty-five years (Tesla, 2006; Bomber, 2 006; Shinohara, 2010). However, in contrast, it does not seem feasible to allow too much for the positive and valuable consequences of the influential motivations that it has given in a number of fields. In fact, with regards to the transmission of signals and wires without using wires, the use of these radiations of this operation was absolutely clear. In addition, many times Dr. Hertz was asked the questions about the feasibility and usefulness of such kind of transmission model, and he never thought so, however in the end he was accurate in his prediction. In this scenario, one of the best ways that someone might have anticipated was a way of transmission of signals and communication like the heliographic and causes to experience the same or even more restrictions (Tesla, 2006; Bomber, 2006; Shinohara, 2010). Figure 1Tesla Tower, Image Source: (Mohammed, Ramasamy, & Shanmuganantham, 2010) It was the spring of 1891 when Dr. Nikola Tesla delivered a presentation using a high freque ncy machine at the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) at Columbia College. This demonstration actually formed the basis of an original and hopefully departure. Even though, at that time there had been presented a large number of theories and laws on the subject of electrical resonance, however none of the theory actually focused on experimental and practical authentication of these facts. Hence, it is believed that the experiments performed by Dr. Nikola Tesla are believed to be the first public demonstration

Business law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Business law - Assignment Example Since Joe’s work includes a lot of heavy machinery and labour, one of the main regulatory and legal issues within the legal framework to be adhered to should be employee security and safety. He should also be able to provide adequate amount of medical facilities to his workers in case anything goes wrong since he is aware that he is working with heavy machinery that is likely to cause damages due to negligence. Thus, Joe should modify his business in such a manner that he does not get held or prosecuted for wrongfully being negligent about these crucial parts of his business. Since Joe’s work is mainly based on contract laborers, Joe should lay down a set of terms and conditions pertaining to the entirety of the business so that he comes off as taking at least some amount of charge for anything that happens or goes wrong. This can be done with ease since he already has a high number of clients and a building repute. (Legal Issues With Contract Labour) All these measures will not only help Joe to safeguard his employees and maintain his repute but might also help to check the reasons for the high rate of employee turnover that exists within his firm. When it comes to the choice of entity, it means what type the business will actually take place as, from a legal aspect of course. Here the main thing to be discussed is what kind of a firm Joe will form for his own. According to all the information provided, Joe already has a company because he has a number of workers working for him, however he owns it solely. If he wishes, he may convert this into a partnership form of firm because he can then have someone else sharing the profits, since the revenue turnover is extremely high, that would not really be a problem. Also, the main thing to look into is the fact that in a partnership, the liability is extended out to all the partners and

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 18

Case study - Essay Example Some of his character traits that contributed to his recognition as a unique leader are compassion, forgiveness and humility. On his first day in office, Mandela gathers his staff for a meeting to express his expectations of his staff. Mandela takes charge and develops a plan to accomplish goals to show his duty as a leader. Integrity is portrayed when Mandela’s staff expects him to retaliate for decades of apartheid but instead he shows compassion and gives them the option to stay and rebuild the country. To show respect, Mandela leaves his body guards out in the hall because he wants to face everyone on an even level. Throughout Mandela’s speech the body language of the staff changes from expecting to be fired to realizing that they are welcome to stay on and work for a common goal. Mandela interrupts the meeting of the National Sports Council to persuade them to rescind their vote on changing the name of the Springboks, their uniforms and their emblem. He go es ahead and asks the captain about leadership, "How do you make them better than they think they can be?† in this case Mandela tries to practice the job of a leader in which it is to make the followers in believing that they are capable of doing more than they think it’s possible (Carlin, 2009). In order the organization to achieve its noble quest, the leader is required to not only see the horizon but also make what is over the horizon tangible. Mandela wanted to use the rugby team to reconcile the country and bring them together instead of resorting to petty revenge. Mandela’s actions demonstrate integrity by choosing the difficult right over the easy wrong. Transformation is one of the contemporary theories that is seen being applied to Mandela’s leadership. Mandela acts as a transformation leader for example in an individualized consideration. Mandela greets each player by his or her names, showing he respects each one individually.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Effect of Social Networking on Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Effect of Social Networking on Education - Essay Example Advantages and disadvantages of social networking are described from the point of view of emotional behavior, attitude, and performance of students and teachers. Apart from this, financial aspect is also described in the paper. In the same way, disadvantages of social networking are also explained in detail by using some examples. The paper also explains that how the involvement of parents in social networking of children affects the education. Since most of the students and teachers are more active in developing their social networks to get good job opportunities, therefore special attention is given to this point in the paper. Not only is this, but in order to give a clear picture of the points discussed in the paper some studies are also incorporated. This paper also describes the impact on the education of those students who are not active in their social networks and the impact of social networking on educational institutions is explained. Some recommendations are provided in th e end, which explains that, how to use social networking positively. Social Networking and Education In this modern era, social networking is spreading everywhere. As in other areas of life, social networking has a large impact on education. According to some theories, interaction increases learning and through social networking students interacts with other students, professionals, teachers, counselors, etc. The interchange of material, social, and informational resources between two individuals is referred as ties between them. This interchange of resources is called relations in the analysis of social networking (Kear, pg 120). Relations in the social networking are both positive as well as negative. According to the researchers, advice and friendship relations have positive impact on education and learning. However, on the other hand, some relations have an adverse impact on education. For instance, through social networking students interacts with different students belonging t o different cultures and races, speaking various languages and believing in their own religion. In this way, these students can share with each other about their cultures, religion, and traditions. This interaction with students of different classes makes the students aware of many things. An English student can learn about the culture of a Hindi student and likewise a Hindi student can learn about an English student. Beside this, they can easily discuss about the job opportunities of their countries, which let them aware about good positions in reputable organizations. Through this interaction, students can also get aware about the educational institutions of different countries and it provides an opportunity to them to gain knowledge about the institutions directly from the students over there. Knowledge about the educational institutions can also be gained through internet, magazines and from different websites, but since all these sources are mostly used for marketing purpose, o nly the positive side of the picture is displayed. However, through social networking true knowledge can be gained. People who misguide others are the exceptional cases (Orey, Branch, & Jones, pg 209). Social networking, on the other han

Friday, August 23, 2019

Chinese economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chinese economy - Essay Example China was forced to open coastal ports resulting in a steady flow of trade between the West and the East. According to Rit Nosotro, â€Å"Although the Europeans introduced railroads, highways, and started some industrial activity, the overall effect on China’s economy overall was negligible since it did not involve the hundreds of millions of peasants deep in the interior†. During the early and mid Qing period there was a considerable rise in Chinas population. But since there was no substantial industrial development China could not utilize the excessive manpower nor raise the standard of living. The economic condition of the government was poor since the dynasty could not collect enough taxes from a poor society. Also there was serious corruption as the government ate away a large part of the taxes collected. The powerful landlords evaded government taxes. All this led to a huge tax burden on the peasants. When these oppressed peasants rebelled (Taiping rebellion) the dynasty had to spend more money to control this rebellion thus making the financial conditions even worse. From the mid-19th century onwards political decentralization made collection of taxes more difficult.. Administrative inefficiency led to inefficient financial management. Also the unequal treatises prevented China from raising tariffs on foreign trade to pay off deficits and the government had to take huge foreign loans. To overcome the money problem, government increased domestic taxes causing more rebellions. Also there was an unfavorable balance of trade which reduced the value of the countrys currency thereby reducing the governments income. The wars that China fought with the foreign powers and the resultant war indemnities China had to pay in 1842, 1860, 1896 and 1900 also dented the economy. Finally in 1911 the Qing dynasty was overthrown. In a planned economy or direct economy the state manages the economy.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Ethical Issues in Work Groups Essay Example for Free

