Euthanasia and end of life issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Euthanasia and end of life issues - Essay Example Euthanasia, the practice of ending life, is one of the issues that involve ethical dilemmas. This paper explores ethical theories to euthanasia and end of life. Ethics defines a society’s morality in terms of what is approved to be good and what is approved to be bad. Acts, either of omission or of commission, are therefore ethical when they meet a society’s approved behavior and unethical when they are contradictory. Such is the basis of the issue of euthanasia that faces conflicting opinions from different ethical perspectives and affected parties. A person in great pain without hope for improvements and is waiting to die, may for example desire assistance to facilitate his or her death while such an act may not be acceptable to care personnel or the patient’s close relatives. Legal professions that supplement professional ethics and patients’ rights also play a significant role. These factors therefore induces dilemma on care ethics approach that provid es for a positive relationship between caregivers and patients (Bube n.p.). While both parties are supposed to derive utility from the relationship between patients and care personnel, conflicting interest between the parties over application of euthanasia calls for application of other ethical principles. A consideration of third party interest, such as those of relatives and legal provisions, intensifies the dilemma over whose interest should be supreme. Ethical theories of teleology, deontology, and virtue ethics however offer guidelines to determining morality of euthanasia and end of life issues (Bube n.p.). The general teleological approach to ethics involves evaluation of consequences of an action on the society in terms of benefits and harms that are accrued from an act. Acts that lead to net benefits, more benefits than harm, are therefore considered ethical while acts that yield net harm to the largest section of the society are considered unethical. Utilitarian ethics has a dual approach to euthanasia and assisted deaths with some interpretations identifying lack of ethics in the practice while others argue that the act is ethical. Among opinions that argue for utilitarian ethics are three benefits of ending lives of terminal patients who are going through pain as they await their death. One of the beneficial consequences of euthanasia is its recognition of a patient’s autonomy in decisions about his or her last days. This is because prolonging a person’s life against his or her desire breaches the ethical principle of autonomy and may not yield utility to the suffering patient. It therefore allows patients to decide what will benefit them more. The practice also has the benefits of eliminating suffering, in a patient and among relatives, in cases where such sufferings cannot be managed and the patient condition deteriorates towards death. Euthanasia also comforts patients with the hope that it permanently relieves them of their pain ( Bube n.p.). Utilitarian opinions against euthanasia however argue that a patient may make decision to use the process but under duress from either care providers or family and the process would therefore not benefit the patient. A utilitarian approach to euthanasia should therefore consider each isolated case to determine possible benefits and harms to each stakeholder, especially the patient (Bube n.p.). Deontological perspective of euthanasia however involves consideration of established moral rules in practice. In euthanasia, for example, deontological ethics correspond to established ethical codes of conduct in the care profession. The fundamental that guides deontological ethics in euthanasia is protecting patient autonomy. The patient must however be terminally ill, is informed of the

