Killer Whales Essays (1605 words) - Biota, Megafauna, Apex Predators

Killer Whales Whales are giant creatures that live in the sea. They look like fish, but are not. Whales belong to the group of animals called mammals. Whales belong to the group of mammals called cetaceans, which comes from a Latin word meaning large sea animal. There are two major groups of whales. The first group is mysticeti (baleen whales), and the other isodontoceti (toothed whales). In the group odontoceti, there is a family of whales called delphinidae (dolphins and small toothed whales). In this report, I will focus on a species of whale that comes from this family, and that species is the killer whale, or also known as orcinus orca, or just orca. The largest and most striking of the dolphin family, the killer whale is one of the most fearsome predators of the deep. Killer whales are basically the same shape as fish, but they differ in many ways. One of the most obvious differences is the tail fin. Fish have vertical tail fins, while whales have horizontal tail fins. One of the most distinctive features of orcas is the tall, wide dorsal fin located on its back. In females, the dorsal fin can grow to about 2 feet high. It is falcate (hooked or curved). In males, the dorsal fin is triangular in shape and can grow up to about 6 feet high. Another distinctive feature of killer whales is that they possess a sleek, black and white pigmentation pattern. A white patch is located above and behind the eye. An extensive white ventral patch extends onto the flanks (sides). "There is a gray saddle behind the dorsal fin, which is black at birth." (Hoyt, Pg. 32) At birth, orcas are about 2.1 to 2.4 meters long and weigh about 180 kilograms. When they are adults, males grow to about 9.5 meters long weighing 8 tons or more. Females grow to 8.2 meters long and weigh 4-6 tons. "Orcas have robust and graceful bodies with a conical or rounded head." (Hoyt, Pg. 97) It has no distinct beak. They have straight mouthlines. Another physical attribute of killer whales, besides having a tall dorsal fin, is that killer whales have large, paddle-shaped flippers. These flippers are 2-3 times larger in males than they are in females. Killer whales are very large physical specimens. Being known as a fearsome hunter with killer instinct, it would be interesting to know what a killer whale's diet consists of. The orca resembles the great white shark in its predatory skill and range of food. They eat seabirds, turtles, fishes, including sharks, whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and sea lions. These hunters feed in groups of two to twenty animals. They can even kill baleen whales much larger then themselves. They have 10 to 13 teeth on each side of each jaw, which helps in their feeding. Though killer whales sometimes attack dolphins, seals, and other whales larger than themselves, but they have not been known to attack people, although there have been documented cases of killer whale attacks. Throughout the ages, whales have lost some of the characteristics of mammals. Mammals have hair covering their bodies. Whales have only a few stiff hairs on their heads. Mammals have four legs. A whale has no hind legs. The only traces that they remain are two tiny hipbones. The front legs have developed into flippers, which are used for steering or keeping its balance. Although killer whales share the same characteristics as mammals, they also have special features that allow them to live in the water. Whales have many special characteristics suited for living in the water. Living in water enables them to reach enormous sizes. "The buoyancy (lift) of water helps support a whale's body, which makes it possible for them to grow larger." (Ellis & Knoph, Pg.18) Orcas have a highly streamlined shape. This enables them to swim with a minimum of resistance. The powerful tail fins called flukes are horizontal. Whales swim by moving the flukes up and down. Another characteristic that is helpful to killer whales, or any type of whale, is that a whale's backbone, ribcage, and shoulder blades resemble those of other mammals. Almost all mammals have seven neck vertebrae. In killer whales, these vertebrae are compressed into a short length or joined together into one bone. This keeps the head from moving about. It also joins the head directly to the body. Orcas have smooth, rubbery skin that easily slips through the water. Mammals have hair to keep them warm. Whales have only a few

