radio

Radio

“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” This powerful quote declared by the first president of the United States of America, George Washington, beautifully articulates the necessity of this cherished freedom to the well-being of the United States. Without it, America would certainly not consider herself the land of the truly free. The freedom of speech and expression is one that is coveted by all, and in recent times has proven to be one that is neglected by its possessors. Several recent events have sparked an uprising against the moderate restrictions on public radio. Events such as: Don Imus’ racial slurs directed toward the Rutger’s ladies basketball team, the Texas talk-radio ethnic slurs aimed at Hispanics and finally (find other example of radio offensive) The irresponsibility and flat-out immaturity expressed by these radio hosts have caused public outrage, and thus resulting in increased lobbying attempts to get legislation passed to limit speech on the radio. The reasons for these attempts are justified, however the proposed solution is not. America walks on thin ice when the decision is made to start restraining freedoms such as the freedom of unrestricted speech. Although people will choose to be offended over the radio’s decisions on word choices, the continual practice of free speech on the radio in America is imperative in order for all the liberties and freedoms practiced herein to be maintained.

The catalyst for this debate rising to the national level was the infamous verbal attack by Don Imus towards the Ladies Basketball team at Rutger University in early 2007. The result of the attack got Imus kicked off his own radio show for nearly eight months, and a reputation for being insensitive, and offensive. Imus degraded the black community, and offended the entire country. Now, in the aftermath of all this, many people are pushing for even more legislation to get passed that would further prohibit freedom of speech on the radio.

Speech on the radio already has its limits. According to Chris Reed an expert on broadcast radio, “Broadcasters do, indeed, have the same First Amendment rights that you and I do. But, the courts have held over the years, that because of the unique character of the broadcast medium, broadcasters' First Amendment rights are somewhat limited.” What this means is there are limited stations available on the radio to broadcast on, so naturally the government reserves the right to regulate what is broadcasted to the national audience. It is important to note that the radio already is not a completely free stream. Nevertheless, many people now are lobbying for even more restrictions to be placed on the radio. Many avid listeners of every day talk-radio feel that there are too many instances of racial and ethnic slurs occurring on the radio, and that it is time to start making more restrictions, and harsher punishments for those guilty.

In the case of Don Imus, the racist comments he made about the Women’s Basketball team at Rutgers really set the stage for the punishments of letting your tongue slip while on the radio. In addition to being fired for eight months, Imus was humiliated, forced to apologize, and scrutinized for the rest of his career. According to a poll conducted by MSNBC, 54 percent of America thought the punishment was about right, 32 percent said it was too tough and about 8 percent said it was not tough enough (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18209464/). This particular case set a precedent of radio cases like these in which the radio-host made a bad mistake, and launched into some kind of offensive diatribe. Another case similar to this occurring after the Don Imus expulsion from talk-radio was a Texas radio morning broadcast called “Todd and Don.” On this particular broadcast, the radio-hosts referred to illegal immigrants as “wetbacks,” thus resulting in no work or pay for two weeks for the convicted rradio-hosts. Many “Hispanic leaders” were not satisfied with this punishment however. Hispanics in the area lobbied to get these radio-hosts permanently removed from the radio air waves, and sited the Imus case as reason for more extreme punishment.

What these cases demonstrate is the public’s reaction to offensive words spoken on national lines. In nearly every case in which there is any sort of harmful rant, a universal feeling of discontent and outrage is expressed by all who hear it. The freedom of speech on the radio is one that can really prove offensive to listeners. When a radio-host has freedom to say what pops into his or her head, it isn’t unreasonable to assume people tuned in have the potential to be offended. Even with the few radio-laws prohibiting it, it still happens.

When freedoms granted in the Constitution begin to be distorted, the result is a gradual tilt away from reason. The liberty declared therein is inspired from God, and should be treated as a precious God-given gift. The very thought of trying to limit speech in America is preposterous, and if the steps are taken to do it by starting first with radio censorship, then the wonderful country known as America has already begun her downfall. Sexist and racist remarks are becoming all too common on the radio, who’s jockey’s delight in “bringing private behavior out into public,” and delivering the listener “the thrill of crossing that line,” this is all according to John Baugh, a professor of linguistics at Washington University in St. Louis.

Effects of child-targeted advertising

Gabe Machen
Section 14
Katherine Cowley
7/29/09

Effects of Child-Targeted Advertising

In our society advertising plays a huge role in the economy, social life, and our general perceptions about products, people, and morals. The influence of advertising is everywhere. It pops up on billboards while we drive, commercials while we watch television, and side panel ads while surfing the net. This bombardment is all well and good if we know how to perceive deception and fraud in these ads. Unfortunately, our children have no such abilities and there is a need for exploration on just what effects dangerous advertising is having on our children’s perceptions of the different industries that target them. An article on the harmful effects of advertising on children stated that, “By the late 1970s, research indicated that children had trouble distinguishing between television programs and commercials. Most had little or no understanding of ads' persuasive intentions, thus making them highly vulnerable to commercial claims and appeals (Fox,1).” Obviously this could create a problem when it comes to buying food or toys as well as their future choices in the areas of smoking and underage drinking. It is important to examine just what kind of impressions our children our left with when we allow advertisements to enter our homes and what effects the advertisements have on their present and future choices. Although marketing has become an essential part of our society in general, the effects that advertising, especially specifically targeted advertising, has on young impressionable children are singularly negative as they promote greed and materialism while downplaying the dangers of risky behaviors. Research has shown that the advertising industry has had affected the rise of child obesity by astounding rates. Studies between the requests of children and their parents responses directly correlates with the things children see on television as well as the way they are presented for parents. With all the tobacco and alcoholic product ads on television children become more and more likely to smoke or drink underage as they get older. This, of course, is supplemented but the growing callousness in the attitude of parents towards such things as high school drinking parties and low-risk drug use. Children in this day make bad choices because of many factors but one of the biggest factors is deceptive advertising that causes them to think they need one of the many luxuries that plague this country.
The first and perhaps most presently dangerous issue is childhood obesity and the influence that advertising has on it. In Faith McLellan’s article on the subject she paraphrase’s from a Harvard Medical School Professor who “said that in the early 20th century, children did hard physical work in factories, with the result that companies essentially owned their bodies. Now marketers are attempting to own children’s minds (McLellan,1001).” This quote essentially shows exactly the problem with this type of advertising. Instead of simply presenting a product the advertising shows children exactly how to get their parent to buy the product. This method of advertising shows a direct correlation to the rise of obesity. McLellan makes this point as her article continues, “The relentless onslaught of advertising for food products contributed to the unprecedented weight gain seen during the past 2 decades in children in genetically stable populations (1001).” American advertising is even starting to have a poll on other nations and while Americans may have built up some type of tolerance for such horrible junk foods, places like China where the traditional food is very healthy are drastically gaining weight as American junk food seeps into their society. An article on the rise of junk food penetration in Asian countries said that, “a survey across six Asian countries including Malaysia conducted by Consumers International observed that there has been increased production and marketing of fatty and sugary food aimed at children (Kulasagaran,1).” This increase has resulted in a higher child obesity level which is the direct result of clever advertising. John Eighmey wrote an article entitled “Deception and Unfairness in Children’s Advertising” in which he outlined the main reasons that child-targeted advertising is deceptive.
1. Premium distracting attention from the product;
2. Brevity of commercials-insufficient comprehension;
3. Comparative advertising may leave deceptive impressions;
4. Stereotyping;
5. Excessive use of emotions;
6. Reliance on nonsense without product information;
7. Similarities taken too literally;
8. Deceptive juxstaposition of products with contexts or persons;
9. Unfamiliar terms or phrases; and
10. Global uniqueness claims. (Eighmey, 17)
These deceptive techniques contribute heavily to the food industry advertisements and are an important part of their methods. Especially number two concerning the brevity of commercials leading to an insufficient knowledge on the subject is important. If the commercial is so short that it shows only the good and not the overwhelming bad then how are we supposed to distinguish between those things that are real and those that are fraudulent.