Ethical Issues in Work Groups Essay Therapeutic pressure, unlike undue pressure, enables members of a group to help each other discover their individual answers without pressurizing them to accept the answers deemed appropriate by the group. Group thinking enhances unanimity, mental efficiency and moral judgement that are appropriate which each person (William, 1995). In the first five sessions, the leader acted ethically since he provided ample time to explore the views, fears, expectations and interpersonal relationships of the members. He also told them about the risks of potential changes that may occur after the session and assessed their preparedness. However, the leader failed the ethical test in the sixth session by asking Kevin to develop romantic feelings towards Lydia yet she was not his partner (Jameson, 2001). Kevin had already confessed that it was against his religious convictions and commitment on monogamous relationship. He failed to respect Kevin’s values and imposed his own belief on the client. If I was Ryan’s co-leader, I would have delayed the role-play experiment until such a time when we could have gathered enough information that does not compromise the values of each individual. In addition, giving Kevin an ultimatum to complete his assignment was undue pressure since it conflicted with his values and the duties he was given (Herlihy Corey, 2005). Although a group leader might have been faced with the dilemma of identifying personal issues that do not conflict with other members, he had to perform a thorough background check to get enough information that could have enabled him to make informed decisions (McKee, 2004). This would have enabled him to respect the cultural diversity present within group members. To develop Kevin’s assertiveness, I would have invited Hannah and coached Kevin on how he ought to treat her in his first assignment. If this does not prove effective, Kevin’s partner should then be included in the counselling sessions so that the leader can evaluate the source of the problem in the relationship. References Herlihy, B. , Corey, G. (2005). ACA Ethical Standards Casebook. Alexandria, VA, American Counselling Association Jameson, R. (2001). Foundations of Ethical Practice in Psychology. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates McKee, L. (2004). A Historical Perspective Approach for Practicing Managers to Improve Ethics. Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 9, p. 22-24 William, G. (1995). Ethical and legal Issues in Group Counselling. Journal of Ethics and Behavior, Vol. 5, p. 10

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Improve the World Essay Example for Free

Improve the World Essay We all want to make the world a better place, but few of us go beyond this abstract idea to planning for change. Like any goal, it takes thought and determination. You may wonder if you can change the world like the great leaders in history. Remember that these people started out with dreams, just like you, and worked through insecurities, fear and doubt. Although we do live in a world of reformations as economies develop, trade flourishes and as astounding technological advances are made but our world is still far from being perfect. No matter how many advances are made in technologies the world will still need some enhancements. Some recent researches have founded out that the more time rolls by the more this world is getting polluted. A social crisis of unprecedented proportions that the whole planet of ours faces today is environmental pollution. Technology gave man sufficient control over his surroundings; yet by our apparently increasing control over our environment, we have in fact erred and caused the loss of our control over our environment. Due to the global warming and greenhouse gases the world is day by day turning unsafe. We all are living in an insecure environment. Every year thousands of people are killed due to the wars and disputes. Developments in these aspects can improve the world and the lives of the people living in it. If we think of a way how to improve the world and make it a better place to live there can be thousands of things we can do as individuals. As we know that pollution is one of the reasons. We can think of a way to terminate it. Every year thousands of people especially children are influenced by the diseases spreaded in the dirty atmosphere. If we try to reuse, recycle and dispose litter around us the environment can become much cleaner. As far is the wars are concerned we ourselves are behind all the disarray. Following on the values of unity, faith and discipline the world can be a serene place to live in. The modern men can shed his prejudices and baseless notions and eschew war on the realization that all men are brothers. Unless human nature changes, unless there is a change of heart among the leaders of the world as well as the peoples, it is impossible to eliminate the factors that cause war. As far is the development of a man’s nature is concernced in order to make this world a peaceful place education plays an important role in the development of manhood. When literacy rate develops the world itself becomes a better place to live in. According to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus ‘’change is the essence of life. ’’ The world can be made more perfect if change occurs and this change will only occur if the people living in it stay determined and try to achieve their goals in making the mother Earth a better place to live in.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Modernism In And Death Shall Have No Dominion English Literature Essay

Modernism In And Death Shall Have No Dominion English Literature Essay The specific features signified by modernism vary with the user, but most critics agree that it involves a deliberate and radical break with some of the traditional bases both of Western culture and of Western art in the first half of the 20th century. Modernism refers to a cultural movement that strongly revolts against the traditional literary forms and concepts of art, architecture, religion, culture, civilization and literature after the effects of World War I. Modernists believed that art should represent the modern industrialized society, make it new as the American poet Ezra Pound put it, by violating the conventions and rules. Dylan Thomas is considered one of the most important modernist poets of the 20th century. In my essay I will attempt to analyse the modernist techniques in Thomass poem, And Death shall have no dominion. Published in Thomas book 25 poems (1936). Thomass title and refrain is drawn from the verse Romans 6:9 from the bible. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  [2]  Comparing the resurrection of Christ to the resurrection of dying men. Death shall have no claim over man just like death had no claim in Christ. Although this might make the poem look like a Christian religious poem it is not. Thomas was a surrealist and uses elements like imagery, symbolism and the spiritual world to explain death. They shall have stars at elbow and foot. Not only shall the dead men live on, they shall be honored with stars on their elbow and foot. Here Thomas uses symbolism and imagery comparing the dead men with Orion, often referred to as The Hunter, a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the largest, most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky. Signifying, perhaps that the dead men and are now alive in the shape of a natural element, and will be visible from a far just like Orion is visible to the naked eye. But Thomas could also be referring to Greek Mythology. In Greek mythology Orion is killed and the gods raise him to the sky.  [3]  Again Thomas writes that the soul of the dead men shall shine and have an eternal place in the heavens or space. In the last stanza Thomas is being nostalgic about nature in the first five lines. The powerful sounds of sea gulls, the waves breaking and the flowers blowing in the wind. These sounds will not be heard anymore. Thomas then describes how a flower dies because it is no longer able to lift its head because of the heavy raindrops. Thomas then rejects this notion by suggesting that this flower will rise again and break the sun until the sun breaks down. Just like the flower, the dead men will live again through the forces of nature. Thomas comparison of death with nature seems to comfort us/him that death is not the end of life but merely a transit for the beginning of a new life transformed into an element in nature. Although Thomas uses many religious aspects of death he contradicts them with the imagery he uses in the poem. By using imagery Thomas breaks with the conventional familiar way of perceiving death. Thomas does this in several works. Death is a subject he often writes about. In most works Thomas refuses to mourn or accept death. In a way you could argue that by seeing death as a beginning of new life through nature, Thomas was comforting himself with the unity of man and nature.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Ethics of Governments Stance of Homosexuality Essay -- essays researc