Thought and Husband Essay

Thought and Husband Essay Thought and Husband Essay Colleen Bowden Barriers To Critical Thinking HUM/114 August 25, 2014 Pamela Strunk There are many barriers to critical thinking. The ones that I feel are barriers for myself are anger, stress and depression. These three barriers can cause a person to not be able to correctly critically think about a specific situation they are in. Anger. The first barrier that I feel hinders my critical thinking. I’m going to use an example with my husband to best describe this barrier. Let’s say I am having a bad week all around, work, home, kids, school, everything is just not going right for me. Then we add on the sink full of dishes, the dirty floor that has not been swept or vacuumed all week and the mound of laundry in each room of the house. Meanwhile, my husband is watching his favorite shows or movies or playing on his phone. I work full time, going to school full time and have two little ones, I could use help around the house. Not realizing that I am overwhelmed at the current moment, my husband doesn’t think anything of it. I let the sink full of d ishes sit there because I want to â€Å"show him† I am not going to do it, but I am upset with him about it already. The next day the dishes are still there, then the same for the following day. I just blow up. My anger gets so heated that I cannot think rationally and think things through. What I should do to overcome this barrier is from the get go, have good communication with my husband. Let him know off the bat that my week is not going so well and that I am feeling overwhelmed and that I would love to have extra help this week. That right there can stop anything else from happening during the week to have me go postal on him for something so small and minor. Let’s say I do get to that point that I am that mad, I need to take a breather. Step back, leave the room or the house for a minute and cool down. Collect my thoughts and find out what it is that is making me so angry, is it that there is a sink full of dishes? Or maybe that I am feeling so overwhelmed and ne ed help. Then go talk to my husband about it instead of blowing up at him over something that was not his fault. Stress can cause a person to not be able to critically think. I know when I am feeling overwhelmed and have a lot going on and I am stressed out I cannot think straight. I think irrationally and think of a â€Å"quick† fix to things that are overwhelming me or stressing me out. Right now, to overcome

Beowulf vs grendel Essays - Beowulf, English-language Films, Geats

Beowulf vs. Grendel The epic poem, Beowulf, is infused with the forces of darkness and the forces of light, heaven and hell. These forces symbolize the forces of good and evil, between two of the main characters, Beowulf, and his rival, Grendel. Grendel's watery lair is dark, and he only hunts at night? darkness. The heroic warriors halls were they rejoice is illuminated? light. These two examples are just one of the many differences portrayed in the epic. Along with differences, there are also similarities. For example, during Beowulf?s and Grendel?s fight scene, the characters appear to be the reincarnation of ancient Mithraic twins, Cautes and Cautopates, who represent life and death. Grendel and Beowulf are completely different beings, when one detail brings out a comparable change in the other. Grendel is a descendant of Cain and a man-eater who is feared by the Danes. Living with his mother at the bottom of a foul lake, which hence his name, ?grenja? meaning ?to bellow,? or ?bottom of a body of water.? Grendel comes out at night, leaving his watery den in search for food. His prey, drunken warriors who slumber in Hrothgar?s golden halls, slaughtering them as they sleep, and then dragging their bloody corpse back to his lair for a feast of his own. Legendary warrior from Geatland and Edgetho?s son, Beowulf, is human, but seems super-human, having the strength of thirty men. Beowulf is also a monster in some ways, but not in the sense as Grendel. Beowulf arrives at King Hrothgar?s kingdom with thirteen of his warriors, to assist King Hrothgar with Grendel, with King Hrothgar accepting Beowulfs pledge to kill Grendel. Beowulf plans to rest at King Hrothgar?s castle, and wait for Grendels arrival. Later that night, Grendel comes to the castle, devours some of the men, and then confronted by Beowulf. Grendel is immune to human weapons, so Beowulf confronts Grendel with his bare hands, and with his super-human strength, rips off Grendel?s arm. Grendel?s death and his evil nature are directly connected with darkness. The connection between evil and darkness are repetitive throughout the text, and is strongest with the physical description of Grendel?s den, where his dead corpse rests. As hell receives Grendel?s body, a sense of peace and relief is present. Beowulf?s primal desire for blood and violence and his tales of his killings do no differ much from Grendel?s bloody night massacres at Herot. Beowulf and Grendel neither need weapons to fight, Grendel being immune to man-made weapons, bewitched blades, and can not be wounded by them, but Beowulf, human, defeats Grendel without the aid of man-made weapons. This elevates Beowulf above the human standards, revealing more monstrous qualities. Beowulf and Grendel not only contradict each other, but they also compliment each other. They both symbolize heaven and hell, light and dark, life and death with each characteristic they each hold. Both characters take on ?non-human? attributes, Grendel being a monstrous being and Beowulf having superhuman abilities.