College Napping- Scott

Scott McGrath
English 150 Section 14
Kathy Cowley
July 28, 2009
College Nap Time
Late night study sessions and early morning classes’ leads to sleep deprivation and loss of attention. This is what many call the normal college student life. However, there are many different views on how this lack of sleep is not only harming college student’s bodies physically but affecting their grades and success as well. In doing my research I found many different articles that talked about how serious of a problem sleep deprivation is and its many different effects on the body. With many college students lacking the right amount of sleep needed don’t you think a nap would be a great way to help? In many different studies naps have been proven to help students be more alert and stay awake during class time. I think that if students need to stay awake late working on homework than a nap is a great way to catch up on missed sleep.
A major factor in college students’ lives is evolved around stress and time management. We all know how good we feel when you finish that long paper or map out your time just right so you can get everything done for the day. Elizabeth Scott an expert on stress management with college students stated, “And research shows that you can make yourself more alert reduce stress and improve cognitive functioning with a nap. Mid-day sleep, or a ‘power nap’, means more patience, less stress, better reaction time, increased learning, more efficiency and better health” (Scott). In this quote she is talking about all of the positives that come from napping and catching up on loss sleep. However, on the flip side there are some very serious symptoms that may result from lack of sleep as well. The reason I have narrowed my topic down to specifically college students, is because they are a rather large group that lacks the most sleep.
As stated in the Scotts’ quote, napping can be extremely helpful for the body to make it more alert and attentive. Doesn’t this sound exactly like something every college student could use? If by simply taking a short nap a day to make up for loss sleep over night and help you be more alert in class, wouldn’t this be very helpful? By napping, college students will be more alert in class and pay more attention to specific details which in return should show a positive correlation with their grades. By simply adding a few more minutes of sleep a day could largely change your overall out come or grade in the class. This is one thing almost all college students’ desire: better grades.
Increased alertness would really help college students with staying awake in class, paying attention, taking notes, reading, quizzes and tests. I know from first hand that when I don’t get enough sleep the next day it is extremely hard for me to stay awake in my classes and I don’t learn much because of this. “Research shows that a midday snooze can increase productivity and alertness” (Kliff). Imagine what it would be like if all college students took a midday nap everyday. Grades would sky rocket and the students’ mentality on college campuses would completely change.
Taking a nap will help increase learning which in the long run will help raise your grades. One study found that “researchers who have studied college students' sleeping patterns have found that ZZZ's translate to A's” (Anas). This study was done at Colorado Universtiy where they have made a new nap room for college students to catch up on sleep which in return will help them with their grades. This just shows how important it is to get the right amount of sleep when in college. I think that the napping room is a really good idea and more colleges should input these around campuses. Although it may cost more money to make nap rooms on college campuses, it will be improving students’ health as well as grades which will make the college look much better.
Sleep deprivation is not healthy for your body to function correctly and our bodies need the right amount of sleep. Sleeping is very good for our bodies and is needed to stay healthy. "Sleep is part of good health, as important as nutrition and exercise to overall well-being," (Wasowicz). This is a very strong point she makes, because people are always worried about watching what they eat and exercising but you never see people worry much about their sleep. This is very bad for college students who don’t get enough sleep because not only are the tired and run down the next day; they are harming their bodies as well. If more people looked at sleep in this manner I think that many would take it much more seriously and make sure they got the right amount of sleep per night.
If a quick twenty minute nap can really help increase learning, reduce stress, more patience and better health why doesn’t everyone nap? Many people think that napping isn’t helpful at all and that it can actually be harmful to the person. Many people whose “sleep is lighter and marked by more frequent awakenings. This situation is exacerbated by afternoon napping” (therapeutics). Frequent awakenings and lighter sleeping is a major reason why people don’t nap. Another reason many don’t nap is because many people nap for hours at a time and wake up feeling groggy and more tired than before. This is very common and even though naps are making up for missed sleep, they do not need to be much longer than twenty to thirty minutes. Naps longer than twenty to thirty minutes go into your later stages of sleep cycle and even into REM where the body is completely asleep and relaxed. Trying to wake up in the later stages of the sleep cycle will be hard and make you feel very groggy because your body wants to keep sleeping.

Am I Too Fat?

We live in a culture where it is not surprising to go to the grocery store and while standing in line to buy your food you see all the magazines with the headlines talking about how this star is a size 2 and this other one needs to lose weight, who is only a size 6. There is so much attention given to weight and beauty that it seems as if the two go hand in hand. For many one might get the impression that for one to be considered beautiful in this culture then one must be thin by Hollywood’s standards. One only has to turn on the TV and they will see news reports on which stars in Hollywood are overweight (who may only be a size 4), which have the best bikini bodies, and which are the sexiest slim stars in Hollywood. Reality TV shows, which by the sounds of it are suppose to be showing reality, are giving people a very distorted view of what reality really is. According to a commercial for a new TV show on Fox it says that the average size of a female on a reality TV program is a size 2, but the average size of a women in the United States is a size 14. These so called reality shows are doing anything but showing what real reality is in the world. However, one has to wonder who this focus on weight and beauty is affecting the most in this culture? Continually studies show that the group of people affected most by all of this pressure of what size one needs to be is teenage girls. Teenage girls have become so affected by all of this pressure that now studies are showing that they are more affected by many psychological because of this pressure, such as depression and eating disorders. Although the media may help provide entertainment in people’s lives, the psychological effects, such as depression and eating disorders that it causes in the lives of teenage girls need to be noticed and understood.


Ok, so this is only the first paragharph of the paper. I am working on it, it is just I write different and I am not sure how much of this I am even going to be changing. So, please give me insight that you have on how I can change anything that you might not like in this or not understand. Thanks!