Drug Trafficking in the United States Essay Example for Free

Drug Trafficking in the United States Essay Drug trafficking has become an even bigger problem than ever before in the world today. Now days, more people are buying, selling and using drugs. To people who do it, it is just a fast and easy way to get money, not knowing all the risks. Some drug dealers are even aware of the risk that comes with the action and they still do it anyways. There are many risks when dealing drugs and the risks are all different depending on what kind of drug it is and how addictive it is. Drugs are not only spreading fast through the streets, but today drugs and dealers have found their way into high school systems. The most common drug in high school is marijuana, more commonly known as pot or weed, and hashish or hash. Although this drug is said to be harmless or not addicting, it can still be dangerous in many ways. This is the reason drug trafficking in the USA must be stopped. Illegal drug trafficking from Mexico into the United States is and has been killing our society for many years. For decades, the border of the United States with Mexico has been used to smuggle illegal drugs into the country with the intention to sell it for illegal usage. Many of the drugs come from Mexico or other South American countries where drugs are easily grown. Once the drugs are grown and packed, they are then smuggled across the borders of Mexico and the United States. When the illegal drugs reach the United States, they are then distributed to many drug dealers around the country. These substances are then sold in our neighborhoods, our cities and states to those corrupted enough to purchase them. Sometimes the people that buy these large quantities of drugs have drug addictions, but a lot of the time it’s people that are addicted to money that sell to the addicts for a price of good profit. Customs Agents and x-ray devices that are at the borders are the only factors that need to be bypassed in order to successfully smuggle drugs into the United States. A lot of the times, illegal substances are stopped and confiscated at our borders. However, the effort to prevent the smuggling of drugs has not reached a one hundred percent success rate. Organized crime groups from Mexico have been smuggling marijuana into the United States since the early 1970s. Which may be surprising to some, being that president Richard Nixon declared a â€Å"war on drugs† in 1971. These groups maintain a wide range of associates, often related through family or regional ties to associates living in the United States. In my opinion this makes drug trafficking seem even more dangerous than it already is. It’s scary enough that people are sneaking drugs into our country, but knowing that they live here and not knowing where or who is even scarier. According to Mark Kleiman, â€Å"Most of the illicit drugs consumed in the United States come through or from Mexico, and virtually all the revenue of Mexican drug-trafficking organizations comes from sales to the United States†. What this says to me is that the United States has got to be at the top of the charts for the largest illegal drug trafficking market. This also means that not only are other countries at fault for bringing illegal drugs into our country, but the drug dealers and drug users that live in our country are making the United States seem at fault as well for keeping the system going. If you ask me, the president of Mexico should worry about the amount of legal drugs leaving his country and declare somewhat of a â€Å"war on drugs† like president Richard Nixon did in 1971. Although the war on drugs still continues, it at least makes it known that there is a solution in progress and sooner or later it will be in effect. â€Å"Mexico is the highway of the drug trade, not the destination-or so goes the conventional wisdom†, says Malcolm Beith. (Newsweek. New York: August 17, 2009 Vol. 154, Iss. 7) The United States has been fighting a losing war against drugs for decades. Budgets have increased dramatically over the last two decades and drug-related incarcerations consistently reach new records yet drug problems worsen: adolescent drug abuse is increasing, overdose deaths are at record levels, heroin and cocaine are cheaper, more pure and more available than ever before, and health problems related to drugs, especially the spread of HIV/AIDS are peaking. Meanwhile an expensive and ineffective policy is failing to work at a rate of speed that is sufficient enough. Drug problems can be reduced at less cost if we change course and start thinking and using strategies that actually work. At a time like this when the federal budget is limited programs need to be re-evaluated. Funding needs to go to programs that work. We need new ideas to save lives; we cant afford to continue to be wrong. Police have done their jobs with record arrests, drug seizures and record incarceration of drug offenders yet drug problems continue to worsen. Something different must happen soon before this growing problem becomes too out of hand. According to the National Coalition for Effective Drug Policies, there are a number of different things that may have to happen to ensure a change. These are, shift resources into programs that work, make treatment available on request like any other health service, prevent drug abuse by investing in American youth and providing them with accurate information, focus law enforcement resources on the most dangerous and violent criminals, international drug control efforts should be demilitarized and focus on economic development, restore justice to the US justice system, respect states rights and allow new approaches to be tried, and make prevention of HIV and other blood borne diseases a top priority. This may seem like a lot on paper but in exchange for a better society it is no question that whatever needs to happen must happen quick. The war on drugs has now been going on for over forty years and our government still continues to fight hard to end it. As long as our government stays strong and continues to pursue this problem, I believe that it will one day happen. And possibly even more important than that, as long as we citizens of the United States stay strong and say no to drugs or drug activity, we will continue to grow as a country and make for a better place to grow and raise our children.

