Gods Generals essays

God's Generals essays The American Civil War was a military conflict between the United States of America (the Union), and 11 secessionist Southern states, organized as the Confederate States of America (the Confederacy). It was the culmination of four decades of intense sectional conflict and it reflected deep-seated economic, social, and political differences between the North and the South. Many books have been written on this first modern war describing how over 620,000 men were killed. Jeff Shaara goes deeper and explores the personal conflicts of four historical figures, two from the South and two from North: General Lee, General Jackson, Colonel Chamberlain, and Hancock. Robert E. Lees story began with a dilemma; he had to decide whether to stay to fight with the army he has been serving for 30 years or to resign and go to Virginia to defend his home. Life in the army had ruined his life. Throughout Part 1, Lee feels something missing from inside him: the feeling of action, of war. While in Texas , General Winfield Scott asks Lee to serve as second in command of the Union Army, but due to the possibility that Virginia could also secede, he declines. Still yearning for action, he accepts the command of the Provisional Army, the defense forces for the state of Virginia. He goes on to recruit Major Thomas Jackson, Jackson replies by saying, If they do not run, then they die. (Pg. 135) I will do whatever I must to defeat my enemies. (Pg. 135) This describes Major Jacksons general attitude towards war and towards God. Jackson is extremely pious and does all he can to please God and to follow His path. Newspaper coverage of his battles quickly publicized him and the title Hero was given to Jackson. Throughout the war, Jackson shows dedication, going beyond his orders and chasing away his enemies. He also shows an immense concern for his troops. His men were shabby compared to the force ...

Geography of the New Country of South Sudan

Geography of the New Country of South Sudan Estimated Population: 8.2 millionCapital: Juba (Population 250,000); JubaBordering Countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, and SudanArea: 239,285 square miles (619,745 sq km)South Sudan, officially called the Republic of South Sudan, is the worlds newest country. It is a landlocked country located on the continent of Africa to the south of the country of Sudan. South Sudan became an independent nation at midnight on July 9, 2011 after a January 2011 referendum regarding its secession from Sudan passed with around 99% of voters in favor of the split. South Sudan mainly voted to secede from Sudan because of cultural and religious differences and a decades-long civil war. History of South Sudan South Sudans history did not become documented until the early 1800s when Egyptians took control of the area; however oral traditions claim that the people of South Sudan entered the region before the 10th century and organized tribal societies existed there from the 15th to the 19th centuries. By the 1870s, Egypt attempted to colonize the area and established the colony of Equatoria. In the 1880s, the Mahdist Revolt occurred and Equatorias status as an Egyptian outpost was over by 1889. In 1898 Egypt and Great Britain established joint control of Sudan and in 1947 British colonists entered South Sudan and attempted to join it with Uganda. The Juba Conference, also in 1947, instead joined South Sudan with Sudan. In 1953 Great Britain and Egypt gave Sudan the powers of self-government and on January 1, 1956, Sudan gained full independence. Shortly after independence though, Sudans leaders failed to deliver on promises to create a federal system of government which began a long period of civil war between the northern and southern areas of the country because the north has long tried to implement Muslim policies and customs on the Christian south. By the 1980s, the civil war in Sudan caused serious economic and social problems which resulted in a lack of infrastructure, human rights issues and the displacement of a large part of its population. In 1983 the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) was founded and in 2000, Sudan and the SPLA/M came up with several agreements that would give South Sudan independence from the rest of the country and put it on a path to becoming an independent nation. After working with the United Nations Security Council the Government of Sudan and the SPLM/A signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) on January 9, 2005.On January 9, 2011 Sudan held an election with a referendum regarding South Sudans secession. It passed with nearly 99% of the vote and on July 9, 2011 South Sudan officially seceded from Sudan, making it the worlds 196th independent country. Government of South Sudan South Sudans interim constitution was ratified on July 7, 2011, which established a presidential system of government and a President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, as the head of that government. In addition, South Sudan has a unicameral South Sudan Legislative Assembly and an independent judiciary with the highest court being the Supreme Court. South Sudan is divided into ten different states and three historical provinces (Bahr el Ghazal, Equatoria, and Greater Upper Nile) and its capital city is Juba, which is located in the state of Central Equatoria. Economy of South Sudan South