Homosexuality in the political process

Homosexuality is a very touchy subject. It hits close to home with almost everyone. We all know people who come down on one side or another on the issues brought to the public arena by this lifestyle choice. We as a society have an obligation to be accepting of others. Acceptance of another for who they are does not, however, mean we should put aside our beliefs and accept everything that they wish to do or say for the sake of acceptance. Homosexuals are an obviously growing force in our country. They command a large voice that some would say dictate a disproportionate amount of public policy. Has the tone in the country changed as regards to homosexuals and their so called agenda? How has their growing influence changed the course of public policy? Do racial and/or ethnic views on homosexuals affect the way people of diverse ethnic backgrounds vote on those issues? These are the questions that will be discussed in this paper. The questions raised by the issues at hand are important ones to find answers to. We need to be politically aware of what goes on in our country, and the policies of the homosexual movement have the potential to change the course of our countries policies in ways that many consider the wrong direction.
The only way to understand the homosexual movement is to exam its origins. In the late 1980s a book was written by Marshall K. Kirk and Hunter Madsen detailing how the homosexual movement could become mainstream and detailing exactly how this could happen. Before this time homosexuals were “in the closet.” Theirs was a lifestyle not discuss in polite company. This book helped to change the way homosexuals presented themselves to the public. They presented three major ways in which to accomplish their goals: desensitization, jamming, and conversion.
“If gays present themselves-- or allow themselves to be presented--as overwhelmingly different and threatening, they will put straights on a triple-red alert, driving them to overt acts of political oppression or physical violence. If, however, gays can live alongside straights, visibly but as inoffensively as possible, they will arouse a low-grade alert only, which, though annoying to straights, will eventually diminish for purely psychological reasons. Straights will be desensitized.” ( "After the Ball - How America will conquer its fear and hatred of Gays in the 90s." - Penguin Books, 1989 pp. 147-157.by Marshall K. Kirk and Hunter Madsen) The desensitization factor of their agenda has been very successful. There used to be no instances of homosexual activity on television. One of the most popular sitcoms in recent years has been “Will and Grace.” This is a program that would have been, even in the 80s, too crude with a subject matter too taboo for television. It is now acceptable to announce to the world that one has same sex attraction. Something that even ten years ago was very controversial. People are now almost ridiculed if they “stay in the closet.”

Everything from the brand new shoes on your feet, to the baseball cap on your head to the bad your caring around your shoulder is the work of the some of the biggest name brands in the fashion industry. They look appealing, comfortable and of course fashionable, but no one ever stops and thinks where they actually come from and how they got on your body. You didn’t know how many hours it took to make that one garment or what they working conditions were like that they had to sweat over so you could look good for a day, and the worst part of it is that they are simply children. Child labor is a growing industry, which employs millions of children across the globe. Big manufacturing countries outsource to third world countries thinking that they can get cheap labor in producing their products. How ever they don’t realize the effects on the kids that they are exploiting. In Latin American countries, the effects of child labor are astonishing and completely disturbing. From their everyday schedule to their gruesome living standards and limited pay, this is not the life that people should have to be living in. With these conditions, its is amazing that they are able to survive at all with the extreme conditions. With child labor, human rights are being exploited and unnecessary               

Precautions are being used to make clothes that aren’t even needed.

            Child labor around the globe is violating the basic of human rights and needs an evaluation about what they are doing to innocent children around the globe. For example, when was it ever right to push hundreds of children into crowded workrooms with heavy machine for long workdays. They are given little food and are unable to function and are putting their young lives in danger. With so many countries around the world involved with child labor, a certain definition needs to define what that actually means. According to the International Labor Organization, it states “the ‘child labor’ of concern is generally employment that prevents effective school attendance, and which is often performed under conditions hazardous to the physical and mental health of the child (United States Department of Labor). It is saying that children are allowed to do work, such as family businesses or work that does not interfere with school or harm them, but as soon as any of these conditions are violated and the child is put in danger, that is when child labor becomes a problem and needs to be stopped. However most companies don’t care about the regulations or rules that prevent child labor and keep kids safe. Many people take for granted that the live in the United States where child labor is completely unacceptable, and they never truly think about how children in other countries are constantly working in unfair conditions just to survive. David L. Parker stated that “250 million children

Worldwide still labour (sic) to sustain basic needs”(Street Children and Labor around the world). Some children are still in work because they need the money to survive, though they may be killing themselves to get it.

         The reality of the working conditions is unbearable and the reasons that the kids need to work are once again alarming. The garment industry, one of the most popular forms of child labor within the world, is constantly looking to outsource because of the demanding marketing prices. In our society today, competition leads to the constant fall of prices and the lower the prices equals the continuing lowering the price of the workers, which leads to the exploitation of children in the labor force. The ILO (International Labor Organization states

         ...the competition between an increasing number of developing countries to win contracts has a downward effect on wages and working conditions in enterprises specialized in providing low-range articles - for which the production cost must be as low as possible. Only by filling a slot in the market for higher-range goods can these enterprises break out of this vicious circle in which production costs must be compressed for them to remain competitive. (United States Bureau of International Affairs).

This statement accounts for the rising number of child labor within the constantly growing and changing work force.

 

Deaf Schools Are an Endangered Species

In the world today, people believe that everything needs to be integrated. This is not the best way of action in some circumstances. One of the major ones is for children who are deaf and cannot have hearing implements. The government is saying that it is too expensive to keep these deaf schools open any longer in this economy. They are starting to be shut down which will effect the deaf community more than the government realizes. Although these schools are very expensive, the effects that they have upon those who are deaf severely outweighs the costs.

Most children who have moderate to severe hearing loss who are not able to use hearing implements, such as cochlear implants, have lost one of the senses that is fundamental in their emergent literacy. This is so because they are not able to grow up in as academically challenging of an environment as hearing children. An academically challenging environment is cultivated by parents who teach their kids to do mathematics through games or puzzles, who help their children grow academically before they are sent off to school (McKenzie). Unfortunately the children who are deaf are not able to be fostered in such an environment because their learning is retarded over the fact that they cannot hear.

Children learn by example, they learn by listening to their parents talk. Sadly deaf children cannot hear so they can only learn through sight. Though if the deaf children are taught simultaneously through speaking and signing, they are able to learn faster and more efficiently because then sign language becomes their first language. In a study done at the University of Illinois and the University of Rochester by Jenny L. Singleton and Elissa L. Newport they found that:

Simon [who] is a deaf child whose deaf parents both learned American Sign Language (ASL) after age 15. Simon’s only ASL input is provided by his late-learner parents. The study examines Simon’s performance at age 7 on an ASL morphology task, compared with eight children who have native signing parents, and also compared with Simon’s own parents. The results show that Simon’s production of ASL substantially surpasses that of his parents. (370)

Simon is a perfect example of what should happen to children who are deaf. He was able to be taught early enough that he was able to perform to a better capability than his own parents. Sadly for Simon, there is not a deaf school for him to go to.