Analyzing Realism Of 18th Century Authors

Analyzing Realism Of 18th Century Authors In this essay I will be focusing on two very interesting texts which depict realism in their own ways. I will be analysing Daniel Defoes Moll Flanders and Aphra Behns Oroonoko. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦realism came to be used primarily as the antonym of idealism, and this sense, which is actually a reflection of the position taken by the enemies of the French Realists, has in fact coloured much critical and historical writing about the novel  [1]  . I will be examining the way in which the characters individualism is linked with the claim to truth in both texts; this will help me establish whether the attempts of realism of eighteenth century writers were complex enough to be convincing or not. Moll Flanders on the other hand is obliged to the tradition of a novel which depicts in realistic and humorous detail. Molls life is conveyed in episodes within the text which makes her story seem more realistic. When Defoe began to writeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦he merely allowed his narrative order to flow spontaneously from his own sense of what his protagonist might plausibly do next.  [4]  The dismissal of a conforming plot is stated in both of the texts by the way in which the storylines are presented; the writers choose to write in a biography style which is a method which aims to attract the readers attention. Oroonoko as a character is very different as he is a prince yet at the same time a black slave. The rise of realism tries to have an effect on the readers so they can believe it; this proves to be a huge generic feature in the novel. The title Oroonoko shows how the story claims truth right from the start; there is a claim of reliability of the narrator. The first half of the book contains long passages of descriptions of the landscape which seems to be exotic; this makes the story seem believable as it adds to the reality effect. The background of the novel is illustrated to have a lot of detail, yet at the same time the narrators character doesnt seem developed. The female narrator that is un-named claims she saw Oroonoko like she knew him; this gives the story an appearance of truth. She monitors and tells the story to her audience even though we dont know fully what she looks like or why she is in Surinam. We know of her just as an observer and that she is quite well educated. The book is a good look at some of the contemporary issues in Britain; it focuses on the buying and selling of human beings. Behn forces up to a controversial issue which makes the book very believable and able to connect with the readers, it is a text which argues that en-slaving a prince is wrong. The aspect of individuality in Moll Flanders is an interesting aspect to look at as she is quite one-sided due to her concerns in life of an economic nature. Molls character is expressed in the text through the consciousness of her thoughts and behaviour; she is shown to be completely devoted to material comfort. It is fascinating to note that Defoes protagonist has a very realistic name while the narrator in Behns text doesnt have any name. Moll changes throughout the novel, she is shown to do everything as a necessity. She learns to survive; and is shown to give out her children trying to find them good homes. Her character is believable as she talks about herself and judges herself as a whore; she undergoes the guilt of her bigamy and sex in the text. Moll is revealed to contradict herself in the novel as shell say she feels guilty about something yet does it anyway. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the novel is surely distinguished from other genres and from previous forms of fiction by the amount of attentionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦of its characters and to the detailed presentation of their environment.  [5]  As a female narrator Moll is quite believable; her maternal instincts are shown to keep her alive. She has many children, and subverts the traditional role of a woman in the eighteenth century; the text demonstrates the believability of a woman very vividly. Defoes text is a story which begins with Molls birth; her character is shown to be clever, quick and talented knowing how to survive in a patriarchal society. Defoe had many careers, one which was a professional spy. Moll learns about disguise in the text as she hides other characters identities allowing the concept of realism to come into light. Could she be concealing identities of real people? It could be that she did this in order to add to the believability and documentary sense of the story. We as the readers are presented with the story being told by an old Moll, it is clear to identify the difference between the old and new Moll in the story. Even though we can see this growth, Moll finds it hard to see the transformation and development she has undergone. She is shown to grow older physically yet she forgets countless parts of her life. Moll is deeply fixed in the time process and even though there is not much development in her character, she is influenced by her previous e xperiences. Time contributes to Oroonoko as it reveals a part of the British history. The Surinam parts in the text can be seen as more of a travel story, the narrator doesnt respond to time yet undertakes a role to support Oroonoko throughout the novel. She claims to have power right from the beginning of the text however similar to Moll she is unable to apply her past thoughts. One of the characteristics of realism is a realist point of view in language and text structure. Defoe was a journalist; Moll Flanders reflects this, as it is written in a reporting style. There are no literary devices used in the text so the reader can easily have familiarity with the text. Behns style is very practical along with Defoes. Her narrator tells us the readers what she observes and sees. While we, as readers of the novel, are free to accept the authors words simply as rhetorical verification of her reliability as a narratorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the truth of her statement dominates discussion of the work.  [6]  In both books there is closeness linking the reader and the narrator. The characters which are presented by both Defoe and Behn can be seen as challenging, it is possible that both writers were aware of how difficult it would be to create a convincing character, therefore most probably claimed the truth of the stories in the preface before the stories even began. The narrator figure in Oroonoko can in many ways be seen as an illusive Aphra Behn, she becomes very vivid, and therefore the readers may assume a connection. Behns Oroonoko being a real travel journal shows the reliability of the narrator. If the truth was not stated then the claim to truth at the beginning of the texts would have been perceived as northing more than a literary device which is parallel to Defoes. Behn uses her narrator to raise awareness of the government, politics and male dominance over women as a concerning factor, whereas Moll seems to lack this complexity. It unlikely to analyze Moll as Defoe concentrated more on her actions rather than her personality. In conclusion both Behns Oroonoko and Defoes Moll Flanders illustrate good attempts at realism of eighteenth century writers. Both Behn and Defoe have one thing in common which is the claim of truth of their narratives. Oroonoko is a text which lacks features of a novel however we can see that it has a lot of the criteria of the realistic form above all the narrator figure who reveals a new genre. Oroonoko is written in the first person narrative and by a woman therefore is quite realistic. She has good incentive and qualities, as she wants to give infinite recognition to Oroonokos character. All these qualities support the realism and originality of Behns text. Through this essay I have tackled the question whether Moll Flanders is a convincing text or not. Similar to Oroonoko, it fulfils a lot of the criteria of realism in the novel. Molls own awareness is built up as she is illustrated to be more of an individual character rather than the narrator in Oroonoko who is fictionalized. I do not agree that the attempts of realism of eighteenth century writers are never complex enough to be convincing. I feel that both texts evidently convey very convincing and realistic pieces of writing through the characters, settings and narratives which are presented.