Sudans economy is based mainly on the export of its natural resources. Oil is the main resource in South Sudan and oilfields in the southern part of the country drive its economy. There are, however, conflicts with Sudan as to how the revenue from the oilfields will be split following South Sudans independence. Timber resources like teak, also represent a major part of the regions economy and other natural resources include iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, and gold. Hydropower is also important as the Nile River has many tributaries in South Sudan. Agriculture also plays a major role in South Sudans economy and the main products of that industry are cotton, sugarcane, wheat, nuts and fruit like mangoes, papaya, and bananas. Geography and Climate of South Sudan South Sudan is a landlocked country located in eastern Africa. Since South Sudan is located near the Equator in the tropics, much of its landscape consists of tropical rainforest and its protected national parks are home to a plethora of migrating wildlife. South Sudan also has extensive swamp and grassland regions. The White Nile, a main tributary of the Nile River, also passes through the country. The highest point in South Sudan is Kinyeti at 10,456 feet (3,187 m) and it is located on its far southern border with Uganda.The climate of South Sudan varies but it is mainly tropical. Juba, the capital and largest city in South Sudan, has an average yearly high temperature of 94.1ËšF (34.5ËšC) and an average yearly low temperature of 70.9ËšF (21.6ËšC). The most rainfall in South Sudan is between the months of April and October and the average yearly total for rainfall is 37.54 inches (953.7 mm). To learn more about South Sudan, visit the official government website of South Sudan. References Briney, Amanda. (3 March 2011). Geography of Sudan - Learn the Geography of the African Nation of Sudan. Geography at About.com. Retrieved from: http://geography.about.com/od/sudanmaps/a/sudan-geography.htmBritish Broadcasting Company. (8 July 2011). South Sudan Becomes an Independent Nation. BBC News Africa. Retrieved from: bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14089843Goffard, Christopher. (10 July 2011). South Sudan: New Nation of South Sudan Declares Independence. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from: latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-south-sudan-independence-20110710,0,2964065.storyWikipedia.org. (10 July 2011). South Sudan - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Sudan

Sex Education in Schools and Home Research Paper

Sex Education in Schools and Home - Research Paper Example On the other hand, teachers too fail to touch on sex related issues when educating teenagers believing it is the responsibility of their parents and guardians to educate these growing youth about sex education. At the end of the day, teenagers remain in darkness, without knowledge about sex, or even the slightest clue to what pertains to sexual education. Their curiosity to try out new things without a guiding hand ends up in even more dreadful results, such as early pregnancies and school dropouts. As such, this research paper seeks to explore various peer-reviewed journals discussing issues related to sex education, as well as, evaluate how various institutions approach this issue about sex among the youth (Brown, Dunn, Newby & Wallace, 2012). What are Parents really saying then they talk with Their Children about Sexuality? American Journal of Sexuality Education This article explores the communication that exists between parents and their children about sex and sexuality. A resea rch carried out on a number of parents within the United States revealed that parents took an authoritarian tone whenever speaking to their children about sexuality. ... Some of the reasons given by these parents on their indecision to discuss sexuality with their children were religious influences and cultural backgrounds, alongside distinct patterns of communication. Some religions forbid open discussion of sexuality, as they consider it as a sacred matter only for the married couples. On the other hand, a qualitative analysis on these parents revealed that these parents sometimes focused on specific issues when discussing sexuality with their children, such as early pregnancies, STDs/STIs, HIV/AIDS virus, and other adversities related to premature sexuality. As such, the lack of sexual orientation, as well as the lack of parental knowledge and support of sexuality, leads these children to exploring murky waters, hence coming out scotched and bruised from their actions (Cox, Gagnon, McDonalds, Meglio, Mitchelle & Rennick, 2011). Asking to Listen: Towards a Youth Perspective on Sexual Health Education and Needs, Sex Education This article explores t he perspectives of the youth in relation to sexual health education and needs within a Canadian province. This article seeks to impart some sense of responsibility among the youth by giving them power to take control of their sexual health behavior. As such, participating youths to this program learnt measures of how to take control of their sexuality, as well as develop a number of preventive skills towards the sexual risks involved in premature sexuality. This control and prevention skills over sexuality were particularly important in areas suffering from socioeconomic disparities. Statistics show that the rate of active sexuality is very high in areas with low socioeconomic standings as compared to the areas that live in affluence. For example, girl growing up in the