The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe Essay

The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe - Essay Example Poe draws this classical connection between the family and the land early on, saying bluntly that the House of Usher is "an appellation which seemed to include, in the mind of the peasantry who used it, both the family and the family mansion" (Poe 45). The future of the House is revealed in the observation that the family "had put forth, at no period, any enduring branch" (Poe 45). It is not a prolific family tree, and neither Roderick nor the Lady Madeleine exhibit the sanguinity to make them fit stewards of the property or likely to bear any descendents. The House of Usher, we are to understand, is dying. Their lands exhibit an atmosphere of death, the family is vulnerable to illness, both physical and mental, and they just don't seem like the kind of people with the inclination to procreate. The very idea of children feels sacrilegious in this somber atmosphere. The bleak surroundings are apparent before any observations are made on the family. The story opens with a long paragraph describing precisely how desolate and disconcerting the landscape is. The house is located in "a singularly dreary tract of country" (Poe 43), the first adjective used to describe it is "melancholy" (Poe 43), and the narrator's first emotional response to its sight is, "a sense of insufferable doom" (Poe 43).

Natural Catastrophes Caused by Plate Tectonics Essay

Natural Catastrophes Caused by Plate Tectonics - Essay Example Another proof of the theory is that coal deposits usually associated with tropical areas are also found near the North Pole, and that signs of glaciations are evident in the plains of Africa. A third proof is the presence of fossils of exactly the same species during the prehistoric times are located on the earth in the spots where one would find them if the Continental Drift Theory were true. (Sant, 2010) Wegener’s explanation for the Continental Drift Theory is the â€Å"centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the earth† and â€Å"the ‘tidal argument’ based on the tidal attraction of the sun and the moon† (Sant, 2010). In short, Wegener hypothesized that either or both the rotation of the earth and the pull of the tides caused the continents to drift. However, he did not have any explanation for how exactly the continents were able to move. He met with opposition from fellow scientists who said that the centrifugal and tidal forces were too wea k to to move continents (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). However, the reasons for the opposition were perhaps because there was a great anti-German bias in the 1910’s and that his work was discredited because his training was more on astronomy and not geology. (Sant, 2010) Theory of Plate Tectonics (Theory, Evidence) The Plate Tectonics Theory originated in 1915 as an answer to the weaknesses of the Continental Drift Theory (Glasscoe, 1998). However, by the 1960’s, the theory has been widely accepted by scientists. The one principle on which the Plate Tectonics Theory lies is that â€Å"both continents and ocean floor form solid plates, which ‘float’ on the asthenosphere [and thus move]† (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). The asthenosphere is the molten, viscous liquid rock on which the plates move and is the one causing all the movements of both seafloor and continent. (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011) Evidence for the Plate Tectonics Th eory include fossils of similar species found in continents that have now separated as well as evidence provided by paleoclimate studies which reveal signs of glacier formation in parts of the world that are now geographically separated (Glasscoe, 1998). Another evidence is the age of the crust. In Plate Tectonics Theory, â€Å"the farther away you travel from a ridge, the older the crust is, and the older the sediments on top of the crust are† (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). This is one fact that the Continental Drift Theory was not able to account for. If all land masses separated from Pangaea, then the land must be as old as each other, but how come the ages of these land masses are different from each other? (â€Å"Tectonic Plates,† 2011). Thus, the Plate Tectonics Theory is more plausible than the Continental Drift Theory. Characteristics of Tectonic Plate Boundaries (Divergent Boundaries, Convergent, Transform Fault Boundaries, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Mount ain Building) Based on the Plate Tectonics Theory, plates are created through â€Å"rifting† or the separation of a continental crust leading to the formation of a â€Å"diverging plate boundary.† The formation of the divergent plate boundary occurs in four steps. First, the rift valley begins to expand from the pressure coming from the asthenosphere. Second, two continental plates result from the continuous expansion of the rift valley with the molten rock continually pushing the crust apart. Third, water collects in the middle forming a sea. Fourth, the