Rape on College Campuses :: Sexual Violence Crimes Essays

Rape on College Campuses Nicole Johnson*, a 22-year-old senior at an area university looks back at her college experience as graduation approaches, generally happy with how everything turned out, however, a dark cloud still looms over her freshman year when she was raped. â€Å"I went to a party with a few girls I just met,† Nicole recalls. â€Å"I had two beers and felt really drunk and could barely stand up.† After lying down in an empty room in the apartment, Nicole only remembers the moment she woke up. â€Å"I passed out and when I woke up there was a guy having sex with me. I woke up in the middle of it.† Johnson has become a statistic. In America, 1.3 women are raped every minute, 78 every hour, 56,160 every month, and approximently 683,280 women will be sexually assaulted by the end of this year. The attacker could be a perfect stranger or someone she knows, either way creating an emotionally damaging situation. Legally, one might wonder how sexual assault is defined. According to Massachusetts State law, there are two major categories of sexual assault against adults. One of these is rape, and the other is indecent assault and battery. Rape is defined as â€Å"sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse with a person and compels such person to submit by force and against his/her will, or compels such person to submit by threat of bodily injury.† Rape and attempted rape are punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The crime of indecent assault and battery occurs when an attacker, has non-consensual physical contact with a person in a sexual manner. This could be any unwarranted physical contact to a person’s private body. This assault is punishable to up to five years in prison. The majority of sexual assaults are committed against women between the ages of 15 and 25, making college-aged women the group with the highest vulnerability to being assaulted. In fact, according to Kelly Walker from campusspeak.com, and a sexual assault survivor, one in four women will be raped during their college experience. Furthermore, during one’s freshman year, they are at the highest risk time for assault, according to the Northeastern University Police Department. The Northeastern Police Department has their own web site with an extensive report on sexual assault and its statistics. In 1990, the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crimes Act was put into place.