Statement of Purpose Personal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Of Purpose - Personal Statement Example I am an international student from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is a large country and areas of science in the country are in the phase of rapid development. It is for this reason that the government has sponsored thousands of students like me to come to the United States and complete their studies in specific fields of science. I would like to utilize this opportunity to its fullest and complete my PhD for bringing about development in the field of Information Systems in Saudi Arabia. I am currently enrolled in the program of Master of Science in Computer and Information Science at the Gannon University, Erie, PA, USA and the expected date of my graduation is December 2014. This master’s program has motivated me to further continue my studies in the same field and gain expertise through the completion of my PhD. The PhD Program would grant me with an opportunity to polish my skills and gain an advanced understanding of my desired field. I have always had an interest in the field of Information Systems. In the year 2010, I completed my graduation in the field of Information Science from my home country at the Al-Baha University and achieved a GPA of 2.8-4. My graduation motivated me to further achieve higher studies in the field and to gain greater exposure and a better learning environment, I moved to the United States. I enrolled at the ELS Language Center at Cincinnati, OH, USA for one year to get a good grip over English Language so that that I would not face any difficulties during my years of education in the United States. Following this, I started my Master’s Degree in Information Systems at the Gannon University in January 2013. Currently, I have successfully completed 24 credits out of 33 and my GPA is 3.75-4 which is reflective of my hard work and focus for outshining in my field. With time, my interest in the field of Information

Stress And Well Being Psychology Essay

Stress And Well Being Psychology Essay People act in different ways in stressful situations, some can cope with stressful situation and some cannot cope. People are more stressed today than in the past. Researches were made to measure and to manage stress. For measuring stress, researches used a couple of types. One was the Social Readjustment rating scale or SRRS. This measure of stress was devised by Holmes and Rahe in 1960. Their thought was that stress is more about the need of readjustment and change. For their research, they gathered almost 400 Americans and listed a scale of life events that could affect an individual. In their opinion, life changes have a major impact on an individual. In this scale at the top was death of a spouse with 100 units of life changes and the rest were adjusted accordingly. Almost 300 or even more of life changes units were linked to higher psychological and physical illnesses. Applying this method to measure stress, leads to some weakness and strengths, in which, the strength will be that it does capture something about stress, as SRRS were proven to be related to illnesses. A weakness could be that a particular life event like an operation for a person who has a life threatening illness is more str essful than a person operation for esthetical enhancement who just want to change something.(handouts, 12.11.2012) Questionnaires measures is another type of stress measuring like SRRS, the Type A personality, Hassles and Uplifts, etc. With questionnaire method is more easy to measure stress because they are quick and easy to administrate, but the weakness is that people may not be sincere when they answer. Some people could give answers in a way that will make them look good (social desirability bias). There are also job strain questionnaire based on job demands. Workers facing high psychological workloads demands and pressure, who work very fast, very hard and do not have enough time to finish their job, are in a greater risk for mental and physical illness.(handouts, 12.11.2012) Another type of stress measuring is controlled observation. There are various ways to measure, some of them cruel for example electric shocks, overcrowding, extremes of heat and colds used as stressors and others methods, by permanent interrupting the subjects during tests. A lot of researches were made on a link between Type A personality and heart diseases. The ones who developed the idea of Type A personality were Friedman and Rosenman. They had a different style to measure this Type A. They were given tests to people and then they constantly interrupt them during testing. They could observe that some of the participants dealt well with interruptions but some were more stressed because of the constant interruptions.