Homosexuality, when defined by a dictionary, reads [as a] "sexual desire or behavior directed toward a person or persons of one's own sex ." While its opposite, heterosexuality, is described as: "[a] sexual feeling or behavior directed toward a person or persons of the opposite sex ." Homosexuality can be traced back to the earliest pieces of recorded history, although its definitive origin is unknown, many scientists believe that homosexuality exists in nature, although this is subject to interpretation ("Homosexuality" Wikipedia). Throughout its existence, this lifestyle, or as some call, "choice" has been subject to overly harsh scrutiny from both the legislature and culture. Why should it, that a nation which is founded on principles of freedom, not allow their own citizens to be able practice homosexuality free from societal and government persecution and discrimination? The foundation of the American government is known as the constitution, this document is what all freedoms given to the citizens of the United States receive, along with passages on government. It states...

The Media?s Influence on Eating Disorders Essay -- Anorexia Bulimia Ne

The Media's Influence on Eating Disorders Eating disorders are mental illnesses that affect more than 7 million American women and usually develop in girls ages 12-25. The most common age for a girl to begin having an eating disorder is 17 years old (Discovery Health?). The National Eating Disorders Association states that eating disorders are conditions that arise from factors including physical, psychological, interpersonal, and social issues. Media images help define cultural definitions of beauty and attractiveness and are often acknowledged as one of the factors that contribute to the rise of eating disorders (NEDA). It is evident that the media influences teenage girls to develop eating disorders based on these reasons: the media promotes a thin and unrealistic body image, the media helps define cultural standards of attractiveness, and being exposed to these images can cause one to develop body dissatisfaction. General risk factors for the development of an eating disorder are being a female living in a western society during adolescence or early adulthood. Some characteristics of people who develop eating disorders are low self-esteem, perfectionism, obesity, anxiety and anxiety disorders. Development of eating disorders can arise from a variety of issues besides the media including: biological, psychological or social factors, family issues, and cultural pressures. Eating disorders and certain associated traits can run in the family. Obsessive-compulsive and sensitive-avoidant personality types are more vulnerable to eating disorders. People with a mother or sister with anorexia nervosa are twelve times more likely to develop the disease. If there is family history of any type of eating disorder, ... ..._England_paper.pdf.> National Eating Disorders Association. 2002. 5 Apr. 2005 . National Women?s Health Resource Center. Discovery Health. 2005. 24 Apr. 2005 . Thompson, Kevin J., and Leslie J. Heinberg. ?The Media?s Influence on Body Image Disturbance and Eating Disorders: We?ve Reviled Them, Now Can We Rehabilitate Them Journal of Social Issues 55.2 (1999): 339-353. Valois, Robert F., Keith J. Zullig, E. Scott Huebner, and J. Wanzer Drane. ?Dieting Behaviors, Weight Perceptions, and Life Satisfaction Among Public High School Adolescents.? Eating Disorders 11.4 (2003): 271-288. Women?s Fashion. 17 Apr. 2005 .

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Parking on Campus Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Parking on Campus is a Pain New students entering Western Michigan University are allowed to have a car on campus. With every new freshmen class entering each year, parking poses a problem. WMU is already limited in its parking on campus and since freshmen are allowed to have cars, the students are faced with the dilemma of having nowhere to park or parking quite far from their destination. There are parking problems all over the campus, creating backups in residence hall and other lots, resulting in students parking illegally to avoid walking far distances, which can be quite irritating in the bitter cold. Parking closer seems like the rational thing to do, but it is a risk, which can result in hundreds of dollars worth of traffic tickets, or having your car toed away. Having a car last semester, it was very inconvenient for me to park when it came to driving to class. I was disappointed by the amount of tickets I received, making my parents question whether I really needed a car. I might get a new car next semester but in all honesty I don’t really know if it’s worth it or not, especially if you're living on campus. Riding the bus only involves a shorter walk to class, and I can usually find rides to other places from someone else. Most students however, do want a car and shouldn’t have to think if they should really need one just because of the parking problem on campus. Parking legally by the residence halls is almost impossible. Students who live at particular dorms find themselves faced with the problem of having to park on the other side of campus. Students who live in the valleys comment that they are surprised with the numerous tickets that are written every day and how it isn’t always clearly spelled out where they can park. They complain on how some parking spaces involve lengthy walks in the freezing cold weather, and how easily the lots fill up. Whenever I'm riding with someone and they have to park by my hall or any other, they usually park in the 30 min parking and leave their car there for hours, or in the faculty lots to avoid walking from the lot up the hill. These actio... ...the school eventually gets enough funding they could build more student lots in more well-located spaces, which would greatly reduce the problem. Removing certain designated letter labeled parking lots would construct a first come first served system for everyone, reducing the amount of tickets issued. Parking has become a problem concerning many more students compared to staff. With enough funding, voting, and hard work, I think that eventually they will think of more ways to make parking more convenient for everyone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Parking has been a problem on Western’s campus for a while. Only time will tell if it will get any better or not. The biggest contributing factor seems to be that freshmen are allowed to have cars, creating the dilemma of backed lots, parking somewhere else, or risking parking illegally in other spaces. Freshmen will continue to be allowed to have cars for now because WMU wants their students to have a certain level of freedom and make their own decisions. Realizing many lots will be backed can be a pain but it’s the price to pay for allowing every student to have a car on campus.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