Guiding Principals of Professional Learning Communities Essay Example for Free

Guiding Principals of Professional Learning Communities Essay Normally, in a professional learning community also known as a PLC, the educators work together brainstorming ideas, lessons, and activities that will support a plan to be implemented all in hopes of the student’s achievement. A professional learning community can benefit a school’s environment by reinforcing teacher morale and leadership skills. As the school moves forward, every professional in the building must engage with colleagues in the ongoing exploration of three crucial questions that drive the work of those within a professional learning community: †¢ What do we want each student to learn? How will we know when each student has learned it? †¢ How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning? The answer to the third question separates learning communities from traditional schools. A PLC can serve as a support system that motivates teachers to follow a guided plan. Educators who are building a professional learning community recognize that they must work together to achieve their collective purpose of learning for all. Therefore, they create structures to promote a collaborative culture. This plan can include classroom assistants, parent volunteers, and other school personnel like librarians. The PLC culture can influence teachers through numbers. When teachers come together and have strength in numbers they can support each other, collaborate, and brainstorm the most effective methods and techniques to instruct the students. Even the grandest design eventually translates into hard work. The professional learning community model is a grand design, a powerful new way of working ogether that profoundly affects the practices of schooling. But initiating and sustaining the concept requires hard work. This is where the challenges may arise. It requires the school staff to focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively on matters related to learning, and hold itself accountable for the kind of results that fuel continual improvement. A PLC will construct a solid foundation of committed teachers who are passionate about their career and working with families a nd fellow colleagues. The benefit(s) of a PLC is that everyone has the opportunity to be involved and share goals and positive learning experiences of the schools learning environment. When educators do the hard work necessary to implement these principles, their collective ability to help all students learn will rise. If they fail to demonstrate the discipline to initiate and sustain this work, then their school is unlikely to become more effective, even if those within it claim to be a professional learning community. The rise or fall of the professional learning community concept depends not on the merits of the concept itself, but on the most important element in the improvement of any school; the commitment and persistence of the educators within it. In conclusion, educators who work together form structured atmospheres that promote learning. References Barth, R. (1991). Restructuring schools: Some questions for teachers and principals. Phi Delta Kappan, 73(2), 123-129. Marzano, R. (2003). What works in Schools: Translating research into action, Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

The Effectiveness of Terrorism Essay -- Papers

The Effectiveness of Terrorism The dictionary defines terrorism as â€Å"The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.† Is terrorism an effective political medium for the advancement of a political minority or rather an act of defiance rendering a society into a state of ephemeral hysteria? It remains to be seen how this latest act of terrorism will unfold and what political awareness it may generate. Unfortunately, historically acts of violence have often proven themselves effective tactics in promoting significant political attention. In the next few paragraphs I will examine some examples of terrorism and make note of their political impacts One of the nation’s first and most iniquitous terrorist groups is the Ku Klux Klan. What significance has their use of terrorist tactics had on our culture overall? While some would argue that the Klan’s tactics have been proven ineffective in that...