(handouts, 12.11.2012) While measuring stress, researchers came up with some methods of stress management. They grouped up this stress management methods in two, one psychological method in which are hardiness training and stress inoculation training and the other is the physiological method containing drugs and biofeedback techniques. (Gross, R., psychology, 5th edition, 2005) Suzanne Kobasas Hardiness Training has the three major Cs: Control, Commitment and Challenge. The people with hardiness personality are more in control of their lives, they can manage better stressful situation and see difficulties as a challenge rather than a problem. Thats why Hardy personality is stress-resistant. The training for this has three stages. The first one is focusing, in which the client is thought to be able to recognise the biological signs of stress such as increase of heart rate, muscle tension and also to be able to identify the source for this stress. The second stage consists in reliving stress encounters, in which the clients relive their stress encounters and are helped in analysing those situations and their response to them. This method could give them some insight on coping strategies. The last one, self-improvement, involves learning of new techniques for the increase of the three Cs.(psychology AS, 2012/handout, 22.10.2012) Stress Inoculation Training or SIT is aiming to change peoples behaviour and thinking and is a cognitive behavioural therapy being specifically developed to deal with stress. There are also three stages as in Hardiness. The first stage is Conceptualisation phase, in which a relation is established between client and the therapist and the client is educated about the impact and nature of stress. The client is trained to be able to identify the stressors and to learn how to breaks them down into chunks that can be tackled. The second phase is Skills acquisition. Here the person will develop skills in constructive thinking. First the skills are taught and practised in the clinic and after that they can be gradually rehearsed in real life. The skills can include positive thinking, relaxation, social skills, etc. The last phase Application and follow-through, in which clients are given opportunities to apply in real life the coping skills learned, some could be ask to even train others as well.(psychology AS, 2012/handout, 22.10.2012) The Hardiness Training and the Stress Inoculation Training are both psychological methods. The next method is physiological which consist in Drugs intake as a method of stress management. There are a lot various types of tranquiliser and anti-anxiety drugs. The most common are benzodiazepines or Bz shortened. These include Librium, Ativan and Valium. The effect of this drugs is to lower the level of serotonin activity in the brain. If the level of serotonin is too low, produce depression but if it is too high produce anxiety. In 1960 they were highly prescribed as a replacement for barbiturates. Another group of tranquiliser are beta-blockers. Their activity is that of reducing the activation of the sympathetic branch of the anatomic nervous system meaning the activity reduction of SAM axis. The drugs are fast effective but the problem is that they are highly addictive.(handout, 29.10.2012) Based on the evaluations of the methods, there can be found a lot of weaknesses and strengths in each and every one of them as well as similarities and differences between them. In Hardiness Training strengths are that is it working, it deals with the cause of stress not just the symptoms, are more effective to people. The weaknesses consists in focusing on middle-class business people, some people find control stressful-they dont like to be in control, people respond in different ways to Hardiness Training, some people doubt about the all three Cs being equally important in protection against stress and even though control is important the commitment and challenges have no effects. (hand out, 22.10.2012 / psychology AS, 2012) SIT works well in general and also works for acute and conic stress. The weaknesses of SIT consists in it being time consuming, requiring high motivation and in the fact that not all people need the same skills to cope with stress. (hand out, 22.10. 2012 / psychology AS, 2012) Drugs work in reducing anxiety also BZ are better than placebo effect, drugs are easy to use involving only the need to actually take the pill and for some forms of phobias are quite handy. Weaknesses are the fact that some drugs are highly addictive, produce strong withdrawal symptoms, patients develop tolerance to them quickly, effectiveness requires a higher dosage, they have a limit of recommended intakes of a maximum of four weeks, treats the symptoms not the actual cause of stress, does not sort out the problem and because of dependency of drugs some people become like vegetables. ( hand out, 29.10. 2012 / psychology AS, 2012) The similarities between these types are: all of the methods allows the person to be in a better frame of mind to deal with stress; both SIT and Hardiness Training involves motivation and they take place over weeks and treat the cause rather than the symptoms and both change the way people think and help people learn skills to deal with their stress. The differences between these types are: The effects of the drugs are relatively instant while the effects of SIT and HT require a longer period of time and greater effort until the results are seen; Drugs can be addictive and have short term solutions but other methods like HT may deal with the real issue; people can develop tolerance to drugs in comparison with the other methods that are more constant; drugs have side effects, the other methods dont; no withdrawal effect from stopping SIT and HT like there is with drugs; HT depends on the liking for control but drugs dont.