What is Punishment

According to Krauth, (1996), punishment usually involves the deliberate incision of ache, misery or the removal of rights and/or freedom. Basically, these actions are definitely wrong. However, our society/community are using these methods particularly in law-breaking issues to maintain peace and order. The community gives punishment to avoid crimes and violence. The people are encouraged to be vigilant and to disclose any information pertinent to the occurrence of violent offenses (Krauth, 1996). Krauth, (1996) cited that a number of communities in some parts of the world have attempted to develop community-based crime prevention strategies as supplemental action for the government’s efforts in giving punishment. Basically, punishment of offenders in society is a wide context, thus to narrow the context this review will cover only the role and effect of punishment in shaping the behavior of an individual; i. e. parenting and learning strategies which summarizes the studies conducted by Ballantine, J. (2001), Moeller (2001), and Hill (1990). On the other hand, in the report of Hyman and Zelikoff (1987), the issues regarding the worst result of punishment to an individual i. e. trauma is also reviewed. In follow up to this, Bartol (1995) identifies the possible bad result of punishment i. e. aggression. The report concerning the theories of behavior in accordance to learning behavior were further discussed in the paper of Slavin (1995), Kounin (1970), Skinner (1974), Thorndike (1912) and Pavlov, (1927). During our childhood days, our parent usually imposed punishment to us if we got mistakes. Actually, this punishment affects our development as a child. It could have either positive or negative effects. And of the negative effects of it is aggression (Bartol 1995). With this regard, this review of literature also seeks to realize why people permit the legitimation of this type of infiltration. Thus, it evaluates the reason behind why discipline relies on punishment and negative consequences to improve child’s behavior. Punishment also affects the education and learning behavior of a child, thus we will also cover issues of punishment in school setting. Review In the study conducted by Ballantine, J. 2001; p. 46), he argued that parents usually give punishment to their children just to discipline them. However, parents should be cautious in giving punishment. This might cause physical, emotional and mental problems or this may also results to rebellious behavior or worst a trauma. Research has long proven that the parenting styles adopted by parents often have a gre at impact on the development of the child (e. g. Ballantine, J. 2001; p. 46). Ballantine, J. (2001; p. 46) stated that there are three basic parenting styles i. e. authoritative, authoritarian and permissive styles. Basically, Ballantine, J. (2001) stated that authoritarian parents tend to control their offspring. Also, they are very demanding and have high expectations for their children. But also, they tend to be less responsive to their children’s needs. They rely very heavily on punishment. Authoritative parents, on the other hand, though also very demanding, gain the favor of their children by being highly responsive as well. They have clear definitions on the limitations and freedom of their children. They are also very supportive and give out punishment but explain the reasons for the action. Permissive parents are the opposite of authoritarian parents. They require les of their children but still is very responsive to them, they are often very lenient and don’t, if possible give out punishments. The uninvolved parents are also opposite of authoritative parents. As the name suggests, they are really uninvolved with their children. Often, they are very apathetic to the happenings in their children’s lives. They put a very high risk on their children since they do not put a defined line on what they expect of their children. Parenting styles differ and have profound effects in child development. According to Ballantine, J. (2001; p. 46), parenting styles that involve punishment trigger aggression in children, and then the aggression in children continue on to their own children, thus, resulting in an endless and vicious cycle. But just what is aggression? According to Bartol (1995; p. 184), aggression is a â€Å"behavior perpetrated or attempted with the intention of harming another individual physically or psychologically (as opposed to socially) or to destroy an object† (p. 184). According to Moeller (2001), agreement to Bartol (1995; p. ), defines aggression as an act to that has intent to harm another object or person. Aggression as effect of punishments can either be physical or psychological (Bartol 1995; p. 2 and Moeller, 2001). Many factors point to a child’s aggression, one of which is parenting styles adopted by parents. Actually, if the child is constantly exposed to excessive punishments, it is most likely that the child would be inclining to aggres sive behavior. Punishment is actually a form of aggression that can very well make the child inclined to aggression himself. If the child is repeatedly treated aggressively or punished excessively by his parents would most likely resort to aggression later on. As shown in the study of Hill (1990; pp. 70-77), punishment is also observed in schools or in any learning situation. Hill (1990; pp. 70-77) claimed that reliance on such measures i. e. punishment have negative effects on the learners. In all styles of teaching and classroom management, there are proper ways of carrying out the strategies so that the ends to these styles may be met (Hill 1990; pp. 70-77). In the case of assertion as added by Meyer, A. 1990), there are positive and negative methods of reinforcing these strategies. As students’ behavior vary, the teachers’ delicate role is to determine which would work best for the particular students. Basically, Meyer, A. (1990) stated that learners will react differently to situations, and if every positive method does not work out with them, then negative reinforcement is called for. T his is not to become unfair to the students. This is just to show them that there are regulations to be observed and authorities to be respected, as that virtue will better prepare them for life outside the confines of the school. There is no perfect way of teaching and classroom management. There are only receptive teachers who are attuned to individual students’ needs, thus a successful implementation of the assertive style of teaching and classroom management (Meyer, A. 1990). In the report of Hill (1990; pp. 70-77) on an incident in preschool in which punishment was used to help children learn to obey rules. One of the punishment procedures was to write the name of the offending child on the board the first time non-compliance with rules occurred. The goal is impressive in that it make the most of learning time, but there were some unintentional depressing side effects. In this case, a child told to his parents the list of names of â€Å"bad kids† in the class, and the child also described how they were being reprimanded. The child also told to her parents that these kids had their names written on the board. In relation to this, the child asked his parents if being with the kids would make him become one of them. From the child’s story, the mother decided to visit the school where she found a group of 5 and 6 year olds trying not to speak or move. As the parent observed, the teacher was diligently using rewards and punishment to mould the behavior of children. But every time a child giggled or laugh extremely or spoke without permission, another name went on the board. As the result, most of boys who came from families of lower socioeconomic background are found on that board (Hill 1990; pp. 70-77). From the results of the study of Hill (1990; pp. 70-77), it appears evident that what the child had absorbed from their punishment experiences, either vicariously or literally, was to spotlight on the manners that the teacher found unpleasant. The children tend to avoid such behavior at all costs, even if it is annoying just to impress the teacher instead of attending to the learning