Simon is in a classroom where he teacher does not know full ASL, she only knows simultaneous communication which is not proper ASL, it is directly translated from speaking to sign, without any change of grammar to ASL grammar. On top of this, Simon is “mainstreamed with hearing children for Physical Education and Art classes and recess” (380). Being mainstreamed like this is detrimental to deaf children’s social abilities. The vast majority of the people, outside of his class for deaf students, are hearing and have hearing parents, so there has been no reason for them to ever learn ASL. Thus Simon and his fellow hearing impaired peers are left to fend for themselves for communication between themselves and their hearing peers.

This is what is going to happen to all of the children who currently go to schools like the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf in Wilson, North Carolina. This school is in the process of being shut down. Most people outside of Wilson, don’t even care. But the residents of Wilson are afraid that their community “will be lost, scattered and torn apart if the School for the Deaf closes as part of budgetary cuts proposed by the state Department of Health and Human Services” (Moore). This community has grown together. The majority of its inhabitants are deaf. This little town has become a family to its citizens. The state has proposed that they consolidate its two Schools for the Deaf into one in the middle of the state. This fact that they are even considering doing this is quite appalling.

Closing down these schools will force these families to make one of the largest decisions of their lives; they will have to choose between moving to an unknown city, or forcing their children to go to public schools. The Eastern North Carolina School for the deaf has a residential program that allows their students to choose if they want to go home either daily or weekly. It is not considered a boarding school, but has the capabilities of any hospital or boarding school. Some of the services that are offered at ENCSD, as stated in their school website, include “audiology,... child psychiatry,... independent living skills,... literacy, medical care, occupational and physical therapy, orientation and mobility,... sensory integration, speech and language therapy,... and therapeutic horseback riding.”

The ENCSD offers more than just a normal deaf school. The Reverend Daniel Johnson graduated from ENCSD and fully endorses the school saying, “deaf people feel the school is home” (Moore). The entire country needs to realize that although these schools cost more, the effect that they have upon the population and how they have helped a community come together and become a family, is more important than the extra money it costs to keep these facilities in use. The United States should not force people like Simon to endure through years of public school where no one understand them. America should realize how much these schools help the deaf community as a whole and support them more fully.

What do we owe Africa?

No matter how much digging people do it seems that the roots of American racism are hard to reach. Slavery was part of the British Empire before the American colonies even existed, but sources say that British enslavement of Africans was more a matter of convenience and economy than of a stance of white superiority. This issue is certainly not dead, and cogent arguments range wide across it. Several years ago at the 2001 United Nations’ World Conference several African countries claimed that they deserved some form of reparations from the countries that mistreated their ancestors through the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade years ago (Howard-Hassman p.1). These reparations are not likely to be granted because of the ambiguity of the history of the slave trade (Howard-Hassman p.1). Even so, the argument is interesting: if these reparations were to take place, who would owe the most to the mistreated African countries? Evidence shows that although the practice of African enslavement began on the British Isles, the American colonies were the ones who actually developed a racist attitude against the African people that led to the largest forced exodus of people in the history of the world.

History is a tricky thing because it can be easily misinterpreted through the eyes of the historian who is from a different time and in a different situation than the people he is studying. This is most certainly the case with the study of American racism. Racism is, and has been, such a hot issue that historians such as Carl Deglar have had a tough time viewing the past in the context of those times without relying on the knowledge of the eventual outcome of the particular issue (Breen 25-26). In other words, it’s difficult to not view every action and law against an African slave as overt racism, because of the well-known outcome that eventuated from various actions. Author Rhoda Howard-Hassman notes that even the simplest issues dealing with racism and slavery are hard to understand. She notes that the estimates of slaves transported from Africa during the era of the slave-trade range from 12 million to about 100 million slaves forcefully taken from the continent (Howard-Hassman p.2-3). This being the case, it is much more difficult for the historians to pinpoint the exact time and place that racist attitudes emerged from the practice of slavery. It is necessary to view arguments and counter-arguments of this issue to gain the fullest understanding of the evidences and interpretations of evidences that can lead to the most realistic opinion of how and where racism developed.

Winthrop D. Jordan’s book White over Black: American Attitudes toward the Negro explores the development of racism in America from the years 1550-1812, and it is a common springboard used by other writers and historians to leap, not only into the analysis of Jordan’s work, but also into the issue of American racism in general. In his analysis of Jordan’s thesis, Karl Westhauser notes that Jordan displayed the necessary understanding of the subject by realizing “that to discover the origins of American racism, he would first have to trace the development of English attitudes toward Africans (Westhauser p. 112).” Jordan began naturally from the beginning – the British ideas of the Africans during their first encounter in 1550. The darkness of the color of the skin of the African peoples was of extreme interest the Englishmen because it was so far from anything they had ever seen. This meeting came at a time when the difference between white and black – light and dark – in the mind of the Englishmen carried heavy significance. Jordan notes that “White and black connoted purity and filthiness, virginity and sin, virtue and baseness, beauty and ugliness, beneficence and evil, God and the devil (Jordan p.7).” Jordan explains that this was not an uncommon train of thought among different peoples and cultures. This being the case, Africans naturally found themselves to be the most beautiful while the white Europeans weren’t attractive to them in the least. Their views were “inverse to the European’s (Jordan p.10).” Despite the difference in opinions regarding the beauty and meaning of different colors, the two cultures didn’t automatically regard the other as fitting a specific role – the Europeans didn’t “[prejudge] the Negro as a slave, at least not as a slave of Englishmen. Rather, Englishmen met Negroes merely as another sort of men (Jordan p.4).” The view of racism that assigned the Negro to the position as an inferior human being designated for work as a slave didn’t come along until relations between black and white men were much more developed.

From this realization Jordan researched and proved “that English ideas about black people were fluid well into the seventeenth century, grounding the rise of racism in contingency rather than the certainty of hindsight (Westhauser p.112-113).” Jordan’s interpretation of the development of racism eschews the idea that the American colonists’ attitudes were already founded upon the idea of white-supremacy when they established the colonies in America. To further the point first illustrated by Jordan, Westhauser states that the British’s practices of slavery and attitudes of racism only correlated with the development of that in the colonies to a certain degree. He notes:
Yet some doors that closed in the Americas remained open in England, creating meaningful opportunities for black people and for the development of race relations. Most importantly, no legislation establishing slavery was ever enacted in England; the laws enacted in the colonies found no parallel at home…. English courts had to decide over and over again, case by case, whether to uphold rights of property or of liberty; their decisions differed from one case to another. (Westhauser pp. 113-114)
Westhauser’s evidence buttresses Jordan’s idea by proving that in statutory law the British didn’t enact anything of the same magnitude and racial discrimination that the American colonies did. If the Americans received their racist attitudes from the British then it would have been more likely that the British would have displayed a similar amount of brutality and racism towards Africans that the Americans did.