Euthanasia Essay

Thesis: Euthanasia, and a common form of euthanasia, assisted suicide, should be legal processes through which aterminally ill individual may voluntarily end his or her own life. Summary: As of 2009, assisted suicide was legal in only three states: Oregon, Washington, and Montana. Since itsinception in those states, assisted suicide has proven to be an effective, but rarely employed means of allowing a terminallyill person to end his or her life in a dignified manner. Though the United States federal government has opposed measures toenact federal legislation that would legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide, the time has come for the federal governmentand the remainder of the states to recognize that, inherent in the right to live freely is the right to decide when to humanelyend one’s life. Introduction To understand the debate surrounding euthanasia, one must first understand euthanasia and its related variations. Theterm euthanasia, taken from the Greek word for â€Å"easy death,† refers to the process by which a physician prescribes andadministers a fatal dose of drugs to a terminally ill individual in a controlled medical environment, thus causing their death ina quick and painless manner. Euthanasia is commonly referred to as physician-assisted suicide. Assisted suicide, a relatedform of euthanasia, describes the process by which a physician or pharmacist only prescribes the fatal drugs, leaving theterminally ill individual to ingest the drugs on their own, at a time of their choosing. As of 2009, physician-assisted suicidewas not legal in any state in America, while assisted suicide was legal in three states. The Federal Government & the Courts A quartet of United States Supreme Court cases (Washington v. Glucksberg, Vacco v. Quill, Gonzales v. Oregon, and Cruzanv. Director, Missouri Department of Health) have helped to shape the legal landscape in the debate over euthanasia and anindividual’s right to refuse medical treatment. In Glucksberg and Vacco, companion cases decided in 1997, the SupremeCourt ruled that states have the authority to prohibit assisted suicide and against the notion that the right to die isguaranteed in the Constitution. More recently, in the 2006 Gonzales case, the Court held in a 6-3 opinion that the UnitedStates attorney general could not enforce a drug law, the Controlled Substances Act, against physicians   and pharmacists as ameans of punishing them for prescribing fatal doses of drugs to terminally ill patients. Finally, in the Cruzan case, theSupreme Court upheld the right of competent persons to refuse medical treatment, but ruled that clear and convincingevidence must exist of that person’s desire to limit the life-saving measures to be performed on them. The practical impact of these rulings is that, because the federal government cannot prosecute physicians and pharmacistswho prescribe drugs to terminally ill patients, the debate over euthanasia and assisted suicide in the US has primarily takenplace on the state level. Furthermore, while individuals have the constitutional right to prevent physicians from taking life-saving measures in the event of their incapacitation, they must make clear their desire, usually through a living will or a donot resuscitate order. Success at the State Level In 1994, Oregon became the first state to pass an assisted suicide law. The Oregon Death with Dignity Act has served as amodel statute in other states’ attempts to pass assisted suicide legislation. The act has several important provisions that, readtogether, provide safeguards for the terminally ill, the physicians that diagnose their terminal illnesses, and the pharmaciststhat prescribe lethal drugs. The act requires first, that a patient be diagnosed by a physician as having a terminal illness thatwill end the patient’s life within six months. Then, upon the patient’s request, a physician or pharmacist that has no moral orprofessional objection to assisted suicide will prescribe a lethal dose of drugs that the patient can ingest at a time of theirchoosing. Notably, the act has several safeguards, among them a requirement that the patient’s initial request for aprescription be witnessed by two people; that a second physician concur in the initial diagnos is of a terminal illness givingthe patient no more than six months to live; a conclusion that the patient is of sound mind; and a waiting period underwhich the patient must wait fifteen days before making a second, and final, oral request for the lethal prescription. These rules and safeguards ensure that only those who are both terminally ill and of a sound mind are able to obtain a lethaldose of drugs after having made a voluntary and informed decision. Additionally, and importantly, the act does not requirethose physicians or pharmacists opposed to assisted suicide to participate in, sanction, or play any role in bringing about thedeath of a term  inally ill person. The Washington Initiative 1000, passed by voters in 2008, was based on the Oregon act and, consequently, wassubstantially similar in its provisions and safeguards. Most recently, in December, 2008, a Montana trial court judge ruled thatcompetent, terminally ill patients have the right to self-administer lethal doses of drugs prescribed by a physician, thoughthat decision has been appealed to the Montana Supreme Court. Because assisted suicide in Washington and Montana is relatively new, Oregon is the only state in which