activities. As part of the giving punishment in shaping the behavior of the child, classroom management as stated by (Slavin, 2005; p. 1) in his paper should be observed. One characteristic of effective classroom management introduced by Slavin is that it involves a clear, specific plan of classroom rules and procedures that would guide performance (Slavin, 2005; p. 1). There was also a reward and punishment system observed. According to the teachers in the report of (Slavin, 2005; p. 1), every student was treated without bias but recognition was given to the most deserving and punishment was also implemented to address misbehavior. Praise or exemptions from some projects were the usual rewards given to performing students. The usual punishments were extra assignment, reprimand, or in worst case, detention. The purpose of the reward and punishment system was to delineate the acceptable behavior from the unacceptable. Praise i. e. â€Å"catching the students in the act of doing right†, can be a powerful motivator for many students. One strategy for reducing misbehavior in class is to make sure to praise students for behaviors that are incompatible with the misbehavior you want to reduce (Slavin , 2005; p. 1). In relation to this, Kounin (1970; p. 10) justified that the transfer of pupil attention to the child being punished is a usual phenomenon, and almost always results in less attention, rather than more, being paid to the desired learning outcomes. Every so often, the teacher's intent to help a child alter a behavior to one which is more acceptable to both the youngster and his superiors has tragic sequelae. Educators using disciplinary procedures perceived by the child as stringent and unfeeling can cause trauma. According to Hyman and Zelikoff (1987; pp. 1-2), the symptoms of this trauma are often similar to those observed in adults with Post Traumatic Stress Disorders. Symptoms seen in children include somatic complaints, avoidance of school, and sleep disturbances. As Skinner (1974; p. 8) emphasized a behavior which is followed a positive reinforcing motivation or circumstance will result in an increased tendency or probability that the person will repeat such behavior, this concept also operates in the opposite direction wherein the person will have a decreased tendency to do an act from which he or she received a negative reinforcement in the form of punishment. According to Thorndike (1912; p. 164-165), the main business of thought surely is to guide and control action. To make it intelligent, adaptive, efficient, Thorndike’s Law of Effect proposed an alternative means of achieving the same end. Effects, rewards and punishments, were seen as stamping actions â€Å"in† or â€Å"out† and selectively, intelligently, adaptively determining behavior (Pavlov, 1927; p. 25). The effects of a given action thus altered redirected, controlled subsequent conduct and left no place or need for thought or intellect. While Pavlov’s formulations, though different principle from those of Thorndike but similar in goal. Pavlov was likewise interested, not just in a theory of learning but also in the organism’s total behavior, in what was later referring as the principles of adaptive action. Both trial and error learning and conditioning imply adaptation to the environment but this end was achieved in both cases mechanically, non-mentalistically without thought (Pavlov, 1927; p. 25). As part of development in shaping the behavior of an individual Thorndike 1912 reported that the two-factor learning theory in its version accepted Thorndale’s theory of habit formation, essentially unmodified and in doing so, necessarily aligned itself with the thoughtless psychologies or behavior-zoologies (Thorndike 1912; p. 64-165). In admitting fear conditioning and in developing a feedback conception of punishment, the theory disposed itself toward what has become explicit. Now response facilitation as no less a matter of conditioning and meaning change than is response inhibition. And what is more immediately important, this new position, while in some ways just as mechanical and automatic as were the views of Thorndike and Pavlov. The prototype of knowledge in general are hopes and fears, both are internal events and such are assumed to be learned and after learning, to occur in a purely automatic, involuntary manner, these are mechanism and determinism. There is no simple and direct relationship between what an organism learns and what it does. Action is the result of more or less intricate and elaborate processes intervening between the end result of more or less intricate and elaborate processes â€Å"intervening between the end results of learning and the execution of behavior† (Thorndike 1912; p. 64-165). As described in the previous discussions, motivation and reward offers more positive effect in learning than punishment. Punishment normally directs the action to do desired behavior which results to aggression, weak learning and trauma. The incident of trauma from punishment initiated by educators is much greater than one would think. According to the study of Hyman and Zelikoff (1987; p. 11), 40 to 60 percent of college graduates remember an event of extremely retaliatory disciplinary action given by educators. In Unites States over 1,000,000 students were beaten by their teachers in 1980 (Meyer 1990; 30-47). As revealed in the study of Hyman and Zelikoff (1987), an individual that was previously abuse, beaten and punish are prone to become aggressors and criminals. Thus, the community should identify the significant risk factors of aggression and punishment provided by the community itself, the families that comprise the community, schools and academic institutions in the area, and individual backgrounds of the people. Moreover, the family also provides certain risk factors of aggression and punishment contributory to the development of violent attitudes and behaviors among children such as lack of oversight of children’s activities and habits, unfair and severe punishment for any misdemeanors and mistakes, conflicts between parents and children and between siblings, and parental toleration of violent behaviors. Review Synthesis From the given reviews concerning punishments, it is justified that parents, should very well know how to raise their children. Psychologists and researchers often recommend the use of authoritative parenting since it is well-rounded in all parenting aspects but they should be cautious in giving punishments. Since authoritative parents have high expectations of their children, one can expect that a child will be pushed to do the best, and that authoritative parents also reciprocate love and warmth, the child can have feelings of security. Another is that a child can also have the freedom to express his own thoughts and beliefs. The relationship between parenting styles and punishment resulting to aggression is very clear. Authoritative and Permissive parents’ children often resort to aggression since the upbringing of the parents is, faulty, if you may. The resort to aggression can also be triggered by relatively high and constant exposure to aggression by family, peers and the media. Also, the cross-generational aggression can also trigger aggression. It creates an unending cycle of aggression. On the other hand, punishment given to a child in school setting should be observed by the educators to avoid weak learning effectiveness. Positive learning environment or classroom management involves the strategies that teachers implement in preventing and handling misbehavior, using class time effectively, creating an atmosphere that encourages interest and inquiry, and permitting activities that engage students’ minds and imaginations (Slavin, 2005). Teacher should carefully observe the effect of punishments to students. Actually, it is suggested that teacher should use rewards strategy more often than giving punishment. Teachers and students have to work together to sustain positive behaviors and effective atmosphere for learning in order to ensure the successful transmission of knowledge in the classroom.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Legalized Marijuana and Law Enforcement Essay