The American colonies inherited the idea of slavery from the British, but how the Americans fused all Africans to the position as slaves and thus created white-supremacist ideals requires some investigation. Perhaps it was bound to happen to some degree, because even the British developed racist attitudes toward Africans, although these attitudes weren’t near the same degree as what the Americans. However, this idea supposes that even if America was bound to develop some form of racist attitude, they still had power over how deep they would allow this racism to run in their society. Considering that the American colonies and the British differed in the extent of their racism then it also leads to the idea of the possibility that each society was actually in control of whether or not racism developed and found place in their statutes at all.

Meditation

In societies throughout the world, there are many problems emerging as a result of the downturn many economies have taken in the last several years. There is one in particular that has affected many people even though they may not even realize its influence. What is this problem? Stress. Stress and anxiety are two very well known issues which have been around since man can remember. They are unavoidable. Any kind of emotional or physical threat can cause stress or anxiety in a person, resulting in irritability, fatigue, headaches, loss of energy, or high blood pressure and heart rate. If stress is not managed properly it can have a serious affect on a person’s well-being mentally and emotionally, as well as physically. There have been many different suggestions for stress management presented by doctors, specialists, mothers, fathers and friends. Popular methods for stress reduction include exercise or medication. However, there have been alternative means of medicine that doctors have been experimenting with for many years now. One alternative to medication is meditation. Doctors have been researching its affects on high blood pressure and heart rate due to stress.
While many people still think of meditation as a bunch of “humms” and “owms” that hippies or Buddhists practice, there is much more to it than that. It is more than just sitting cross-legged on the floor. It is an intellectually based exercise to help focus and concentrate on oneself or ones conscious (Robert). Buddhist meditation is one of the oldest forms of meditation that originally was practiced for religious purposes to become closer to nature and God, and calm one’s mind. The art of Zen takes practice and discipline in order to perfect the meditative processes. (Masao 122). What doctors have been researching more recently are the actual psychological and physiological affects that meditation can have on someone. Experiments and research has led many doctors to believe that meditation can be used for more than just “finding oneself” or getting to know a god. Meditation can be a useful practice for the treatment of stress and anxiety because of its calming affects which can reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Many people may not think it is a very practical means of alternative medicine for anxiety or stress but when practiced seriously and correctly meditation can be calming for more than just the spirit of a person. It can physically and psychologically calm their body and mind (Hyuk 190).
There are many different types of meditation that are being found to be very affective for stress management. One of which is transcendental meditation. Transcendental meditation is a more modern method of meditation that was first taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi from India. It involves the use of a sound or “mantra” that is meant to draw ones attention back to a specific thought or idea. As the mantra is repeated it is supposed to focus the mind and awaken the less active parts of the brain (Michaels 1242). When applied by patients with anxiety this type of meditation can help them focus and take control in order to slow breathing and heart rate.

Steps Toward Socialism: The American Pilgrimage

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgement [sic] of the freedom of the people by the gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpation."
President James Madison (1751-1836) speech, Virginia Convention, 1788

Eleven score and 13 years ago, our founding fathers pledged to each other their "lives, [their] fortunes and [thier] sacred honor" (Declaration of Independence) and embarked upon the great experiment known to us as The United States of America. It was to be a true republic; a government "of the people, by the people, for the people" (Gettysburg Address) guided by divine providence. It was a dream that they shed sweat, blood and tears to achieve. It was a dream defended on the battlefield, in the courthouse, and in the hearts and minds of our earliest patriots. It is a dream realized.
Today there are more than three-hundred-million people lucky enough to call themselves "Americans" and lay claim to the unparalleled heritage of our great country. People from all nationalities, races, and tongues have journeyed here just so that they too might be a part of this great dream and claim the promised blessings of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" (Declaration of Independence) for their posterity. Through hard work, determination, and a little inspiration they let our capitalist (free) economy work for them.
I love America. I have been a student of its history, purpose, and theology since I was a boy. I feel especially blessed to be an American after the two years I spent living in the heart of Russia. I learned the Russian language, culture, customs, and history and feel so very fortunate that our country has been spared their dark heritage of tyrants, bloody revolutions, and communism.
As a student of the histories of both of these nations, it not only became apparent to me that there were reasons for the rise of the Soviet Union, but that similar trends exist in the United States today. Trends that if not halted, I'm sorry to say, will lead us down a long and destructive road toward a fate similar to our Soviet friends. Many of these trends may seem harmless, or even appealing such as "socialized medicine." But behind the campaign promises lies a threat to our hard-won liberties. Although appealing, this progressive movement toward socialism must be halted or our great nation will find itself slowly robbed of its liberties and freedoms in the name of "security" and "welfare."
It shall now be our opportunity to explore the histories of Russia and the United States in order to compare, contrast, and decide for ourselves what our future shall be. As one of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, once said, "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

Post Traumaic Stress Disorder

During this past year, President Obama has spent billions of dollars to stimulate the economy in order help the people our nation get back on their feet and have confidence in our government once more. For the most part, I appreciate the effort. The one thing that he left off of his list though was our soldiers that continue to fight a war, even though they have already returned home. They are fighting a battle with an illness called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Also known as PTSD, hundreds of thousands of veterans struggle through their normal ever day lives with symptoms such as flashbacks or nightmares of the traumatic event, hyperventilation, anger or even suicidal thoughts and the list continues. What are people doing to help these veterans through their struggle? The answer is sometimes nothing. Our government has only limited resources to help. Our veterans deserve better. Although spending more money on PTSD stricken veterans would cause a greater national debt and deficit, the United States Government needs to help up those who have fought for our freedoms by providing the necessary funding for specific treatments that are proven effective for the recovery from this terrible disorder.The government has programs and treatment facilities for those with physical wounds. They will pay for disability and treatment and rehabilitation costs but what about those who come back with all of their limbs and no physical scarring but have deep emotional wounds that are not visible to the naked eye and cannot be corrected with surgery? We should be doing all that we can for these soldiers to assist them in their recovery. They shouldn’t have to suffer in silence because their wounds are not apparent to those around them.

Many people do not understand what exactly Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is and rightfully so. It is difficult to understand because the disorder can present itself differently on a case by case basis. The Mayo Clinic defines it as, “a type of anxiety disorder that's triggered by a traumatic event. You can develop post-traumatic stress disorder when you experience or witness an event that causes intense fear, helplessness or horror (Mayo). This definition however does not give specific enough symptoms or criteria to categorize someone as having the disorder. According to the American Journal of Nursing, there are six separate criteria, each with its own subcategory that one must meet in order to qualify as a PTSD patient. The criteria are: “The person has been exposed to a traumatic event; The traumatic event continues to be re-experienced; There is a persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing of general responses which were not present before the trauma; Persistent symptoms of arousal as indicated by…difficulty sleeping or an exaggerated startle response; Duration of [the previous] symptoms for more than one month; A significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning (Clark 28).” These specific criteria aid in narrowing down those who are candidates of PTSD from those with a one time response to a traumatic event. It is so important to realize the symptoms of someone with PTSD in order to help them get treatment. For veterans of older wars, PTSD was not recognized as a disorder during their service in the military and most often, those veterans have no awareness that it even exists or that they can receive help for their condition.