data concerning theuse of lethal drugs by the terminally ill has been compiled. In the eight-year period from 1998 to 2006, 455 lethalprescriptions were written for terminally ill individuals, and 292 of those individuals used that prescription to commit suicide. Analysis of this data indicates that only around thirty-five terminally ill individuals die each year in Oregon as a result of theassisted suicide law. This data further suggests that physicians are carefully screening applicants, issuing on average onlyfifty-seven prescriptions per year. Finally, it is also clear that applicants carefully weigh the decision to use the prescription,judging by the fact that 35 percent of prescriptions issued to terminally ill patients—who have satisfied the numerousrequirements under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act—went unused. International Law Oregon, Washington, and Montana are not the only jurisdictions in the world in which forms of euthanasia are legal.Notably, assisted suicide, in some form, is legal in both Belgium and the Netherlands, the latter of which has also legalizedphysician assisted suicide. Additionally, Germany has no law legalizing assisted suicide, but has not traditionally penalizedthose who have helped to end the life of a terminally ill person. As researchers have noted, however, death and suicide havedifferent stigmas attached to them depending on, among other factors, where one lives and the culture in which one wasraised. Consequently, it is not surprising that assisted suicide has been legalized in certain parts of the world, while it remainsa crime elsewhere. In the United States, however, where an individual has always in been control of their mind, body, souland destiny, death and suicide do not have as negative a cultural connotation as they may have in other parts of the world. The Social, Et hical, Medical & Economic Reasons Assisted suicide places the individual in control of his or her future, allowing the individual to decide how, when, and wherethey die. While an issue of self-determination, there are practical concerns that face the dying. Often, a terminally ill personwatches their savings account plummet while his or her medical costs and insurance premiums—assuming they are fortunateenough to have medical insurance—skyrocket. If they do not have insurance, it is unlikely they are able to afford even the most basic medications to controltheir pain or reduce their symptoms. Though their disease is incurable, in the later stages of their illness, they often take up a hospital bed and medicalresources, as well as the time of doctors, nurses and other hospital staff—time and health care dollars that could be expended on a person who can successfullybe treated and released. Friends and relatives watch their loved one suffer without remedy, knowing that the illness is fatal, but unable to do anything besideswait. Assisted suicide provides a quick and painless death, in contrast to the expected months of suffering a terminally ill patient must endure under normalcircumstances. The decision to end life on their own terms saves precious medical resources, ensures that the patient’s family will not financially sufferunnecessarily as a result of the illness, and allows the patient, and their family and friends, to say goodbye on their own terms in a quick and painless way.Notably, these arguments apply with equal force to physician-assisted suicide, wherein a physician not only monitors the patient to be sure they remaincompetent, but also administers the drugs at a time of the patient’s choosing, thus helping to ensure that the patient’s death is quick and painless. Opposition to Euthanasia Opposition to euthanasia comes in part from religious and social organizations that generally oppose measures that result in the death of an individual. Suchfeelings are indeed understandable, and it is difficult to change a person’s moral convictions. These organizations are free to petition their elected officials andto champion their causes—that right is fundamental to a democratic system. They also must, however, recognize the decisions made through a democraticprocess, as those initiatives in Oregon and Washington, where the majority of voters approved assisted suicide. (It is worth noting that some of these sameorganizations support the imposition of the death penalty for certain crimes,  citing the biblical passage â€Å"an eye for an eye.† In other words, some of thesegroups support the death of an individual when society has deemed it acceptable, but not when the individual himself seeks to end his life.) Other opponents include some doctors and physic ians, who have, as a condition of their license to practice medicine or dispense prescription medication, takena Hippocratic Oath requiring that they do no harm to patients. Importantly, however, the assisted suicide laws that have passed in Washington and Oregon donot by any means require the participation of physicians or pharmacists. Consequently, those physicians or pharmacists with a moral, professional, or religiousopposition to assisted suicide need not participate in any way in the assisted suicide of a patient. The same holds true for physician-assisted suicide which, inthe countries where it is legal, is practiced voluntarily. Finally, some in the medical field express concern over whether the terminally ill are of sound mind whenconsenting to suicide. While this is a valid and serious concern, the laws