Marijuana is the most common illicit drug all over the world including the United States. It is derived from the leaves, flowers, seeds and stem of cannabis sativa. THC, tetrahyrocannabinol is the main active component of marijuana. The drug can either be smoked or mixed with foods and beverages. In the streets, marijuana is commonly known as the herb, pot, ganja among other names. There are many side effects, both short term and long term effects associated with abuse of marijuana. However, marijuana has also been used medically in hospitals. Legalization of marijuana in the United States has always attracted a heated debate. It is important to note that marijuana was not discovered yesterday. For the centuries in which the herb has been used, it has been completely legal. It is estimated that marijuana has been illegal for less than one percent the period man has used it. The drug is known to have been in use as early as 7000 BC but it was made illegal in the United States in the 20th century. A: History of marijuana The history of marijuana laws in the United States is very interesting. The first law relating to marijuana or cannabis sativa to be enacted in the modern day America was in 1619 in Jamestown in Virginia. For many years, the plant had been in use for various functions such as food, incense, rope among others. It is also interesting to note that the first law related to the herb was a ‘must grow’ law that required all farmers in the colony to grow the crop. A farmer could be taken to jail or punished for failing to grow the crop due to it shortage in the region in the 18th century. The must grow laws were therefore in place for more than two centuries. The government encouraged the farmers to plant the crop due to its importance among the military requirements. However, it is important to note that although the plant was critical in the 17th and 18th century, to an extent of it being used as a legal tender, the public was not aware of its uses as a recreational drug until the early 20th century (Inciardi, 1990). In the mid 19th century, over two thousand acres of land in the United States was under cannabis sativa plantations. The herb was mainly grown for use in the textile industry. However, the situation changed in the early 20th century due to the large influx of immigrants from Central America especially Mexico. This influx was triggered by the Mexican revolution in the early 20th century. Tension was generated between the small scale farmers and the plantation owners due to the availability of cheap labor from Mexican Americans. The situation was made worse by the fast changing world in the after math of the First World War and the event of the great depression. The increased tension as well as the high number of immigrants from South and Central America made resources scarce and the quality of life in American cities deteriorated significantly. It is important to note that when the immigrants from Mexico arrived in the United States, smoking of marijuana for recreation was common in Mexico but it was unheard among the American population. Consequently, the Mexicans brought with them the herb as well as the smoking habit. These Mexican immigrants introduced smoking of marijuana in the United States which resulted into the first law prohibiting marijuana in California (Inciardi, 1990). Other than the Mexican immigrants use of marijuana prompting the first law prohibiting preparation of hemp, there were other factors that influenced the enactment of the new law. Most important was the use of the drug by Mormons who had been sent to the Central American country in the early 20th century. The Mormons came back with marijuana and they were already using it. The churches reaction to this may have had a big influence in the enactment of the first anti marijuana laws in California. Consequently, various states including Texas, Wyoming, Washington, and Oregon among other states had laws limiting the use of marijuana in the early 1920s. Most importantly, the laws were designed to specifically target the Mexican immigrants who were well known to use the drug (Inciardi, 1990). Compared to other states, the eastern states did not have a large number of Mexican immigrants but the problem of marijuana was evident in the states too. Analysts have argued that the drug was introduced by Latin Americans and African Americans jazz musicians. Marijuana is believed to have traveled across the eastern states such as Chicago, Harlem and New Orleans. Abuse of marijuana was part of the jazz music performance scenes. Racism was also an important factor in the enactment of the anti marijuana laws where the white extremists argued that the herb gave the Negroes and the Latin Americans the courage to face the whites. During the same period, there were rumors in the public that the immigrants as well as the African Americans were influencing young whites including children into taking the drug. This was the origin of the ‘assassin’ stories of professional killers under the influence of marijuana. In the 1930s, the use of marijuana in the United States was associated with violent behaviors as a result of these stories (Inciardi, 1990). As early as mid 1920s, the United States supported international conventions that regulated marijuana in the form of the Indian hemp. These conventions included the international opium convention which prohibited exports of Indian hemp to countries and states in which marijuana use was illegal. The convention also required proper documentations that approved the importation of marijuana to such countries if it was meant for medical use. However, the convention did not affect other cabanas products such as fiber which were widely produced in Europe and the United States. It was believed that the Indian hemp contained higher levels of THC compared to the European hemp which was mainly grown for use in the textile industry (Inciardi, 1990). The first anti marijuana federal law in the United States was the uniform states narcotic acts whose first draft was introduced in 1925 and the final draft was ready seven years later. This new law sought to introduce uniform anti narcotic laws throughout the United States. Following the enactment of this law, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics was created which encouraged the adopting on uniform regulations. By mid 1930s all the states had adopted some laws that regulated the production, distribution and use of cannabis products. The establishment of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in 1930 increased the concern over the increased use of cannabis in the American population. The bureau was headed by Anslinger, one of the most celebrated anti narcotic crusaders in the American history, who argued that marijuana was responsible for the increased violent crimes in the society and irrational acts. The bureau used both the print media as well as the first developing film industry to spread propaganda against the use of cannabis (Inciardi, 1990). The Geneva trafficking convention of 1936 is also an important convention in the legal history of marijuana. Led by head of Federal Bureau of Narcotic, Anslinger, the United States government tried to influence the world society to criminalize all activities involved in the production, processing, distribution and use of cannabis and opium in the world unless it is for scientific or medical reasons. However, the proposal was rejected and only trafficking of the drug remains illegal internationally. The signatory governments were expected to establish systems within their criminal justice systems to punish individuals involved in trafficking of prohibited drugs in their countries. Due to the failed attempts by the American government to influence the international community, the officials did not sign the treaty terming it too weak to deal with the problem at hand (Inciardi, 1990). The marijuana tax acts of 1937 are considered to be the most significant law towards the legalization of marijuana in the United States. The act was penned by Anslinger and sponsored by Robert Doughton. The principle purpose of the bill was to completely destroy the production, distribution and use of cannabis products in the United States terminating it illegal drug businesses. The act also specified penalties to which individuals found in possession of the drug were to be subjected to. Those found guilty of cannabis related offences were subjected to a five years sentence or could be fined up to two thousand dollars. This was all aimed at increasing the risks involved in the illegal business. The act was however opposed by a large number of Americans including the American Medical Association who argued that the act imposed tax on medical personnel using cannabis as a prescribed drug. The act also limited and taxed the production and sale of cannabis meant for medical use. Other than the new acts being enacted, the association proposed that the Harrison Narcotics Tax Acts could have been strengthened to deal with the emerging problem of marijuana abuse (Bertram, 1996). Since then, the federal government has continuously increased its vigilance in dealing with marijuana among other drugs in the country. Marijuana in the United States is today controlled by the controlled substance act which is contained in the comprehensive drug abuse prevention and control act that was enacted in 1970 as an appeal to the marijuana tax act of 1937. However, the act does not distinguish between marijuana meant for medical use or recreation purpose and prohibits possession, production and distribution of large quantities of the drug. Consequently, the federal laws treat marijuana like any other illegal drug with no medical value. Marijuana is therefore treated in the same way as cocaine and heroine. All the controlled substances under the federal are placed in a schedule according to their properties which includes risk of abuse and potential uses in medicine. In the controlled substance act, marijuana is not considered to have any medical value and is rated as a highly addictive substance and therefore placed under schedule 1 drug. Although doctors can use the first amendment to recommend its use in treatments, under the current federal regulations, prescribing marijuana is illegal (Gray, 2001). The Drug Enforcement Administration was also established to enforce federal anti narcotic laws in the country. The DEA has over the years taken a lot of interests in the production and use of medical marijuana. Moreover, the agency has targeted specific individuals involved in illegal drugs production and distribution. This mainly includes the minority races, African Americans and Latino Americans, who have been found to fall victims of illegal drugs abuse. Consequently, the war on drugs has resulted into accusation