The Cask of Amontillado Essay

Rocio Cruz Professor Fred Kille English 102 February 3, 2013 The Cask of Amontillado Essay â€Å"A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself as such to him who has done the wrong† Some people are driven to do wrong by enviousness and Edgar Allan Poe’s short story â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is one good example of such. The story tells the event of the murder of Fortunato in the hands of Montresor, the narrator.Although many critics argue that Montresor acted out of self- righteousness, one cannot conclude such due to the lack of credibility that can be accounted to him and his malice. Montresor is an unreliable, malicious narrator who shows to have contrasting feelings of guilt and remorse towards his crime against killing Fortunato. Montresor, through his own telling of the events, showed not only that he is not accountable for credibility but he also showed that his main mo tif to kill Fortunato was enviousness. Perhaps the most revealing reason to asses that Montresor is not a just person is that he lacked evidence to condemn Fortunato.For instance, Montresor opens the story by saying â€Å"the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. † These latter lines are all the reader knows of Fortuno’s presumed crime which suggests that there was no concrete wrongdoing from Fortuno after all; therefore revealing that Montresor acted without proof and out of malice. In further support of the claim that the narrator is bad-natured is that he also shows to be a cynic. Throughout the story he constantly refers to Fortunato as â€Å"my friend†.The fact that Montresor does not use negative words to refer to Fortunato tells the audience that he is attempting to protect his self-image and that he acted with hypocrisy. By the same token, the way Montresor talks about Fortuno conve ys that he was somewhat envious. While they were already in Montreso’s mansion, he admits to Fortuno â€Å"your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was†. This words are enough to disclose that Montreso was jealous of the place that Fortunato held in society; perhaps implying that Montresor himself once occupied the same place.Not only does Montresor show that he murdered Fortunato unjustifiably but he also seems to live with mixed feelings of guilt and remorse. Following his atrocity, the narrator of the story seems to live with guilty responsibility of killing Fortunato counteracting what many people believe. Montresor’s remorse came right after the crime was committed. â€Å"There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick-on account of the dampness of the catacombs,† says Montresor.To clarify, the narrator first admits that he felt unease in his heart and then, almost like t rying to convince himself, he attributes this feeling to the â€Å"dampness of the catacombs† showing that his conscience was the true causer of this heart â€Å"sickness†. Another clue that tells the reader that Montresor felt guilty is that, although no one certainly knows who the intended audience of the story is, he is conceivably justifying himself to God. In the first paragraph of the story, Montresor says, â€Å"You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat†.By admitting that â€Å"You† knows â€Å"the nature of [his] soul† the reader can draw the conclusion that it might be someone divine who he is talking to for who else would know him so well? In the same manner, he is asking this divine being to not judge his crime so heavily for he did not simply â€Å"give utterance to a threat†. Likewise, another fact that serves as evidence that Montresor is that he is telling the eve nts fifty years later. This goes to show that the event has haunted the narrator for half a century since he not only recalls everything but is taking the time to tell the story.The narrator of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† showed, through his own telling of the events, not only an unreliable narrator but also an envious man that is now living in remorse. The events that led to the assassination of Fortunato do not excuse Montresor as he believes they do. From the way in which Montresor â€Å"brags† his â€Å"perfect crime† the reader can draw the conclusion that he is not but a malicious member of society who tries to justify his wrongdoings by attributing them to the honor of him and his famiy.