Currently the government has specific protocols on which diagnostic tool to use and then treatment is essentially up to the individual. The Department of Defense implements a program called the combat stress control program which educates those individuals in recognizing the early symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This program includes a list of questions that can be asked to determine if the individual is experiencing PTSD. What they do not have however are the numbers to veterans being treated for the disorder, or how many they expect to treat in the coming years (USAO 2).”

In a report given to the Committee on Veterans Affairs in the House of Representatives, the government acknowledges that at least, “15 percent or more service members returning from [current] conflicts will develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (5).” With approximately 180,000 troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, that is 27,000 soldiers that will come home with a debilitating mental disorder (wikipedia).

Capital What?

As Americans, we view life as precious, sacred, and above all else the single most important thing to protect. But what happens when the thing we value most is stripped away from us without any sound or notice? Pain. Revenge is for seen therefore, nothing else but and eye for and eye will satisfy the demand for it. But is taking a precious life for another to justify the demands for misdeeds the correct way to perform properly? The founding fathers of the United States would have to say other wise. Upon writing the constitution, Tomas Jefferson gave all of man kind inalienable rights, rights that can never be taking away, “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” these three elements formed the foundation to this country and the way we view freedom. Although capital punishment, or the death penalty, justifies the demand for murder, it should be abolished because it was and will forever be unconstitutional.
To understand where we are now, we have to understand where we have been. It’s believed that King Hammurabi of Babylon, during the early 18th century B.C, was the first to establish death as an appropriate ends for punishment. This was then adopted later by many other civilizations such as the Romans with death by beating, burning, crucifixion, drowning and impalement. Although these seemed very harsh for uncivilized civilizations, it was a most common practice in the entire world. It wasn’t till about the 19th century that Henry VIII of England issued punishment for crimes small and large to be death by hanging. This “new and improved” way of capital punishment carried on into the U.S. for about two hundred years until the last hanging of 22-year-old Rainey Bethea on August 14, 1936. During this time, however, techniques to capital punishment like the electrical chair in 1889 were adopted and punishments like beheading, and burning alive was abolished due to “cruel and un usual punishment.” During the 1930’s executions in the U.S. hit an all time high with an average on 167 deaths per year. This statistic seems shocking, but fortunately, it declined until it reached 37 deaths in the year 2008. Use of the electrical chair lasted until 2008, where Nebraska, became the last and final state to abolish it due to its cruel and unusual stature. Unfortunately, this was not the end of capital punishment. Lethal injection, or death by poisonous chemicals in the blood stream, become the most common way to kill prisoners from its first appearance in 1977 to our current day (ProQuest). It was supposed to be a better alternative to hanging, the gas chamber, fireing squad and elocution that was cleaner, clinical, painless more human and therefore a more acceptable form of capital punishment. unfortunately, The controversial issue that stands today is that is lethal injection, like other capital punishment techniques used in the past, a cruel and unsafe way to execute a person?
To know where you stand on this issue, you have to understand what exactly lethal injection is and what its procedures are there of. Webster’s dictionary defines it to be a liquid that is introduced into something forcefully resulting in death. This liquid, or sometimes referred to as a “cocktail”, is currently used in almost all states in the US as a means to capital punishment. This three drug cocktail contains sodium patroulm-wich knocks the patient out resulting in unconsciousness, pancruronium bromide-which causes muscle paralysis, and potassium chloride-which stops the heart ending the person’s life due to cardiac arrest. Unfortunately potassium chloride can possibly wear off before the person’s heart stops resulting in extreme physical and mental anguish. The worst part is that because of the other two drugs used with in the cocktail, the victim is bound in a chemical straight jacket and cannot tell anyone that he or she is in pain. In fact, amnesty international notes that TX has banded the use of these chemicals on animals because of the extreme pain they can cause. This kind of mistake in procedures is not an impossible thing to occur. For example, the execution of angel Diaz added urgency to this case. Tom Head, writer for about dot com on guide to civil liberties, said, “Lethal injection executions generally end within 15 minutes, with the inmate unconscious after the first 3-5 minutes; Diaz' took 34, and he was conscious for at least the first 25. A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Corrections initially claimed that Diaz felt no pain during the execution, but a coroner's investigation belied that claim.” so was Diaz tortured to death? Head goes on to explain, “Eyewitness reports indicate that Diaz was still moving and attempting to speak (or, perhaps, scream) more than twenty minutes into the execution, suggesting that he was still conscious and in pain. Diaz would have remained partially paralyzed by the injection of pavulon, a muscle relaxant administered shortly after the pentothol. His death was almost certainly slow and excruciatingly painful--and with his body frozen by the pavulon, he would have had no way of expressing that pain.” University of Miami surgery professor Leonidas G. Koniaris added, "This raises the possibility people are being tortured and you can't see it because they are paralyzed… I'm not sure a civilized society should be doing this."