of institutional racism and racial profiling where the anti narcotic laws were designed to target the minority races. This issue continues to attract debate in the country while the American correctional facilities and the criminal justice systems in general is overwhelmed by the large number of drug related criminal cases (Musto & Korsmeyer, 1996). Although in many cases the drug enforcement administration leave alone cases involving medical use of marijuana, the federal laws have punitive penalties against individuals found in possession of marijuana for whatever reason. The drug is considered dangerous, illegal and with no medical use. For this reason, the courts maintain that an individual cannot defend himself on the basis of medical use when convicted of marijuana related cases. However, in many cases, defense attorneys have always raised the issues during trials. Sentencing is also an important legal aspect of marijuana in the United States. An accused can either be subjected to the federal sentencing guidelines created in 1987 or the mandatory minimum sentence created in the late 1980s. In the federal sentencing guidelines, an individual accused of marijuana related crimes is sentenced based on his criminal record. Under these guidelines, not all marijuana related crimes offenders are subjected to a jail term. However, they are all eligible for imprisonment. The guidelines require that the convicted individual should serve at least 85 percent of the jail term. The length of the jail term is determined by the amount of marijuana the individual is accused of being in possession. Low level crimes can result into a sentence of between one month and one year probation even in cases where multiple convictions are reported. For example, under the guidelines possession of one kilogram of marijuana attracts an alternative sentence of 6-12 months probation while two and half kilograms and no past record attracts not less than six months imprisonment and up to two three years incase of prior record of drug crimes with no alternative sentence. Although the judges continue to be influenced by these federal guidelines in imposing sentences, they are no longer mandatory. However, they are supposed to be advisory to ensure uniformity in sentencing (Bonnie & Whitebread, 1999). Cases involving marijuana are also subject to the minimum mandatory sentencing laws. The sentences mainly target individuals accused of possession of huge amounts of drugs. For example, the minimum mandatory sentence for an individual found guilty of possessing one hundred kilograms of marijuana or cultivating one hundred plants of cannabis is five years if he has no drug related crime record and ten years if otherwise. One thousand kilograms of plants attract ten years imprisonment with no prior record, twenty years with prior record and life imprisonment in case of multiple drug offences. Therefore, drug users and traffickers always avoid possessing one hundred or more kilograms of marijuana at any time to avoid the minimum mandatory sentence of five years (Gray, 2001). Medical Effects of Marijuana The effects of marijuana on the user have attracted a lot of attention in the past few years. There are a good number of studies that are still on going on the negative as well as positive effects of marijuana use on human body. It is important to note that the use of marijuana for recreation purposes has not been widely pronounced in the past as compared to other drugs. While narcotic use dates back to over a century, the use of marijuana has not been very prevalent in the general society until the last three or so decades. Consequently, the long term effects of marijuana abuse have not been very well documented although there are substantial and reasonable hypothesis that have been proposed. It is also important to note that arguably, marijuana has been considered to be among the safest illegal drugs such as heroine and cocaine. It has also been argued to be safer than some legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. Moreover, it has been confirmed to have pharmacological characteristic and consequently been used as a therapeutic drug for many years. It has been used in treatment of people suffering from chronic pain, Aids, cancer and other terminal diseases. Research is also being carried out to validate the alleged applicability in treatment of mental conditions such as anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder (Gruber et al, 2003). While looking at the negative impacts of marijuana on the user, it is also important to note that when used in moderation, marijuana does not have as many harmful effects as alcohol and tobacco. The social and economic impacts on marijuana could also reduce significantly if the use of marijuana is controlled. However, this is not possible when its use is illegal. No cases of accidents on the roads have been reported as a result of influence of marijuana despite it being the most abused drug in the United States. Moreover, although the health complication associated with alcohol and tobacco has been confirmed, very few have been confirmed in relation to marijuana. Reports on harmfulness of marijuana on the user have been inconclusive and mare hypothesis some of which are contradictory. Short term effects The active component in marijuana, THC, is responsible for the short term effects of marijuana experienced by the user. The main short term effects of the drug are as a result of its effects on the central nervous system. THC is known to bind to the protein receptor nerve cells in the brain. After binding, the chemical propagate a chemical reaction in the nervous system and produces the short term effects of the drug. One of the most immediate effects of these chemical reactions is restraining the user’s memory as well as learning abilities. After using the drug, the individual feels relaxed and may be very talkative. Other pleasant effects of marijuana use include lifting the moods, feeling relaxed and a change in the state of consciousness. This is why marijuana users claim to feel more enlightened and philosophical when they are high. These short term effects on the user plateau after thirty minutes to one hour and subsidies there after. However, there are evidences of some of the effects lasting for several days or weeks (Moore, et al, 2007). Other short term effects of marijuana include increase in appetite, dryness in the mouth, impaired logical thinking and slow reaction time. Intoxication with marijuana is also associated with nausea, occasional confusion, increased anxiety and agitation, increased heartbeat, loss of memory and paranoia or hallucinations. Marijuana users have also been found to have bloodspots in their eyes, inconsistent time perception and increased inability to carry out tasks that require concentration such as operating a machine or driving. The individual may also suffer from loss of motivation and decreased cognitive abilities making it difficult to learn or acquire new information. In general, the individual’s ability to learn, remember, make informed judgments, think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively and form concepts is impaired when he is high. Studies indicate that the risk of heart attack increase by more than four fold immediately after an individual has smoked marijuana. This is because the heart rate can increase with up to a hundred percent after using the drug which can be maintained for up to three hours. The increased risk of heart attack is also as a result of the changes in the heart rhythms. This risk increases with age and vulnerability to heart diseases (Gruber et al, 2003). Long term effects While the long term effects of marijuana are under investigation and therefore not well known, there is no doubt that long term use of marijuana have detrimental effects on the user’s health as well as social life. The insufficient information on long term use of marijuana is due to the fact that the drug has not been very common to many societies in the world until recently. There is no doubt that when marijuana smokers are compared to cigarette smokers, marijuana smokers consume much less cannabis compared to the tobacco consumed by cigarette smokers. However, this does not mean that marijuana smoking has insignificant long term effects compared to cigarette smoking and therefore should not be ignored. Recent studies have found out that there are more hydrocarbons that have potential carcinogenic effects in marijuana compared to tobacco. Moreover, marijuana smokers may be more exposed to these compounds than tobacco smokers because marijuana is deeply inhaled and the smoke is held for a longer time in the lungs compared to tobacco. This exposes the delicate tissues in the lungs to more carcinogenic compounds increasing the risk of cancer (Mittleman et al, 2001). Studies have indicated that marijuana use increase the risk of cancers such a cancer of the head and neck by up to three times. It has also been confirmed to have a significant contribution in the development of cancers that have traditionally been associated with tobacco smoking. Marijuana smoke is believed to have up to three times as much tar as in tobacco smoke. Moreover, it has over twice the number of potential carcinogenic compounds when compared to tobacco smoke. Logically, this suggests that marijuana smoking has a significant increase in the risk of development of cancerous cells leading to lung cancer. However, scientific research is underway to confirm these hypotheses. Other than marijuana being a recent drug among the wider population compared to other drugs, scientific research on its long term effects has been hindered by the small sample that is available due to punitive anti marijuana laws in many parts of the world. For examples, most of marijuana perennial users are still too young to have developed cancer. However, although there is no prove, long term marijuana users need to reconsider the risks associated with the drug (Hashibe, et al, 2006). The effects of long term use of marijuana in animals’ immune systems are well known. The immune system plays a vital role in protecting the body against harmful microorganisms. Research in animals indicates that the marijuana has a significant effect on the T cells, especially in the lungs. Although this has not been confirmed in human beings, there is no doubt that it affects the user’s immune systems because the animals’ immune system is similar to that of human beings. While it is expected that marijuana smokers too have similar respiratory system problems as tobacco smokers, it has been observed that majority of these problems are more frequent among marijuana smokers. They are more frequently attacked by chest colds, coughs, production of phlegm, and obstruction of airways and higher