passed in Oregon and Washington, requiring multiple examinations, medicallyconsistent diagnoses, a waiting period, and a conclusion that the patient is of sound mind, serve to dramatically lessen any possibility that an incompetentpatient could be prescribed a fatal dose of drugs. Choosing for Others, but not for Oneself The death penalty is an authorized form of punishment in the federal criminal justice system, and also exists in well over half of the states. Through participationin the jury system and by electing officials into office who are charged with enforcing the death penalty, citizens have a role in determining which individualsare eligible for the death penalty and, more fundamentally, whether the death penalty as a form of punishment should persist, or should be repealed. Similarly,the United States Supreme Court has ruled that pregnant women have the right to choose—in many circumstances—whether to terminate their pregnancy. These examples demonstrate the contradiction that exists in forty-seven of the United States, under which average citizens are capable of playing a vital role indeciding whether other individuals live or die. These same citizens, though, are not entrusted with the same authority to make that decision when it comes totheir own lives in the extreme case of an incurable, terminal illness. Such a contradiction cannot stand. To preserve the dignity of human life, it is imperativethat the remaining states and the federal government legalize   euthanasia, whether in the form of physician-assisted suicide or assisted suicide, to provide asafe and dignified way for terminally individuals to end their suffering. With the advent of drugs that can both prolong and terminate life, as well as medical technology that can keep patients technically alive even in comatose or vegetative states, many questions have been raised about the quality of life each person deserves and identifying the fine line that demarcates the end of life. In addition, in the United States—a country marked from its inception by the hallmarks of individuality and personal responsibility—citizens and lawmakers alike are wrestling with issues regarding the degree to which an individual or family member should be empowered to make personal, private decisions about whether to continue medical care or choose the time, place and manner of death. Activists on both sides of the euthanasia debate have lobbied lawmakers to enact legislation in support of their views. The right to die movement is gaining support as a humane alternative to a poor quality of life maintained solely through continuous medical intervention. U nderstanding the Discussion Euthanasia: The practice of ending a person’s life either through an intentional act or by withholding medical care. The action is performed without malice, but with the intention of alleviating suffering or ending the pain of a terminal illness or poor quality of life. Hospice: An alternative program of care for patients in the final stages of life, in which efforts are not designed to treat the patient’s underlying illness but rather to provide pain management, symptom control, and family support. Informed consent: A patient’s expression of knowledge and acceptance of the risks, benefits, and alternative treatment options of a medical procedure and subsequent permission to a physician to perform the procedure. Physician-assisted suicide: A procedure in which a physician deliberately and knowingly provides lethal drugs at the individual’s request for the purpose of self-administration. Right to die: A belief that individuals should have the authority to c hoose the time, place and manner of their death. Terminal illness: A medical condition that is so advanced that treatment options are no longer available. History Although modern medical advancements and increased patient autonomy have renewed public interest in the right to die, the practice of euthanasia has been in existence for centuries. Numerous Greek and Roman writings have revealed a belief that death, even if initiated by self or another person, was preferable to prolonged suffering. However, this belief was not universal. The Hippocratic Oath, which medical practitioners in the United States have traditionally recited or agreed to uphold as a basic tenet of their practice, is believed to have been penned about 400 BCE by the Greek physician Hippocrates, known as the â€Å"Father of Medicine.† The oath includes promises not to provide deadly medicine to any one if asked or even suggest such a course of action, and to never cause any patient harm. In the US, prohibitions against intentionally aiding in the death of another date back to the country’s formation. Early American statutes outlawed both suicide and assisted sui cide. In the early 1900s, a physician’s grim decision brought euthanasia to the forefront of public debate. On November 12, 1915, a badly deformed child was born to Anna Bollinger. Her doctor conferred with the hospital’s chief of staff, Dr. Harry J. Haiselden, who advised against performing surgery to save the child. Five days later, the baby girl died, and the case and Dr. Haiselden’s decision were widely debated. During the 1930s, widespread distress caused by the Great Depression and its accompanying economic turbulence led to a spike in suicide rates and discussions of euthanasia and a right to self-determination over end-of-life matters. Public opinion polls revealed a growing belief that