The Affects of NAFTA on the Mexican worker/farmer

For as long as its existence as a nation, the United States has always been advanced, both economically and technologically. It was here that the first telephone rang, the first light bulb gave light, and here where planes first left the ground. As time moves on, and Americans progress, it would makes sense that jobs would as well. The U.S. farmer became the industry worker, who moved up to business man, who will continue to strive for advancements. Somehow, over time, our ideas of what a working man is composed of has changed, and somehow the hard working American man began to be looked down upon. As educational advancements become more conceivable for many Americans, citizens of America are sill in need of jobs, whether agricultural, industrial, or other. Unfortunately for many of these Americans, jobs in the workforce (especially Industrial), have become scarce. This is because some Americans have become “smarter” and discovered how using people less fortunate than themselves can work to their advantage. So they began coming up with ways to use workers from countries with less developed economies (such as Mexico) to their advantage- because they have become accustomed to having what they want, at the cheapest price available. To help those in favor of sending the American man’s job out of the country, businessmen and government officials created an easy way to transport goods in and out of America: The North American Free Trade Agreement. Thanks to NAFTA, U.S. factory jobs have been taken across the border and handed to Mexican men, women, and children; all of whom work for no set minimum wage. Thanks to NAFTA, Mexican farmers are going out of business because Mexicans can now import their food from huge American corporations with no tax. The overall affect: NAFTA has been harmful to the workers and farmers of Mexico.
Ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1994, NAFTA, “Was designed to remove barriers and increase trade among the United States, Canada, and Mexico… [which would] promote free trade between the United States and other nations,” (ABC-CLIO). Critics of this agreement saw its creation with both favors and flaws. With globalization becoming more and more popular, economist and national leaders liked the idea of lower trade tariffs and barriers. Gregory Mankiw, a professor of economics, took part in pushing NAFTA through to the senate. On the subject, Mankiw said, “Outsourcing is a new way of doing International Trade…I think outsourcing is a growing phenomenon, but it’s something that we should realize is probably a plus for the economy in the long run”. This bold statement made by Mankiw leads to one obvious question: How long is “the long run”? It has been thirteen years since NAFTA came into effect, and we don’t even seem close to reaching the “long run”.
Exploitation of cheap labor in Mexico has been an ongoing reality, and with extinct tariffs, the practice is becoming quite common. In fact, one of the main reason people opposed the validity of NAFTA was because they said, “the pact would result only in a massive transfer of U.S. and Canadian jobs to lower-paid Mexican workers” (Grolier). It’s true that NAFTA created many more jobs for the Mexican worker, but was this really to his or her advantage? Working for no set minimum wage, but only a price that would never be allowed in the United States, Mexican workers work in sweat shops for hours at a time, hoping the work they put in will pay off enough to feed their family. Personally, the idea of feeding impoverished families is great, but at what cost are these families being fed, and has having new jobs given them that heads up? The answer is no. A study conducted by the Labor University of Mexico, concluded that the purchasing power of Mexican citizens has been declining ever since 1994, the year that NAFTA was put into effect. NAFTA not only significantly decreased their purchasing power, but also contributed to an increase of unemployment in agriculture and small businesses because those fields could not compete with U.S. imports (American Decades). This means that not only has NAFTA shifted the United States’ economy, but also the Mexican economy, and none for the better. While companies can afford more products, this isn’t necessarily a good thing. It just confirms that American companies are cashing in on the hard manual labor of poor factory workers, who slave away and ridiculously low prices. And why do they get to slave away? Because companies know that they can get away with it, because there is no minimum wage enforcement in Mexico as there is in the U.S.

International Adoption

International Adoption
Orphanages have been on the earth since 1729 when Ursuline nuns began an orphanage in North America after Indians killed all adults in Natchez, Mississippi (ProQuest). Ever since then adopting a child has become more known by U.S citizens. In the year 1949 author Pearl S. Buck began the very first adoption agency to deal with international and interracial adoption. American families adopt 20,000 children from former countries every year (Spivack). This agency which was known as “Welcome House” promoted and pushed for the adoption of Asian Children (ProQuest). International adoption began in the 1950’s after the Korean war. Americans began to adopt children who were known as Amerasian due to the fact they were half American from men of the military. International adoption sparked again after disturbing photos were released of Romanian orphanages, and it began an effort to save children there(Spivack). If international adoption was promoted in the 1950’s it should be even more so promoted in this 21st century.

Beth Nonte Russell is the founder of Big Mind Publishing and expressed her concern that even though China claims to be concerned about the ratio of boys to girls there is still an odd overwhelming number of girls in orphanages (Russell). Going back to the “one child law” this could be the reason for the great number of females in orphanages. Members of the Chinese society are only allowed one child. In China it is more honorable to have a son, therefore parents give up their child if it is a female. Russell goes on to state, “It seems that China is more concerned with its image than the welfare of its children.” Also due to this one-child policy “missing” girls, as Russell calls it approaches five million each year. Russell said pertaining to the high rate of abortions each year in China and 70 percent of them estimating to be females that, “National pride is more important than getting these children into loving homes.”
International adoption has so many opportunities and benefits. First off it gives a child the opportunity to be part of a loving and permanent family. It has been proven and many experts agree that institutionalism is harmful to a child’s physical, emotional, and intellectual development. Even highly funded orphanages can not offer the nourishment and development that permanent homes can. Statistics have also proven that children who grow up in institutionalism, also known as an orphanage, has a higher rate of suicide and drug abuse (Spivack). International adoption really does give these children opportunities that they would never even dream about. There is no alternative that can give the same opportunities for a child then having a real family that will help them reach their potential. Spivack says it best when she approaches the topic of international adoption when she states, “it is important to reinforce the notion that a child needs far more than a roof over his head to grow and flourish in his life-children need families who will love and nurture them-in order to grow into secure, productive and happy adults.” As one can see international adoption has never ending benefits yet some still believe international adoption is risky.
Spivack explains the risks of adopting from overseas and it becoming more difficult, expensive, and potentially heartbreaking. Foreign adoption brings its own difficulties. First one being mainly that the parents must meet the legal requirements of two countries. Spivack stated, “The most daunting and potentially devastating, hurdle in international adoption is assessing a child’s health in the face of incomplete or faulty medical information.” Most of the children coming to the United States come from countries with poor medical systems and where pregnant women lack prenatal care. Also some believe that the lack of individual care in an orphanage causes many of the delays of physical and mental developments (Spivack). All these statements are true and heartbreaking but is this a good enough reason to stay away from international adoption? Isn’t this more reason to adopt foreign to help this child in need? Yes, in some instances parents are lied to and adopt a child that needs more care then expected but in more situations than not , through international adoption the child you receive is one that you will help grow strong, healthy, and feel loved.