Mockingbird Quotes Essay

Chapter 1Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. . . . There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County. But it was a time of vague optimism for some of the people: Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself. Chapter 3 You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. Chapter 7†³As Atticus once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it: if I had gone alone to the Radley Place at two in the morning, my funeral would have been held the next afternoon. So I left Jem alone and tried not to bother him. â€Å"Chapter 9†³When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness’ sake. But don’t make a production of it. Children are children, but they can spot an evasion quicker than adults, and evasion simply muddles ’em. â€Å"†You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ’em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change. â€Å"†Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win†Ã¢â‚¬ Atticus said, ‘You’ve a lot to learn, Jack. ‘ ‘I know. Your daughter gave me my first lessons this afternoon. She said I didn’t understand children much and told me why. She was quite right. Atticus, she told me how I should have treated her-oh dear, I’m so sorry I romped on her. ‘† Chapter 10 â€Å"Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. â€Å"Your father’s right,† she said. â€Å"Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. † Chapter 11 It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. â€Å"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. â€Å" Chapter 13†³I never understood her preoccupation with heredity.  Somewhere, I had received the impression that Fine Folks were people who did the best they could with the sense they had, but Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer it was. â€Å"Chapter 14†³Ã¢â‚¬ËœThat’s because you can’t hold something in your mind but a little while,’ said Jem. ‘It’s different with grown folks, we-‘ His maddening superiority was unbearable these days. He did not want to do anything but read and go off by himself. â€Å"Chapter 19†³Mr. Gilmer smiled grimly at the jury. ‘You’re a mighty good fellow, it seems- did all this for not one penny? ‘ ‘Yes suh.  I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ’em-‘ ‘You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her? ‘ Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling. † Chapter 20†³Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levellers, and in our courts all men are created equal. † Chapter 22 They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it—seems that only children weep. Chapter 23†³Ã¢â‚¬ËœScout, I think I’m beginning to understand something. I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time. It’s because he wants to stay inside. ‘† Chapter 25 Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed. â€Å"‘Why couldn’t I mash him? ‘ I asked. ‘Because they don’t bother you,’ Jem answered in the darkness. He had turned out his reading light. â€Å"Chapter 30†³Atticus looked like he needed cheering up. I ran to him and hugged him and kissed him with all my might. ‘Yes sir, I understand,’ I reassured him. ‘Mr. Tate was right. ‘ Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. What do you mean? ‘ ‘Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it? ‘† Chapter 31 Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough. When they finally saw him, why he hadn’t done any of those things . . . Atticus, he was real nice. . . .† His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me. â€Å"Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them. † He turned out the light and went into Jem’s room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning.

Republic Day Essay

Republic Day is one of the three national holidays of India and the greatest festival celebrated in the country. It is celebrated every year on January 26, in New Delhi with great pomp, fanfare and pageant. While in the capitals of the States and other headquarters, it is marked with patriotic fervor. The most spectacular celebrations are marked by the Republic Day Parade that takes place in the capital of New Delhi at Rajpath. It includes march past of the three armed forces, massive parades, folk dances by tribal folk from different states in picturesque costumes marking the cultural unity of India. Further, the streak of jet planes of Indian Air Force, leaving a trial of colored smoke, marks the end of the festival. It was the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress at midnight of December 31, 1929 – January 1, 1930, that the Tri-Color Flag was unfurled by the nationalists and a pledge was taken that on January 26 every year, â€Å"Republic Day† would be celebrated and that the people would unceasingly strive for the establishment of a Sovereign Democratic Republic India. The professed pledge was successfully redeemed on January 26, 1950, when the Constitution of India framed by the Constituent Assembly of India came into force, although the Independence from the British rule was already achieved on August 15, 1947. It is because of this fact that August 15 is celebrated as Independence Day, while January 26 as Republic Day. The festivity of Republic Day concludes officially with the intriguing Beating Retreat ceremony on the evening of 29th January. This enthralling ceremony is performed by the military, the Indian Air Force, India Navy and India Army in the Raisina Hills, New Delhi, in front of the President of India as the Chief Guest.