euthanasia was acceptable under certain circumstances. While it seemed that public support for legalizing euthanasia was coalescing, World War II broke out and the world recoiled in horror as news of Nazi death camps and the calculated mass extermination of vulnerable members of society made international headlines. Such atrocities dampened support for any form of legalized assistance in initiating another’s death. For several decades, discussions of euthanasia simmered largely in the background. In 1976, the tragic case of twenty-one year old Karen Ann Quinlan once again moved the euthanasia debate to national headlines. After consuming alcohol and prescription drugs at a party, Quinlan lost consciousness and ceased breathing. Quinlan was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared that she was in a â€Å"persistent  vegetative state,† with full recovery unlikely. Her adoptive parents fought a year-long legal battle for rights to make the final decision to remove her respirator, thereby likely ensuring the end of her life. Although the New Jersey Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the Quinlan family, Karen continued breathing naturally after her respirator was removed for nearly a decade, until she finally succumbed to complications from pneumonia. In 1980, right to die advocate Derek Humphry formed the Hemlock Society, a grassroots organization that has worked to advance euthanasia legislation. In addition, growing consensus for patients’ rights, including the right to refuse medical care—and even life-sustaining care—refocused attention on the right to die m ovement. Over the next several decades, public support for autonomy in end of life decision making has increased, with several states enacting legislation that recognizes living wills, or a legal document in which a person expresses his or her wishes regarding life prolonging medical treatments, including the withdrawal or refusal of life-sustaining medical treatment. Euthanasia Today The history of euthanasia in the US has been marked by several significant cases. The Quinlan case, although decided by a state supreme court, led to the advent of formal ethics committees in hospitals, nursing homes and hospices that provide support in complying with a patient’s advanced health care directives, or written instructions to family members and health care professionals about end of life care. In 1990, the US Supreme Court first ruled on the right to die movement in Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health. A car accident left Nancy Cruzan permanently unconscious and her parents requested that her feeding tube be withdrawn. After years of continuous care, most of the costs for Cruzan’s hospitalization were being paid by the State of Missouri. Although a Missouri district court granted the Cruzan family’s request to remove the tube, the director of the Missouri Department of Health took the case on appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court, arguin g for clear proof of Nancy Cruzan’s end of life wishes. The case went before the US Supreme Court, which ruled that a competent person has a constitutionally protected right to refuse any medical treatment, although states have a right to insist on clear and convincing evidence as to a patient’s wishes. In this case, there

The Existence Of Life And Energy - 1492 Words

Order Disorder Daniel Singh Engineering and the Profession Dr. Leo Oriet Friday, November 7, 2014 Singh 2 The existence of life and energy has always been questioned. It is not clear as to how life on earth is sustained by energy and how that energy is produced. The explanation to all of this lies in the law of conservation of energy and the amazing work done by many intelligent people. Over many centuries, the development of new technology has furthered studies in science and advanced the standard of life for many people. The steam engine is one example of this. The creation of the theory on energy, the works of many scientists, and the theory of entropy explain how energy is used to sustain life on earth. Without these†¦show more content†¦Energy is always conserved from one item to another, meaning it cannot be created or destroyed in any way, shape, or form. This is the law of conservation of energy. Energy from the big blast has been conserved on the earth in plants, minerals, water, and more. Energy is extremely important to our everyday lives as it is the basis fo r all life interaction. All living organisms need energy to sustain life; this energy can be found in food and water. Plants will receive energy from the sun and humans and animals will receive energy by eating these plants Singh 3 as well as meat from other animals. In engineering, energy is what powers machinery, automobiles, and equipment. Engineers have developed many successful operations to harnessing and manipulating energy. Fossil fuels, nuclear, hydro, solar, and wind power are commonly used processes that extract useable energy from the earth. These processes utilize refineries for fuel, nuclear reactions between atoms, hydroelectric power stations, solar panels, and wind turbines to convert energy from the earth to useable potential energy. This in turn powers the machinery used to harvest food, build structures, and travel from point A to point B. The concept of energy was in full effect for millions of years; however, it took many skilled scientists to actually conceptualize it. Gottfried Leibniz was a