ADHD: Medication vs. Behavioral Treatment for Children

According to The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 3% to 5% of children suffer from ADHD, but many experts claim that statistic is actually closer to 8 to 10%. This means that in a standard classroom of 20 children, 2 of those students would be likely to exhibit symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. It is an issue that is becoming more and more prevalent with each generation, and parents are at a loss of what to do to help their children. While ADHD cannot be cured, many methods of treatment have surfaced that have had success in helping these hyperactive individuals function better in social settings. The two main options for the alleviation of symptoms are, A.) a variety of stimulant, non-stimulant, anti-depressant, and high-blood pressure drug medications , and B.) behavioral therapy. While drug medications have many potentially risky side effects (which has pushed many outside the medical field to strongly advocate behavioral treatment), I believe that a combination of drug medication and behavioral therapy is the best way to encourage a child’s self esteem, performance in school, ability to make friends, and success in the future.
In order to decipher the best option for treating a disorder, it is obviously important to be very knowledgeable of the condition itself. After years of research and testing, what exactly causes ADHD is still a factor of obscurity. Studies have shown that ADHD has a strong genetic component; children are more likely to develop the disorder if one or both of their parents have it (or had symptoms in their childhood years). A staggering one-third of all fathers who had ADHD in their youth have children with ADHD. It is also known that in many cases of ADHD, the root of the probably seems to stem from a neurological perspective; the affected children tend to have dysregulation of neurotransmitters, which are chemicals that are used to transmit messages between nerve cells in the brain. In addition, there can be abnormal functioning in the nerve pathways that regulate behavior, and particular sections of the brain may be smaller or less active than normal. It is also suggested that other external and environmental factors can contribute to the development of ADHD. It is not uncommon for this behavior disorder to be diagnosed in children who had a low birth weight, a head injury to the frontal lobe during infancy, whose mothers smoked or drank alcohol during pregnancy, or who were exposed to lead or other various environmental toxins.
The most common symptoms in children are: inability to concentrate, easily bored/frustrated with tasks, constantly moving/restless, impulsive, forgetful, disorganized, avoid activities that necessitate a sustained effort, excessive talking, defiance, and problems with anger management. Because of these symptoms, many children have trouble with schoolwork, and are unable to thrive in social situations (they struggle to make friends, and have a hard time maintaining healthy relationships with family members and mentors).
Many speculate that ADHD is not a real disorder, that it is simply a fabrication of everyday characteristics and typical childlike behaviors. I know from experience, however, that this is not the case. My younger brother, who just turned 7 years old a few months ago, was diagnosed with ADHD this past year. Since the age of one and a half, he was a handful for my mother and father, and I’m not talking about the normal “terrible toddler” stage that every child goes through. He was constantly running to a fro; even with a large family of six of us to look after him, we could never seem to keep tabs on where he was. At night, getting him to sleep was an impossible task. After hours of trying to calm him down, we had to resort to getting locks for the outside of his room in hopes that he would stop sneaking out and eventually fall asleep. But he would just scream endlessly and kick the door so loud that we were getting complaints from the neighbors who could hear his tantrums through the night. In church, he could not sit still for even five minutes during a meeting. His Sunday school teachers could not handle him; he would fidget excessively, make a mess of the room, and talk excessively and blurt out things during the lesson. It was the same scenario at school but worse, because with a classroom of at least 20 kids, it was nearly impossible for his kindergarten teacher to pay as much attention to him individually as his behavior demanded. The first day of school he was sent to the assistant principal’s office, and nearly every day following that for the entire year. Sometimes he would even spend the entire week in ISS (In-School-Suspension) because he was so out of control. It got to the point where the school called my mother and requested that he be removed from public school and enrolled somewhere else where there were other children with Landon’s unusual “special needs”. Because he could not sit and focus, and long tasks were daunting to him, he was unable to learn to read and became increasingly behind the other children academically. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is real. It is not an exaggeration, a result of bad parenting, or a lack of discipline. It is a true struggle that kids and their parents are going through across the country and all over the world. As I have watched my mother, I have seen how difficult it is to decide how to help your ADHD child, especially when there are so many options out there each with their own set of pros and cons) while simultaneously being judged and told she was a bad parent with no control over her own son.
When it comes to drug medication for ADHD, the most commonly prescribed (and typically most effective) are stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall, Dexedrine, Concerta, Focaline, Metadate, Methylin, and Vyvanse. These medications have been used for the longest amount of time and therefore have the most research to back up their effectiveness. These drugs are believed to work by increasing dopamine (the neurotransmitter associated with motivation, pleasure, attention, and movement) levels in the brain. They help ADHD symptoms by increasing the ability to concentrate in addition to suppressing hyperactivity and impulsive actions.
While stimulants can be effective, for some patients the side effects outweigh the benefits. Some common side effects are loss of appetite (capable of causing unhealthy weight loss), headaches, upset stomach, irritability/mood swings, depression, dizziness, racing heartbeat, and tics. A few of these became apparent in the case of my brother, particularly the loss of appetite (he started to lose so much weight that my mom had to take him off the medication during the weekends so he would eat), as well the upset stomach and some minor tics. Also, stimulant medications may also cause changes in personality. Some children are become withdrawn, listless, rigid, develop obsessive-compulsive habits, or are less free-spirited and talkative.
It is crucial that an extensive medical exam (specifically an electrocardiogram) be performed before prematurely being prescribed to any stimulant medication. Because if your child has a heart defect/disease, high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, glaucoma, or high levels of anxiety, they are at risk for even more serious side effects and even death.

Origins of Racism in Colonial America

My topic explores how racism took shape as white-supremacy in the American colonies. I want to know specifically if white-supremacy existed in such a strong state before slavery was passed as statutory law. I think that it's possible that racism could have developed as a way to justify slavery in respect to the Constitution. My argument is kairotic because many people are still unfamiliar with the origins of racism in the colonies. Racism is an issue that Americans still deal with everyday, and I think that exploring the origins of this issue is an important thing to do.

I think that statistics from the time period will be helpful in my argument. If I can find statistics about African-Americans landowners and slaves, I may be able to incorporate that into my argument. Statistics in history often legitimize a claim or argument.

Comparison by degree will also be helpful to me in my argument. I plan on going through the history of colonial American beginning at about 1600 in order to compare the degrees of racism that were apparent from that point until slavery was made lawful. This will give me the proper insight and credibility in my argument because my issue specifically deals with events in relation to time.

North Korea's nuclear agenda

I decided to do my issues paper over the issue within N. Korea's nuclear agenda. They have been rebelling against the rest of the world reguarding their nuclear weapons program for years and they need to be humbled. This issue is very important to other countries around the globe because they sense N. Korea is a threat.

Deaf Schools in the US

My topic is about deaf schools and their capabilities on helping their students be able to grow in a hearing world after graduation. The major issues in my topic is the fact that some of the deaf schools in the US are being closed because of budget cuts. My argument is kairotic because there has been a lot of debate around the subject of the deaf school's closing and I think that if I can prove that the capabilities of the deaf schools truly help those who are deaf then the school's might not shut down. I will also be comparing the school's in the US to those in possibly the UK but I have not been able to find very much information on that front yet.

The three types of arguments that I am going to use are: definition by class or category, statistics, and cause and effect.

I think that the definition of exactly what a successful deaf school is would be very helpful so that people can be aware that they are very successful which would be backed up by my statistics and then I would use cause and effect to show how the closing of some of the deaf school's has been traumatic for the kids and how the kids who have been able to continue through the deaf school programs have been able to excel.

September 11, 2001: Adrienne

I decided to research whether the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center justified the US attack on Iraq. I knew that i wanted to do one about the attacks but wasn't really sure how to narrow it. I finally decided to research if it was reason enough to attack Iraq. I will be able to argue by using cause and effect, authority, and antecent and consequence.

racism on radio

For my issues paper I decided to go with is: should radio speech be restricted by the U.S. government. I chose to do this with recent speculation of critics regarding Don Imus' attacks on the Rutgers girls basketball team. This is narrowed because I originally went with Racism is still very much alive in the U.S., and that's pretty broad. Major issues are: people choosing to get offended, and speech being free. This is very much an issue, and it's a bad one, because limiting freedom of speech is a slippery slope nobody wants to go down. This will help because it is a controversial issue.

Homosexuality in the political process

I was going to do the effects of Barak Obamas candidacy on the passage of prop 8. I had to narrow it to focus on the effects of differing racial views on homosexuality as regaurds to politics. I belive that I can argue using definition by class or caatagorey. i can also use comparison by difference.