risk of lungs infections. This is possible due to the effect of the drug on the T cells and thus immune systems in the lungs (Tashkin, 2005). The long term effects of marijuana on the users reproductive system is not in doubt. This is more serious considering the fact that marijuana is one of the most abused drugs among young people in the United States. The active compound in marijuana has been known to have adverse effects on various parts of the central nervous system including areas that are responsible for controlling sexual hormones and growth. Consequently, long term use of marijuana has been found to reduce the level of testosterone and other sex hormones in male. In some cases, it has been associated with increased femininity due to distortion of the hormone system. It can also lead to infertility, reduced sperm count and increased abnormality in sperm cells. Significant cases of infertility in males has for this reason been linked to long term use of marijuana. The drug has been seen to have similar effects in females by altering the hormonal systems leading to irregular menstrual cycles. However, the alteration can be reversed but it may take time. It has also been found to negatively affect unborn babies who are born with an impaired nervous system. This results into children with poor learning abilities, hormonal irregularities, lack of attention and abnormal reactions to different stimulus such as sound and light (Moore, et al, 2007). Long term use of marijuana is also associated with mental disorders. One of the greatest negative effects of marijuana use in an individual is its addictive effects. The ability of the drug user to develop dependency on the drug has always been the main argument used to support prohibition of marijuana use. However, other mental disorders have been associated with long term use of marijuana. They include toxic psychosis which may reach acute levels, panic attacks, increased aggressiveness which the user is unable to control, flashbacks and delusions, paranoia and hallucinations as well as some cases of acute depression. Marijuana has also been suggested to trigger other serious mental conditions such as schizophrenia. These effects of the drug on the mental health of an individual have been the point of contention between pros and cons of therapeutic use of marijuana in terminally ill patients (Moore, et al, 2007). What are the legal guidelines and state statutes of some of the states that have legalized marijuana? The federal and states’ laws in the United States varies in relation to medical marijuana. According to the controlled substance act, the federal systems do not recognize the medical properties of marijuana. However, prosecuting patients or medical practitioner for using marijuana for therapeutic procedures is not a priority in the federal legal systems. The federal legal systems recognizes the fact that caregivers may be compelled to use medical marijuana in certain medical cases which is allowed in some states. Fourteen states have so far legalized medical marijuana use within their jurisdiction while others gives police or judge discretion to allow significant reduction in the punishment given to marijuana users for medical reasons. One of the most published states in relation to medical marijuana is California where the drug is distributed through dispensaries. It is estimated that medical marijuana industry in California was worth two billion dollars in 2008 which attracted over one hundred million dollars in tax (DPA, 2010). Despite majority of Americans and civil society organizations in America supporting legislation of medical marijuana, the federal government has always rejected the proposals. In 2005, the Supreme Court made a ruling confirming that a patient can be prosecuted in the federal court for using marijuana and medical reasons cannot be used as a defense. This law applies even in states that have legalized medical marijuana. Consequently, on several occasions, dispensaries distributing medical marijuana such as in California have been raided by federal officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The ruling by the Supreme Court provided an excellent opportunity for the amendment of the law to protect patients and medical marijuana legislatures in different states but the bill was once more rejected by congress (DPA, 2010). . Despite the congress rejecting the proposal to amend the law and legalize medical marijuana, the high court ruling had insignificant effects on the states’ medical marijuana laws. The court did not have the power to overturn or exercise authority over the states legislations. It is important to note that about 99 percent of marijuana related arrests are done at the states level which makes it possible for legislation in the states to protect patients and caregivers. The state laws can afford to effectively remove all penalties against individuals accused of growing, processing, distributing or possessing marijuana for medical reasons. Other states have not legalized medical marijuana but have symbolic legislatures that legally protect the patient in the state legal systems (DPA, 2010). From a wide range of contentious issues relating to drug policies in the United States, medical marijuana has received the greatest public support. The American population is skewed towards legalization of medical marijuana despite the federal government rejecting such proposals. Scientific studies have confirmed the medical value of marijuana in patients with serious terminal diseases such as cancer, Aids, epilepsy and chronic pain among others. There is also documented evidence of marijuana use in treating variety of illnesses in the ancient world. The most comprehensive study relating to medical marijuana was carried out in 1999 by the institute of medicine which concluded that marijuana has potent in the management of conditions such as loss of appetite, anxiety and chronic pain. Various professional bodies and organizations such as the American Public Health Association, the Aids Action Council and the National Association of Attorney Generals have deliberated on legal access to medical marijuana for patients with certain medical conditions. The American population has favored the abolishment of laws prohibiting production, distribution and use of medical marijuana at the state and federal level. Voters from various states have over the years passed ballot initiatives to push for legalization of medical marijuana. Over seventy percent of voters throughout the United States support the proposal to have legal marijuana available to medical practitioners for prescriptions (Cassidy, 2002). The point of contention on the legality of medical marijuana has been whether the benefit accrued is less than the risk involved. There have been many arguments on possible shortcoming upon legislation of medical marijuana. For example, questions have been raised on whether patients under marijuana prescription would be allowed to drive while under the influence of the drug, how to control the quantity the patient uses, the issue of addiction and medical marijuana getting into the wrong hands. However, it seems that this is not the main concern of the federal government. The main reason why the federal government has been opposed to legalization of marijuana for any reason is based on the Drug Enforcement Administration description of marijuana. DEA maintains that marijuana has no medical value and is a highly addictive substance with adverse effects on the body such as compromising the immune systems and triggering the development of cancer. The government has ignored some research that has confirmed the medical benefits on marijuana (Cassidy, 2002). Consequences on Law Enforcement What difficulties would Law Enforcement Officers encounter if marijuana was legalized? Legalization of marijuana is likely to bring about many challenges to the law enforcement structures. This is due to the interdependence of illegal drug markets where almost all narcotics go hand in hand. Although some people have argued that marijuana is safer compared to other illegal as well as some legal drugs, its legalization will in no doubt be a stepping stone drug. It will open up production, distribution and use of other harder drugs which will be problematic to law enforcement. Research indicates that progressive use of marijuana eventually leads the user to harder drugs. Because marijuana is considered a harmless drug, it is used for experimentation by potential hard drugs abusers. After a while, the user turns to other drugs. This will be worse if marijuana is made legal. More people will be introduced to it because of its legality and in the long run, the law enforcement will have a difficulty in dealing with a much bigger problem of harder drugs (Husak & Marneffe, 2005). The law enforcement agencies in the United States have enough drug related problems to deal with. The system ought to have learnt a good lesson from the legality of drugs such as alcohol. Road carnage as a result of driving under influence of alcohol is among the top killers in the United States. The law enforcement has always had a problem dealing with underage drinking and aggressive behaviors associated with alcoholism. Legalizing another drug means added problems. The dangers associated with stone driving will increase significantly. It is therefore wrong to legalize marijuana because it amounts to a victimless crime. There are many crimes that are associated with marijuana use such as violence and aggressiveness. Punitive penalties to deter irresponsible drinking have proved unworkable which suggests that it will be difficult to control marijuana use if legalized. A device can be used to detect drivers under the influence of alcohol, but this may not be possible when the driver is driving high. There is no doubt that legislation of marijuana will increase crime and burden in law enforcement (Husak & Marneffe, 2005). Arresting individuals found in possession of marijuana and other drugs reduces the likelihood of such individuals committing crimes. Drug addicts have been associated with minor and serious crimes such as shoplifting, theft and other property crimes to pay for their habits. Legalization of marijuana means that there will be more of these drug users in the streets and neighborhoods. These individuals are more likely to commit more serious crimes since the law enforcers are not obliged to get them out of the streets. Moreover, majority of murderers, rapists and robbers have been found to be drug addicts. By incarcerating these individuals for possession of drugs, they are incapacitated from committing such serious crimes. Common sense dictates prevention is better than dealing with the resultant problem. If there is reason to incarcerate potential murderers,