Bioethics of Euthanasia

As biological organisms, humans design patterns of how to live by way of autonomous lifestyle choices, only after being born into a subjective realm of existence with social opportunities and limitations suggested by how one is nurtured and raised. A sense of a connection to objectivity is gained depending on how closely one associates themselves with an organized institution such as religion, or other form of moral code. The idea that knowledge learned from a moral superior at a young age can suggest, or sometimes in early adulthood, coerce decision-making is indicative of a set of parameters or expectations that one must achieve so to honor the objective family belief. Therefore, the family is also an institution which generates the same attachment to objectivity that encourages a certain set of goals. Ultimately though, it is one’s subjective experience that has it’s own social, physical, mental, and spiritual habits and attachments that cause the mind and body to perform and exist in a particular way. The overarching illegality of euthanasia across North America is supported by religious institutions which act as the sole moral platform for questioning the professional conduct of medical practitioners. The hegemonic belief that is fostered views euthanasia as a breach of non-maleficence, though doctors have and will likely continue to comply with life-ending aid in North America, regardless of recent deliberation regarding legislation. A legalization of euthanasia could ease tensions for physicians and patients dealing with chronic fatal health conditions, but would require specific criteria for legality. The debilitating suffering from a terminal illness should be the first criteria, as well as an autonomous request made by the sufficiently competent patient. Those who advocate for the legalization of euthanasia are part of a particular morality that sees beyond the mystical value of medical non-maleficence and opposes overarching institutional moralities that forbid life-ending decisions. Also of concern is the slippery slope argument, whereby any level of legal euthanasia would likely incite requests for more flexible criteria, publicly bringing into question the intangible value of human life. A central notion of biomedical ethics that stands as a major contender against the legalization of euthanasia is non-maleficence. To generally adhere to the principles of non-maleficence, physicians should not provide ineffective treatments to patients as these offer risk with no possibility of benefit and thus have a chance of harming patients. In addition, physicians must not do anything that would purposely harm patients without the action being balanced by proportional benefit (Beauchamp, 155). This benefit is not necessarily beneficial to the terminally ill individual who has requested euthanasia. The benefit referred to in the medical field is generally an extension of life and a restoration of health, which is not a reality for the terminally ill, rather a benefit might be an end to incurable suffering. Because many medications, procedures, and interventions cause harm in addition to benefit, the principle of non-maleficence provides little concrete guidance in the care of patients, and acts as a fairly weak argument against euthanasia. A helpful distinction when debating the validity of physician assisted suicide is that of ‘killing’ and ‘allowing to die’. If a patient is too frail to undergo restorative treatment, it can be said that the withholding of that treatment is allowing the patient to die. On the other hand, ‘killing’ entails taking action that would hasten the onset of death. There is considerable overlap between these two concepts, to the point that a clear distinction is not readily discernible (Beauchamp, 172). The prima facie nature of allowing a patient to die, as expressed by Beauchamp is acceptable under certain conditions whereby a medical technology is considered futile, or ineffectual, or a patient and/or surrogate decision maker has validly denied a medical technology (173). In the case that a patient is suffering unnecessarily, and has denied or been denied the opportunity for treatment due to severity of illness, should euthanasia not be an acceptable option? This action would undoubtedly fall under the category of ‘killing’, but if the nearest solution is the imminent death of a terminally ill patient, the concept of non-maleficence should not apply to a deliberate hastening of the patients’ biological shutdown. It can also be argued that fading to death in palliative care with little to no cognition is of little value, and coming from a strictly utilitarian perspective, in some cases, may be unnecessary. If an elderly patient has no immediate family, and is in the final stages of a degenerative disease, the option of the patient to deny extended care and hasten the imminence of death should ot be considered immoral. The approval of certain cases such as the example above would definitely introduce a ‘slippery slope’ argument whereby the notions and parameters of conducting euthanasia would be challenged, inflated, and publicly scorned. The infamous example of Dr. Kevorkian is indicative of the demand for physican-assisted suicide, and the flexible moralities of perhaps many physicians who are faced with the challenge of allowing a patient to pursue a hastened death. Michigan doctor Jack Kevorkian was convicted of second-degree murder for delivering a lethal injection to a 52-year-old man suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease. It was the first time in five trials that Kevorkian was found guilty of a crime after participating in, by his count, at least 130 assisted suicides. Likened to â€Å"a medical hit man† by the prosecution, Kevorkian compared himself to Martin Luther King and told the court he was no more culpable than an executioner. The 70-year-old doctor had dared prosecutors to charge him and threatened a hunger strike if convicted. â€Å"Suicide†). The case of Kevorkian’s assisted suicides shows that public hegemonic belief places all burden on the physician involved, for it is technically legal to carry out or attempt suicide, but not with the aid of any other person, especially a clinician. These laws tend to make sense in every realm except the medical world, where euthanasia is an issue that arises with the terminally ill, and particular moralities strongly advocate for the right to die under certain circumstances, as illustrated by Kevorkian’s rash threats of a hunger strike if convicted. Obviously viewing himself as a liberator, Kevorkian’s particular morality quickly earned him a reputation, and having participated in over one hundred assisted suicides, he stands not as a reputable opposition to hegemony, but rather a moral pariah. Kevorkian’s comparison of his ‘moral fallacy’ with the conduct of an executioner is an interesting philosophical idea, and also illustrates the exclusivity of moral professionalism within the medical world. This is mostly apparent in the United States where there is a domination of privatized health care, and plenty of capital punishment. The application of morality is varied when it comes to death and dying, in a society where a 20 year old can be put to death for committing murder, and in the same society, a terminally ill, suffering patient cannot decidedly seek a peaceful death without moral intervention. In both cases, strong moral impositions are made, and guide the fate of both individuals. The convict has a chance at rehabilitation, and renewing his moral adherence and contribution to society, but is not rewarded the chance because his actions stripped him of his dignity. On the other hand, the dying patient is not permitted to seek assistance in death because common morality forbids it, much like the same common morality denies the convict a second chance. The patient is denied euthanasia because the hegemonic function of the medical field is to avoid non-maleficence, so according to the same morality, the criminal is denied rehabilitation and put to death because the function of the law is to appropriately punish offenders. This paradox shows how two distinct versions of the same common morality are stamped like a ‘cookie cutter’, yielding the anticipated results of the societal function: the patient can’t die because medicine is designed to keep him alive, and the criminal can’t live because capital punishment is designed to eliminate him. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to suggest that the application of euthanasia in the medical field should be acceptable in certain circumstances, and that exclusive clinical moralities should allow deliberation on the subject, and not continue to function in a ‘cookie cutter’ fashion. In Canada and the United States, laws distinguishing ‘active’ and ‘passive’ categories of euthanasia are divided into four sections: â€Å"deliberately killing persons who wish to die or assisting them in suicide (active voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide), deliberately killing persons whose wishes are unknown or opposed to such treatment (active involuntary euthanasia), withholding or withdrawing life-preserving means from those who do not want them used (forgoing treatment of competent individuals), and letting persons die by withholding or withdrawing life-preserving means when their wishes are unknown or when they want, or would tolerate, such means to be applied or maintained (forgoing treatment of incompetent individuals)† (Dickens, 136). According to these legal parameters, it would seem that active and passive euthanasia should only occur when indicated by the patient, living will, or a surrogate, such as active voluntary euthanasia, an d the forgoing of treatment to competent individuals. These two forms provide the patient with the moral decision to adopt the institutional values of their choice and affect their course of longevity and suffering. In the cases of active involuntary euthanasia, and the withholding of treatment from incompetent patients it can be said that, morally, the physician has no right to change the course of the patient’s treatment without clearance from a living will or surrogate. To conduct active involuntary euthanasia, or withhold treatment for no apparent reason indicated by the patient or surrogate, negligence would necessarily apply and represent the justified fault of the attending physician. Dealing with death is a subjective experience that generates fear, and causes humans to seek comfort in institutional beliefs, whether that be family, religion, other forms of spirituality, or modern medicine itself. Death reminds humans of their biological capacities and fleeting opportunities for experience in life, and generates a desire to medicalize suicide. â€Å"We want physicians to provide the means to end life in an antiseptically acceptable fashion. Knives, guns, ropes, and bridges tend to be messy. We seek a more aesthetically pleasing way of terminating life, one that leaves the patient looking dead, but not disgusting. For this, as in so much else in the 20th-century quest for happiness, we turn to the physician† (Paris, 33). Much like we seek aesthetic modifications from plastic surgeons, and mental stability from psychologists, we turn again to professional doctors for a method of dealing with the harsh reality of death. Though euthanasia may be an acceptable option for some people in certain sets of dire circumstances, it is the fear of death generated by the triumphs of medicine that provide the illusion that death and suffering are something a physician can cure. Medicinal miracles and the rise of technological medicine give people the impression that old losses are new triumphs, at least insofar as one can be kept alive for longer with chronic diseases. This notion sparks the fear of suffering before death, and that morbidity will be extended instead of compressed. Essentially then, it is the physician who bears all weight of the laws pertaining to euthanasia, which seems unjust when there is little more that medicine can do for a terminally ill patient than aid in their peaceful departure from life. The argument that legalized euthanasia would initiate the slippery slope, and â€Å"hospitals would become cruel and dehumanized places† are refuted by the suggestion and observation of the exact opposite (Schafer). As Schafer suggests, â€Å"experience has shown that what happened was exactly the opposite of what was predicted by the naysayers: Doctors and hospitals have become kinder and gentler, patients' wishes are better respected than previously and society has come to accept the importance of individual autonomy at the end of life† (3). Clearly, the legalization of euthanasia would not entirely disrupt the nature of medical care in Canada, and with current debates indicating the possibility of change, society may undergo a change of ideas in the near future. The idea that euthanasia may provide a patient with more dignity at death than what is often referred to as ‘sedation to unconsciousness’ is becoming more common, and should not be deemed unacceptable next to palliative care. With the right safeguards in place, euthanasia should be one of many life-ending options available to Canadians near the end of their life, with palliative care being a morally adjacent decision. The subjective experience of death is one’s own, and even familial institution can only do so much to comfort the process of being terminally ill. Therefore it should be a decision of the patient to seek medical help, either in the form of sedation and longevity, or immediate peace.

Conflicts Being a College Student Essay Example

Conflicts Being a College Student Essay Example Conflicts Being a College Student Essay Conflicts Being a College Student Essay Patrice Williams November 12, 2013 Conflicts of A College Student The daily life of a college student is filled with many conflicts. To begin with, students face everyday conflicts such as having transportation, family issues, financial problems, and also lack of focus and responsibility. In college if one is without a car or a reliable source of transportation every day, it can really affect them in school. One might could have a car but it is currently broke down or someone said they were willing to provide the transportation but possibly not showing up. For example, Nicole’s car has broken down over the weekend now she’s wondering how to get to school Monday morning. Nicole calls her friend Monica to give her a ride to school and then she’ll take the metro back home. This could cause Nicole stress and causing her to take focus off of school work. Second, college students also face family issues and crisis. One could have lost a family member that is causing a lot of stress or grief on their head while attending school. A student may have a family member or friend at home that causes them stress everyday also. For instance, Mark lives at home with Mom, brother, and sister. Conflict may be between everyone at home that causes Mark stress everyday he comes to school. Next, many students come across financial problems during their college life. Some students may lose their job or simply just don’t always have the funds to get by every single day. A student may be on a payment plan every month to pay for school or a student loan. Having everyday issues such as these can cause stress on the mind of a student that he or she doesn’t need while attending college. Take Mya for example, she’s currently in college and is on a payment plan at school to pay her tuition every month, for this current semester. Mya just lost her job and is finding it hard to come up with the money for this coming month; with her also struggling the previous months when she did have a job. This situation is very stressful on Mya and causing her to jeopardize school such as being late, missing assignments, and sometimes not showing up at all. Financial issues can play a huge downfall in a life of a college student. Finally, having a lack of responsibility can cause conflict while attending college. Some students start college but aren’t fully prepared. College students would sometimes start off college as if they were in high school and not strongly aware of the transition. Students hang out and party all night with school being in the morning. They slack on their work and put in high school work ethic instead of College work. Having a lack of focus can also affect students. Conflicts such as all of these can pay a huge part daily in a student’s life.

HIV Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

HIV - Research Paper Example Theories has been used to try to explain how the virus crossed from animals to human but all of them does not show evidence that indeed HIV originated from animals. For instance, it is believed that the virus crossed as a result of eating monkey meat. The virus is believed to have originated from Africa as monkeys from Asia and South America has not been found with the virus (Worobey et al., 2008). HIV is an epidemic. It has spread so fast in the world and causes a lot of harm in countries. For instance, a lot of money has been put aside to fight the spread of HIV. This affects the country’s economy. On the other hand, HIV is taking dominance to the young and middle aged people in a country. The group that is most productive. With this it is clear that HIV is indeed a problem that needs to be taken care of seriously. The productive age groups of young and middle aged are endangered thus burdening a country with children and elderly who are not in a position to provide for thei r living. This paper will look at HIV as the problem worldwide that needs to be understood well and necessary precaution taken to reduce its spread. The first case of HIV was discovered in early 1980’s in the USA. Gay men displayed symptoms of opportunistic infections like cancer. HIV/AIDS did not come in to the picture but those men seemed to suffer from a common syndrome; their infections resisted treatment. HIV was later discovered. HIV has been spreading fast in the world because of several reasons such as blood transfusion, immigration, use of injectible drugs, unprotected sexual behaviors and transmission of mother to child. With the current globalization, most people are traveling from their countries with the purpose of trade. There is no restriction of migration of people who are infected with the HIV virus. People travel and mingle with other people from different

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 64

Discussion - Essay Example oblem identifies significant effects on the students, with possible secondary effects on the students’ ability to concentrate on their studies and the students’ health. An empirical study of 195 students established significance of homesickness and effects such as depression, sexual behavior, and consumption of alcohol. The study that focused on moderation effects of religion on impacts of homesickness established significance of religion (Longo, 2010). Other effects of homesickness are isolation, inability to focus on studies, and stimulation of preexisting psychological disorder among students (Thurmber and Walton, n.d.). The data establishes significance of homesickness among college students and identifies its burden on students’ academic potentials and their health. I believe that effects of homesickness such as involvement in irresponsible sexual behavior, as Longo explains that more than 30 percent of his research participants engaged in unprotected sex, e xplains risks of sexually transmitted diseases while depression suppresses the students’ cognitive potentials. Longo, G. (2010). Homesickness in college students: The moderating effect of religiousness on the relationship between homesickness and Maladjustment. Retrieved from: