The Creed of the United States Essay - 1768 Words

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.† This is perhaps the best-known phrase in American history, as the phrase is generally considered the American creed and the foundation of democracy. The American creed represents our need for independence and equality of life. The American creed which appears in the Declaration of Independence written by our great leaders has been a statement that we have seen reinforced over history by our most influential leaders. Some of these statements are the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and Dr. Martin Luther King†¦show more content†¦It marked the official separation between the 13 colonies and Great Britain. It established the new American revolutionary government and officially declared war on Great Britain. The declaration is a product of wh y the colonies wanted to overthrow their ruler and wanted to take their place as a separate nation in the world. The colonies were not receiving equality of man because of the overruling they were receiving from Great Britain. All men are created equal and there are certain unalienable rights that governments should never violate. These rights include the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As which it was written in the Declaration of Independence. Professor Maier downplays the principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence because the document restated what virtually all Americans...thought and said in other words in other places and was, therefore, [a]s a statement of political philosophy... purposely unexceptional, (Maier,1997). I agree with parts of this statement given by Professor Maier but also disagree with parts. It is what everyone was already thinking so in that respect I agree, but because no one was receive this treatment it needed to be d ocumented and made into a bold statement to show a united front by the colonist, and act as a rallying document for everyone to gather around. Everyone wanted equality and fair treatment but until someone boldly makes aShow MoreRelatedEssay on Accountability in Army885 Words   |  4 PagesA Soldier’s Accountability A soldier of the United States Army has many values that are set forth in the â€Å"Soldier’s Creed.† The Soldier’s Creed states: I am an American Soldier. I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. 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The soldierâ€⠄¢s creed has taught me many things that make me who I am today. I am an American soldier, To me, that means I have the right to say this anywhere and everywhere I go. As an American I have Freedom of speech, religion, and pursuit of happiness. As a soldier I defendRead MoreThe Use and Importance of the Apostles Creed with Relation to the Church1410 Words   |  6 PagesThe Use and Importance of the Apostles Creed with Relation to the Church i) God ii) Jesus iii) The Church The Apostles’ Creed is a statement of beliefs; it contains the main Christian teachings and is often recited in Church services, the first two words of the apostles’ creed, â€Å"We believe†, this means that the people accepts what they are saying as the truth, they believe and commit themselves to what follows, it is a Profession of faith, (they are statingRead MoreCommunity Revealed1596 Words   |  7 Pagesbuilt of people who feel called to serve their country and have chosen to do so by becoming a part of the armed forces. I joined this community for this reason. This community focuses on the protection of the people and the constitution of the United States of America. The qualities of this group are defined by loyalty, courage and so forth. 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The focused time period will be from 313 AD to 325 AD. This is because practicing Christianity was made legal in Rome in 313 AD and the Nicene Creed was created and made the official statement of Christian beliefs in 325 AD. Also the investigation will focus mainly on events taken place in Rome. Unity, or lack thereof, in ChristianityRead MoreWhy Is the Ffa Creed Important724 Words   |  3 PagesWhy is the FFA Creed Important? During the years you are a FFA member, you probably will be asked What does the FFA mean to you? or What is the goal of the FFA?. Most everyone will say to have fun or to be a part of agriculture. However, there is a much deeper meaning and goal to what the FFA really is. The FFA creed speaks of every goal, idea, and belief of American Agriculture. This tradition of Vocational Agriculture has been passed down and memorized by every Greenhand in the countryRead MoreUs Navy Chief Pinning Ceremony1598 Words   |  7 Pagesanchor was the emblem of a Chief in the Navy. 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After a brutally hard punch from Drago, Creed falls, unable to recover. He dies in Balboa’s arms. When confronted

A Comparison of The Jewel in the Crown and Wuthering Heights

Shared Elements of The Jewel in the Crown and Wuthering Heights The Jewel in the Crown, by Paul Scott, and Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, are romantic tragedies which share many common elements. Although written in two vastly different time periods, the shared elements reveal the continuity of romantic tragedies over time. Wuthering Heights, a 19th century realistic fiction, shares the same kind of passionate, violent and emotional characters as The Jewel in the Crown, a post colonial modernist fiction. Both stories contain a love triangle which subsequently end in death. In both stories, Catherine and Daphne are much alike in that they are the point around which the two men in their lives dance circles around.†¦show more content†¦108). Heathcliff and Hari Kumar are very much alike, and yet very different. Both are dark complected, although we dont really know Heathcliffs originations. Both characters are outcasts in the society in which they live. Heathcliff is treated as a servant, given no rights or privilege which Catherine and Hindley share, He [Hindley] drove him from their company to the servants, deprived him of the instruction of the curate, and insisted that he should labour out of doors instead (WH, p. 36). Hari Kumar, raised in English and returned to his native India after the death of his father, does not fit the traditional Indian mold, his English mannerisms and ideologies prevent him from belonging to either the English nor the Indian world, his father had succeeded in making him nothing, nothing in the black town, nothing in the cantonment, nothing even in England... (JIC, p. 242). The third members of these tragic triangles are Edgar Linton, mild mannered husband of Cathy, and Ronald Merrick, violently aggressive representative of the British raj. While these two remain somewhat on the outskirts of the real love affairs, they each close the triangle and bring about the events which lead to the eventual deaths of the protagonists. A contrasting point here is that Ronald Merrick carried a darkness of the mind and heart and flesh (JIC, p. 150) much like Heathcliff, in whom a half

Resdietial schools Free Essays

This explaining what Residential Schools did for all these years. In the 19th century the Canadian government believed it was responsible for educating and care for the countrys aboriginal people. It though that native people best chance for success was to adopt Christianity and Canadian customs. We will write a custom essay sample on Resdietial schools or any similar topic only for you Order Now This event was trying to make Aboriginal children talk, dress, think and act like Canadians. Children were the main targets, because it was believed that it would be asier to change a young child as opposed to an adult. At the time, the government and churches believed that residential schooling was the right thing to do for the Aboriginal children to be better and wiser people. â€Å"In order to educate the children properly we must separate them from their families†¦ Some people may say this hard, but if we want to civilize them we must do that. (A federal Cabinet Minister, 1883, CBC Learning DVD) Government and churches believed in the movement, due to their intent of educating, assimilating and integrating the Aboriginal people into Canadian society. The system was designed to â€Å"kill the Indian in the child. † Aboriginal families all across Canada were affected by the Residential Schools system, and still are affected. Children were forced to attend and live year round at these schools. Parents had to accept that their children would no longer be in thei r care and that they would be looked after by churches and funded by the Canadian government, or face imprisonment. The importance of this issue is that, Residential Schools had a high impact at the time to destroy the close ties in Aboriginal families and the strong sense of culture in communities. Our objective is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada†¦ that has not been absorbed unto the body politic†¦ and there is not Indian question and no Indian Department†(Duncan Campbell Scott, Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs Jan 1,1920, CBC Learning DVD) The government wanted to blend the aboriginals in to the â€Å"norm† of Canadian society. If you are an â€Å"outsider† like a First Nations person, you are expected to follow to rules and social normalities of a Canadian. Life at Residential Schools was hard for the first nation’s children. Children were taught that their spiritual practices were vil, and were banned from their practices. They were forced to speak English, and were punished if they spoke their own native languages. Many suffered physical, sexual and emotional abuse while living in the residential schools. Some children died from how horrible treatments were at the Residential schools. They couldn’t take the abuse or the poor poverty anymore. Very few of the teachers were qualified to teach therefore the education was poor. It’s important to note that the Residential School programs were disgraceful, not Just from the perspective of our times, but rom the perspective of their own. This policy has had a lasting and damaging impact their homes, separate from the cultures and traditions that are created for many lives and communities. They government now recognize that, these institutions gave rise to abuse and you shouldn’t change a culture Just because they are living in Canada. â€Å"As Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal Canadians seek to move forward together in a process of renewal, it is essential that we deal with the leagues of the past affecting the Aboriginal peoples of Canada, including the First Nations, Inuit and M ©tis. Our purpose is not to rewrite history but, rather, to learn from our past and to find ways to deal with negative impacts that certain historical decisions continue to have in our society today. (A Day at Indian Residential Schools in Canada, DVD) Many Aboriginal people had enough and wanted to take power over this issue. Families couldn’t be a proper family anymore because they couldn’t communicate with one another. The Residential Schools broke the. Children coming from Residential Schools, grew up, got married and had kids. But they couldn’t be good parent s because they didn’t now how. They didn’t have a role model of being a good parent when growing up in Residential Schools. A Day at Indian Residential Schools in Canada, DVD) This caused even more problem to the Aboriginal People. Protesters by Aboriginal parents, National Brotherhood and Inspectors from Indian Affairs making this world wide for Government to hear the people and know about this horrible issue the Aboriginal People had to go through. â€Å"Sadly, our history with respect to the treatment of Aboriginal People is not something is in which we can take pride. Attitude of racial nd cultural superiority led to a suppression of Aboriginal culture and values. As a country we burdened by past actions that resulted in weakling the identity of Aboriginal peoples, suppressing their languages, cultures and outlawing spiritual practices. We must recognize the impact of these actions thatonce self- sustaining nations that were disaggregated, disruned, limited or even destroyed. â€Å"(A Day at Indian Residential Schools in Canada, DVD) After years of protests by Aboriginal parents, leaders, organizations, and the many the many reports of problems, the federal government knew that the Residential School system was being coming a big problem. Regional Inspectors from Indian Affairs recommended that the Residential School should be over and done with and they made sure the Government heard the voices about the issue. The National Indian Brotherhood’s position paper of 1972, â€Å"Indian Control of Indian Education,† proposed to implement two principles of education that would make school more relevant to students and their communities: Parental responsibility and local control of education, including the right to hire staff and develop curriculum. (Aboriginal People in Canada, pg. 33-358) this went worldwide. The federal government and now recognizing that, what they did before was wrong and that the Aboriginal People should take over. The Residential School system failed as a system of education for three reasons: Server underfunding, particularly during the two World Wars and the Depression, Inadequate management due to the rapid growth of the system and students. (Aboriginal People in Canada, pg. 358) Aboriginal People were not satisfied with Just the closure of Residential Schools, individuals and communities took action. In 1988, Residential School survivors from St. George’s Residential School in Lytton, British Columbia, filed lawsuits against the Anglican Church for damages for sexual abuse. Canadians were shocked by news reports about routinely abuses by the Catholic Church. This case opened the accounts of abuse in the Residential school across Canada and, finally, national attention focused on the damages that this system had inflicted. Non- Aboriginal leaders and citizens condemned the abuse that had taken place for so long. It was time for the churches and government to respond, take action about the problem and hear the voices (Aboriginal People in Canada, pg. 8) The treatment of children in Indian Residential Schools is a sad chapter in history of Canada. Indian Residential Schools separated over 1 50,000 Aboriginal children from their families and communities. The primary objectives of Residential Schools system were to remove and isolate, transitions and cultures, and to assimilate them into the dominant culture. The government now recognize that this policy was wrong, had caused great harm and has no place in Canada. The legacy of Indian Residential Schools has contributed to social problems that continue to exist in many communities today. The government also recognizes the consequences of Residential Schools policy was negative and that it has had a lasting and damaging impact on Aboriginal culture, heritage and language. â€Å"On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I stand before you, in this Chamber so central to our life as a country, to apologize to Aboriginal Peoples of Canada’s role in the Indian Residential Schools system. â€Å"(Stephen Harper, CBC Learning, Stolen Children) Government policy destroyed the fabric of family in first nations, M ©tis and Inuit communities. Parents and children were made to feel worthless. Parents and grandparents were given no choice. Their children were stolen from them. â€Å"Today we live in a reality created by the residential schools system, stole from them. â€Å"Today we live in a reality created by the residential schools system, a present that is haunted by this tragic and painful heritage from those first nations, M ©tis and Inuit children, from their families and their communities, a dark and painful heritage that all Canadians must accept as a part of our history. (St ©phane Dion, CBC Learning, Stolen Children, DVD) For a pretty long, Canadian governments chose denial over truth, and when confronted with the eight of truth, chose silence. Canadian governments also refused to acknowledge their role in creating the residential schools system and perpetrating the goal of wiping out aboriginal identity and culture. Canadian governments ignored the consequences of this problem. Instead of trying to understand the Aboriginal People’s suffering that continues to this day, they went into silence. Today, we, representatives of the Canadian people, apologize to those who survived residential schools and to those who died as a result of the laws enacted by previous governments and parliaments. By speaking directly to survivors and victims’ today on the floor of the House of Commons, we apologize to those who died waiting for these words to be spoken and these wrongs acknowledged. † (St ©phane Dion, CBC Learning, people for accepting the apology that they are getting from Canada. Together we remember and honour them for it was they who suffered the most as they witnessed generation after generation of their children taken from their families’ love and guidance. for the generations that will follow us, we bear witness today in this House that our survival as First Nations pe oples in this land is affirmed forever. (Phil Fontaine National Chief, CBC Learning, Stolen Children, DVD) The First Nations now significance of the day of apology is not Just about what has been done, but equally important, what id to come. They know that never again will the House consider the First Nations the Indian problem for Just being who they are. The first Nations heard and know that the Government of Canada will take full responsibility for this dead chapter in their shared history. they heard the Prime Minister declare that this will never happen again. They finally heard Canada say it is sorry. â€Å"Everyone has still have o struggle, but now they are in this together. † (Phil Fontaine National Chief, CBC Learning, Stolen Children, DVD) The effects of Residential School last generations and healing will take as long. If is not possible for communities, families and nations to heal within a few years and will continue to grow. Steps to Healing that I think is good: Creating safety from violence, Showing respect and tolerance for differences, Being responsible and holding others responsible for actions and recognizing the hurt and the need to change. In conclusion, I think Residential School shouldn’t been built in the first place. Even if you were trying to change a cultural to become Just like yours. There were different ways to d it; like teaching them your ways on your own time. Instead of doing it a whole culture and causing so much problems. Or not doing anything about the issue at all. When Canada was apologizing to the Aboriginal People, In my opinion, I think Canada’s attempt was trying to close the Aboriginal identity and culture by taking away from their families when they were children and by building a system to punish them for whole they were. They didn’t value the Aboriginal people as parents. Didn’t trust and respect them. How to cite Resdietial schools, Papers

Social Work Support Group

Question: Discuss about theSocial Workfor Support Group. Answer: Introduction In this video, few young age boys and girls are gathered with a counsellor in order to discuss the existence of stress in their life and to know the process to overcome their stress. The chosen group for completing this assignment is Support Group and there will be discussion on stress. According to Levi (2016), more or less every individual goes through a phase of stress and on every occasion, an individual overcomes stress with proper process of stress counselling. Stress can damage the mental and physical health if it cannot be treated so long. Description of the Group and Over Viewing its Purpose The purpose of this group is to offer and discuss several ways to overcome the stress in the life from various sources. From various studies, it has been proved that the students aged in between 17-25 encountered with stress than the other ranges of ages from the social life, pressure from schools including tasks, exams, schedules, family and friends (Moreland et al., 2014). This group will discuss the beginning of the pressure, which actually leads to the stress in immense manner if he pressure cannot be handled in proper and adequate manner. This young group of individual has been associated for overcoming the stress as it may lead to adopt unhealthy practices, such as drinking or smoking, which will be harmful for this young age people. The stress counsellor in this video is a professional individual, who can treat the experienced difficulties of the gathered individuals (Beebe Masterson, 2014). Type of Group This particular video is solely based on three different questions, which are closely related to the stress and all the gathered individuals have shared their own perspective upon the stress and stress management. There is a discussion on their adopted strategies during the time of their stress and even the member of this particular group have communicated with each other for sharing own experience during the stressful situation. This group is task-oriented group and the name of this group is Support Group. Gchter et al., 2012 has mentioned that stress can be considered as the response of the body towards different demands, criteria of the life, which engages both the mind and emotions. This particular group has understood the necessity of overcoming and preventing stress as it affects the human feeling and the physical health. However, there are some contradictions among the associated group members of this video while communicating regarding different stress scenario within own lif e. The member often oppose and often appreciate the process of overcoming the stress of the group members. Description of the Group The group shown in this particular video are young people from schools and there are three female and two male members. The stress counsellor has initiated the discussion and then asked the group member to provide their views regarding their experiences of stress and how they had overcome it for leading a stressful life. One by one, every group member has shared his or her experiences and visions upon it. This group can be considered as initial session of Group therapy. This particular discussion has been continued for 8 minutes and 49 seconds and the entire discussion has been completed with a proper following of some portion such as the introductory portion, the selection of the topic and there are discussion after the asked questions of the stress counsellor. The counsellor has provided equal chance to each team member for sharing different viewpoints. As opined by Oradee (2012), often the stress level increases in manner, which is next to impossible to overcome and in such position there are requirements of effective and potential counsellor, who can help to overcome stress. This group is a true example of group interactive session, where every group member is closely interlinked with each other and share own notion on a fixed topic that is stress. The Stage The associated members of the group are all young people from school; therefore, they are standing at the initial stage of their life. Their life has just started, therefore, if these young individuals have lost hope only because of encountering stress from their social life, family, friends, tasks, exams and other pressures, then it will lead a serious depression for them, which is not at all expected (Beard, 2016). These people should have adopted strategies to deal with stress, as with the ages, the level of stress will increase. The Dynamics in Between the Participants The group dynamics suggest that the team members are associated for achieving same motif (Trotzer, 2013). The team dynamic helps the team member to share their ideas, suggestions and visions on certain topic. However, in this particular video, the group members also do the same. Hwang Lin (2012) have referred that the group dynamics deal with the basic behavioural patterns and attitudes of a particular group. The video suggests an interactive group session, which has been started with a introductory speech of the stress counsellor, who clearly explains the requirement of this particular group. The entire gathered group member is quite interactive with each other and it make easy for the counsellor to communicate with everybody. Every group member has been provided with equal opportunity to share their own views and any longer viewpoints are not entertained as the counsellor stops the individual, who provide a long statement regarding their experience in order to give other team memb er chances. The gesture and process of interaction with the other team member is appropriate for this group therapy session. Chiclana et al., (2013) have suggested both the negative and positive experiences in life can lead life transition, which is responsible to lead any kind of stress. Even in this particular video, the woman counsellor has mentioned that stress should be avoided in the life as it damages both the physical and mental health of an individual. According to Zhang et al., (2012), group dynamics are solely concerned with the process of group formation, its structure and processes of performing some tasks in order to reach the same goal. In this video, the group members also present their viewpoints on stress and its effective ways to overcome it. Even the group dynamics help to appreciate the suggestion of a team member and criticising it. The leader of this group has followed participative leadership style as this person involves every team member to take a part of t he interaction and share own viewpoint upon stress. The Role, Tasks and Strategies of the Leader According to Shin et al., (2012), adequate and potential strategies and task should be selected for meeting the goal of creating the group discussion. In this particular video, the group member shares own experience and it actually helps them to release their stress. The strategies the leader has followed involves the team member to share brief picture of their experiences instead of elaborated version of it and to interact with maintain positive gesture, which can encourage the other group member to share their own experiences. Every team member is associated and connected with each other only because of suitable implication of strategies of the leader. The leader has played the role of participative leader with allowing every group member to share own viewpoints (Triantaphyllou, 2013). One of the group members Stephanie is quiet and calm and fails to communicate with the entire group. However, Jolene presents her own viewpoints in smooth way. The leader appreciated both of them for their participation as it encourages them for further discussion. The participative leadership style gathers the shared viewpoints of the participants of group members. My View on Groups Effectiveness I think the effectiveness of a group suggests the capacity of a group for accomplishing the set goals, which have been administrated by the leader. I have observed that this group develop internal feelings of the close affiliation among the existing group member and it helps to enhance the loyalty among the group member after sharing own visions related stress. The size of the group also determines the effectiveness of a group and every group member has understood their roles and responsibilities within the group for accomplishing the objectives of this group. As stress is a complex subject to discuss, therefore, I have noticed that the leader in this video tries to free the group members and only engage 5 member for discussing this complex issue. I have understood that as stress has been considered as critical issue to deal, therefore, this interactive discussion will help these school going young people to overcome their encountered situations in potential manner. Conclusion The provided video reveals the necessity of overcoming stress with the help of interactive session and it evaluates the basic idea regarding the capacity of the individuals for dealing with several stressful situations. With the constant improvement in the contemporary lifestyle, there are gradual enhancement of the stress, which often lead and individual towards a severe level of depression and on certain occasion towards the suicidal tendency. The group member helps one another for helping them to share their experiences. References Beard, F. (2016). Preparing campaigns students for group work.Journal of Advertising Education,20(1/2), 111. Beebe, S. A., Masterson, J. T. (2014).Communicating in small groups: Principles and practices. Pearson Higher Ed. Chiclana, F., GarcA, J. T., del Moral, M. J., Herrera-Viedma, E. (2013). A statistical comparative study of different similarity measures of consensus in group decision making.Information Sciences,221, 110-123. Gchter, S., Nosenzo, D., Renner, E., Sefton, M. (2012). Who makes a good leader? cooperativeness, optimism, and leading?by?example.Economic Inquiry,50(4), 953-967. Hwang, C. L., Lin, M. J. (2012).Group decision making under multiple criteria: methods and applications(Vol. 281). Springer Science Business Media. Levi, D. (2016).Group dynamics for teams. Sage Publications. Moreland, R. L., Levine, J. M., Wingert, M. L. (2013). Creating the ideal group: Composition effects at work.Understanding group behavior,2, 11-35. Oradee, T. (2012). Developing speaking skills using three communicative activities (discussion, problem-solving, and role-playing).International Journal of Social Science and Humanity,2(6), 533. Shin, S. J., Kim, T. Y., Lee, J. Y., Bian, L. (2012). Cognitive team diversity and individual team member creativity: A cross-level interaction.Academy of Management Journal,55(1), 197-212. Triantaphyllou, E. (2013).Multi-criteria decision making methods: a comparative study(Vol. 44). Springer Science Business Media. Trotzer, J. P. (2013).The counselor and the group: Integrating theory, training, and practice. Routledge. Zhang, Z., Wang, M. O., Shi, J. (2012). Leader-follower congruence in proactive personality and work outcomes: The mediating role of leader-member exchange.Academy of Management Journal,55(1), 111-130.

U.S. Involvement In Nicaragua Essay Example For Students

U.S. Involvement In Nicaragua Essay U.S. Involvementin NicaraguaNot very many Americans know the truththat lies beneath the U.S. involvement in Nicaragua. Most wouldbe surprised to find out that U.S. armed forces and politicians violatedU.S. laws and deliberately sabotaged Nicaraguas stable government by payingthe dictators henchmen to kill Nicaraguan citizens. The United Statesis considered one of the major superpower nations in this world. It is highly influential to other countries and often takes responsibilityto intervene with other another countrys problems?especially when it dealswith the spreading of communism. When Nicaraguas dictatorship wasoverthrown by the popular Sandinistas, a communist regime was successfullyput in place. The U.S. immediately feared that Nicaraguas surroundingcountries would eventually become communist due to the Domino Theory. The negative impact of becoming further engaged in the Nicaraguan politicswas destructive to both the U.S. and Nicaragua. These actions destabilizedthe Nicaraguan economy, encouraged civil violence, and motivated membersof the American government to violate certain laws to continue their aidto the guerillas. We will write a custom essay on U.S. Involvement In Nicaragua specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now To fully comprehend the negative impactsof U.S. intervention in Nicaragua, one must be somewhat familiar with Nicaraguashistory. The period in which the Somoza family ruled Nicaragua startedon New Years Day in 1937, when Anastasio Somoza Garcia had himself electedpresident. The Somozas ran Nicaragua as their own private estate;all three Somozas were dictators who ran the affairs of their countryto their personal benefit and against the interests of the vast majorityof their countrymen (Walker 16). Under their dominion, life forthe Nicaraguan citizens was harsh, because they suffered from abject poverty. They lived in inadequate housing, ate and dressed poorly, and were overallextremely oppressed by their leaders corruption. When the peoplefinally realized that life wasnt going to get any better, they decidedto turn to their only other option, the communist Sandinista government. The U.S. were so anti-Communist that they began to send large sums of moneyto Somozas Guardsmen (who the leaders of the Contras) in order to sabotagethe Sandinista government. One of the goals the U.S. would like toachieve when dealing with Third World nations is to help them become moreindustrialized and economically stable. Unfortunately, the oppositeof this occurred in Nicaragua. Before U.S. involvement, Nicaraguaseconomy was reasonably sturdy in the sense that there was a consistentflow of money in and out of the country. With increasing investmentin Nicaragua, as a result of the Alliance for Progress, and the CentralAmerican Common Market, this was a period of unprecedented progress (Pastor,35). It is obvious that stronger nations would not invest their timeand money into a country that was economically declining, thus displayingthat at this time, Nicaragua was doing quite well for a Third World nation. With the correct equipment and help from richer nations, Nicaragua couldhave benefited from the high quality of its land and resources, which wouldraise the citizens yearly income and help with overcoming destitution. U.S. money for the reconstruction of Managua after the incredibly hugeChristmas Earthquake in 1972 never reached where it was most needed. Instead, Anastasio Somoza Debayle (the president of Nicaragua at the time)transformed a tragic national loss into a personal financial gain(Pastor, 36). Somozas greediness enticed him to pocket the moneyinstead of directing the funds where they were intended to go. Thusvery little was done to help the disaster victims and this is just anotherexample of how his dictatorship was oppressive to the people. Thisquandary could have been simply avoided if the U.S. had sent an officialto manage the money and secure its proper usage. .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727 , .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727 .postImageUrl , .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727 , .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727:hover , .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727:visited , .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727:active { border:0!important; } .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727:active , .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727 .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2bd0b49220fabd14573282e6f23ae727:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Mailbox Rule EssayThrough the 1960s, Nicaragua receivedfrom the U.S. $92.5 million in economic aid, and $11 million in militaryaid. From 1971 to 1976, Nicaragua received three times that amountin economic aid but less in military. (Pastor, 43) From thesestatistics, it seems that Nicaraguas economy is being supported by U.S. funding more each year. It is fair to say Nicaraguas economy wasdependent on U.S. aid. When Somoza issued terror raids on his people,the U.S. chose to impose sanctions withdrawing all funding to Nicaragua. By advertising Somozas acts of human brutality, the U.S. was able to persuadeother countries to consider terminating their current aid to Nicaragua. Not only did Nicaraguan slip further into debt, but also the situationworsened for the poverty-stricken people. Nicaraguas economy hadfailed to attain its prerevolution level in 1983. Investment hadstagnated or declined, depending on the sector. The external debt,which was high at $1.5 billion in 1979, reached $3.8 billion in 1983. Agriculture?the dynamic center of the economy before the revolution?declinedmarkedly. As the war intensified, the economy sank even further(Pastor, 245). Nicaraguans were so focused on fighting that theydidnt realize that their land was being destroyed and that there werentenough people to farm the existing crops. Although the U.S. had intendedon using the sanctions as a way to promote human rights and to pressureSomoza to stop the killing, they exacerbated the failing economy. When the U.S. entered Nicaragua, it sentthe people mixed messages. They hoped that the violence would eventuallyend with the U.S. help, but the U.S. did not take an active part in resolvingthat violence. They did not walk away either. They carriedout their own agenda, which consisted of having a non-communist regime. They withdrew military aid from Somoza, because the American citizens disapprovedof Somozas brutal and tyrannical actions, but they would not support theSandinistas (the communist group trying to overthrow the Somoza dictatorship)either. Instead, the U.S. financed Somozas Guardsmen, the only institutioncapable of restraining the Sandinistas if they came into power. Theconstant fighting and bickering among the different groups in Nicaraguahad caused the people to become impatient with the U.S. You Americanshave the strength, the opportunity, but not the will. We want tostruggle, but it is dangerous to have friends like you Either helpus or leave us alone (Pastor, 259). The Nicaraguans were verycommitted to ending the civil war that has haunted their lives for so long. If the U.S. wasnt going to help them achieve this goal, they should stopwatching them over their shoulders. Around 50,00 lives, or approximatelytwo percent of the population had been lost, but the Nicaraguans claimedthat freedom, justice, and national dignity were sometimes worth sucha price (Walker, 20). When people feel strongly about changingsomething, they are willing to lose their valuables, pride, and sometimestheir lives to achieve it. By not letting the people know which sidethe U.S. opposed or supported, tension mounted between the groups, whichindubitably lead to a bloody massacre. The U.S. is not very knowledgeable. does not know how much blood, how many sacrifices, how much frustrationthat generations of Latin Americans have gone through (Pastor, 281). The U.S. worried so much about Nicaragua having a communist governmentthat they overlooked how many lives were lost in their effort to changethe government. If the U.S. had made it clear where they stood inthe situation, it would have resulted with in a lower death toll. When the Sandinistas overthrew the Somozaregime in 1979, they became the government of Nicaragua. The rebelsthen were the ex-Guardsmen (men from Somozas military), who were now runningthe contra-rebellion. Aid to the Contras had been prohibited by Congress (History). However, members of the ReaganAdministration and the CIA devised a scheme providing illegal funding underthe table. The plan was to sell shipments of arms to Iran via Israel. .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9 , .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9 .postImageUrl , .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9 , .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9:hover , .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9:visited , .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9:active { border:0!important; } .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9:active , .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9 .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf4487743ad40b1ffbac51de91a52b2a9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Rethinking My High School Education EssayThe money paid was diverted to the Contras resistance force and was overseenby Lt. Colonel Oliver North. The transaction first took place in1985. (Jewish) The men indicted were: Secretary of Defense,Casper Weinberger; Head of the Sate Departments Latin American Bureau,Elliot Abrams; Reagans National Security Advisor, Robert C. McFarlane,among many others. (Men) The U.S. obsession with anti-Communistgroups brought a handful of its leaders to break congressional laws toprovide financial assistance to a group that had previously been engagedin a series of war crimes. They ignored the fact that the group ofmen they supported were ones t hat killed and abused Nicaraguan citizensduring the Somoza dictatorship. The only excuse that they were ableto use to uphold their actions in assisting the Contras was thatthey were in the process of destroying the Communist-backed Sandinistagovernment. The U.S. participation during Nicaraguastime of crisis caused its economy to become unstable, bolstered the civilwar, and inspired criminal activities by high level politicians and officialsin the U.S. Nicaraguas economy was at an all time high before theU.S. became immersed in it. As more aid was provided to the people,Nicaragua became more dependent upon the U.S. for financial support. This caused further problems when the U.S. decided to sanction Nicaragua. The people had expected the U.S. to stop the brutality when they enteredthe situation. Unfortunately, the U.S. chose not to do anything andmerely observed the circumstances. If the U.S. had let the Nicaraguansdeal with their problems their own way, more lives wouldve been saved. The U.S. feared that if communism were successful in Nicaragua, it wouldsoon diffuse to the surrounding nations. When Congress halted theaid to the Contras, many government officials illegally earned money tosend to them. The Nicaraguans are fully aware of the role the UnitedStates has played in Nicaragua and that the resentment against the Americangovernment is very deep. Although U.S. politicians were capableof covering up the truth to the American public, the people most effectedby these traumatizing experiences will remember the U.S. involvement foryears to come. A more productive action on the part of the U.S. wouldhave been to pick a side and support if or walk away and let the Sandinistagovernment rebuild Nicaragua on its own. Despite the U.S. effortsto help the dilemmas in Nicaragua, they were only able to worsen it.

Suicides in Adolescents

Suicides in Adolescents Free Online Research Papers During the last decade there appears to have been a dramatic increase in attempted and completed suicides among the adolescent population (Emery, 1983). Among 15 to 19 year olds the suicide rate in 1950 was between 2.7 and 3.5 suicides per 100,000. By 1977 this figure had risen to 14.2, the highest increase in the suicide rate of any group except 20 to 24 year olds. Further, the tendency not to attribute suicidal motives to young adolescents and the desire to spare families public embarrassment result in a number of suicides being officially recorded as accidents (Husain Vandiver, 1984). As a consequence, some analyses estimate that the actual rates of adolescent suicide may be three times as high as the official government statistics, which show that, in 1983 alone, 6,000 young people killed themselves (Tugend, 1984). Some also contend that for every suicide there are ten unsuccessful attempts, most of which remain unreported. Yet, despite the likelihood of underestimating the actual number of suicides, suicide is still the third leading cause of death among adolescents. According to the national centers for disease control, the increase in youth suicide is primarily due to the dramatic changes in the male suicide rate (Tugend, 1984). From 1970 to 1980 the male suicide rate increased by 50 percent, in comparison to a 2 percent rise for females. Almost 90 percent of the male suicide victims are white, although there are no significant racial differences among female suicide victims. Because males choose the most violent methods for killing themselves, like shooting and hanging, their suicide attempts are far more successful than females attempts. In contrast to males, female typically employ methods that are less lethal and more time consuming, such as trying to poison themselves with pills. The increasing concern about suicide has resulted partially from a number of apparent cluster suicides during recent years (Tugend, 1984; Coleman, 1987). For example, in three of New Yorks northern suburbs, 36 adolescents killed themselves in 22 months; in Houston suburbs, adolescents took their own lives in three months; and in Plano, Texas, seven adolescents committed suicide in one year. Although in some of these incidents the adolescents did not know one another, in others the friendship between the youths suggest that their suicides may have been related. In response to increasing public concern, the national centers for disease control began extensive research on cluster suicides in 1984. In the meantime, the uncertainty over whether too much publicity contributes to multiple suicides has made researchers proceed cautiously about directing too much public attention to the matter. (Coleman, 1987) The suicide behavior of adolescents and adults is similar in several aspects (Husain Vandiver, 1984; Weiner, 1980, 1982). Irrespective of age, three times as many males commit suicide as females, but females attempt suicide three times more often than males. There is more suicide among whites than blacks, more in urban than rural communities, more in higher socioeconomic groups than among poor, and more among Protestants than among Catholics or Jews. Older adolescents and adults usually kill themselves by hanging or shooting, while younger adolescents and children usually take a drug overdose. Most people who fail in a suicide attempt have taken poisonous drugs, a method that increases the chances that someone will discover them before death occurs. Causes Depression Many adolescents who kill themselves do manifest symptoms of depression, but this is not always the case. To assert that depression is the prime cause appears to be overly simplistic. The preponderance of evidence indicates that a number of other variables seem to have an impact on a persons decision to commit suicide (Emery, 1983; Weiner, 1980, 1982) Attempts are being made to identify the types of behavior that might be the cause of a youngsters suicide (Weiner, 1980,1982). Some psychologists contend that depression among young is often overlooked, because the symptoms are dismissed as a normal part of adolescence. For example, in a 1982 survey of 116 adolescent girls from different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, attending San Franciscos public high schools, 23 percent were moderately to severely depressed as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory; and 39 percent reported occasional thoughts of suicide (Gibbs, 1983). Even among adolescent psychiatric patients, fewer than 20 percent are diagnosed as having problems primarily caused by depression, yet half of these young people manifest symptoms of depression including behavior such as self-deprecation, crying spells, suicidal thoughts, and experience feelings of sadness, pessimism, and worthlessness (Weiner, 1980). Data like these have led to the suggestion that adults should become more sensitive to adolescents symptoms of depression. Depression can be perfectly normal yet transitory reaction to negative events in the adolescents life. To begin with, the type of depression that contributes to suicidal thinking often emanates from a serious loss in the adolescents life. The loss might be created by incidents like someones death, parents divorce, or a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend. In addition, feelings of loss can emanate from the loss of self-esteem. Hence, academic failure, social embarrassment, a disfiguring accident, or serious illness can contribute to suicidal thinking (Husain Vandiver, 1984; Weiner, 1980). Further, chronic depression during adolescence tends to be characterized by excessive self criticism, feelings of powerlessness, inexplicable crying spells, and feelings of hopelessness about the future (Chartier Ranieri, 1984). Not all adolescents manifest their depression in the same way. Many will be persistently tired, behave like hypochondriacs, or have problems concentrating at school. In their efforts to escape depressing thoughts, depressed youngsters sometimes become engaged in the quest for continual stimulation and entertainment. They appear excessively restless and become easily bored. They tire quickly of new activities and of former friends, searching for more entertaining substitutes. Still others withdraw into solitary activities, where they need not fear human rejection. Older adolescents often express depression through delinquency, drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, and rebellious behavior at home and at school. A few attempt to cope with depression be joining groups that attract attention to themselves for their unconventional values. The study by Angold (1988) reviewed the literature on depression in children. This author is the developer of the Childhood Depression Inventory. Angold reports on the different meanings of the term depression and the differing symptoms which constitute the condition. He also reports on the risk factors which tend to predispose children to depressive symptoms. This is relevant given that the objective of the measurement techniques employed in both assessing depression must make reference to factors which can be identified as high risks for suicide. Angold states that it is the adolescent which is more prone to develop depression. Children younger than 10 years old do not have as high depressive ratings as do children from 12 to 19 years old. Girls also have more depressive states than do boys, although this is a controversial issue (Butcher, 1988). Depressive symptoms also have been found equally in low and middle income families, and in black as well as white families. The one signi ficant issue in the development of depression is the family history of depressive disorders. Children with depressive parents tend to develop depressive personality trait characteristics. Angold (1988) also reviews studies which indicate that certain precipitating factors can lead children to develop depressive symptoms, these include divorce and the loss of a love one. Although there is some controversy about the long range effects of these stressful events on a childs life, there is increasing evidence that some children never get over the divorce and often go into depressive states which last up to 10 years after the stressful event. The study by Deykin et al. (1987) directly relates to the issue at hand. The diagnostic Interview Schedule was used to determine the prevalence of depressive disorders in children aged 12 to 19. The results of the study found that adolescents who reported a history of alcohol and drug abuse were four times as likely to have a history of depressive disorders than controls. This was particularly true with females who were six times more likely to have experienced depressive symptoms. However, the use of alcohol along with the depression was more prevalent among males than females. Because of the pseudo longitudinal nature of the study the authors concluded that the depressive disorder was present prior to the alcohol abuse. Another study ( Holmes Robins, 1987,1988) found that depressive disorders in adulthood could be predicted from parental disciplinary practices. The study assumed that disciplinary actions meant misbehavior in the children who later developed depression. However, the study also found that women were more likely to develop depression and men were more likely to develop alcoholism. The interesting point from this study is that depression and alcoholism were disorders which were most predictive from knowledge about a childs misbehavior. This would tend to imply that parental influences have a strong and lasting effect on the development of disorders, somewhat supporting the contention that early experiences have effects on symptomatology in a normal population. The ability to measure depression in children has been discussed by Angold (1988). The relationship of depression to childhood experiences has also been investigated and supported by a number of studies (Carrison et al., 1988). In addition, the contributing factors which parental concordance of affective disorders with that of the children has been investigated Merikangas, et al. (1988). These authors found that depressive disorders present in parents are also at risk of being found in their children. This is not only true of depression but of other psychopathologies and of alcoholism. This finding is not new but it helps to support the contention being laid here that the presence of depression in youths can be measured, is a reliable construct to use in identifying children who might be at high risk of developing alcohol abuse, and can be used to predict alcohol abuse using expectancy testing as well as depressive scores. Unrealistic Conceptions of Death It has also been suggested that adolescents with unrealistic conceptions about death are prone to suicidal thoughts (Husain Vandiver, 1984; McKenry, Tishler, Christman, 1980). According to this view, the cognitive limitations of early adolescence an distort young peoples understanding of death. In our culture, where death is often presented in euphemistic, vague, or exaggerated terms, the realities of death are too often hidden from the young. The melodramatic or emotionless portrayals of death in the media often sustain the image that suicide is an instructive act that can teach ones enemies and careless loved ones a lesson. The argument has also been offered that rock stars can create a glamour about death that appeals to the young (Attig, 1986). Record albums and stage shows sometimes depict mock hangings and suicidal gestures in an effort to entice the audience. such acts might create genuine confusion among young adolescents, whose views of fantasy and reality may be influenced by the drama of stage limits and illusive images on photo albums. Although the relationship between suicide and our societys portrayals of death in the media or in the entertainment world is still uncertain, the assistant chief of the National Centers for Disease Control states that there is evidence that possible people imitate suicides they view on television or through other media sources. (Tugend, 1984) Several studies confirm the hypothesis that suicidal youths tend to engage in wishful, magical thinking about death (Husain Vandiver, 1984) These unrealistic thoughts about death reflect the limitations of childrens cognitive development, which include egocentric thinking, the imaginary audience, and the personal fable, as cogently described by Piaget and Elkind. For example, a disproportionate number of suicidal youths have been found to believe in reincarnation and to believe that they will remain cognitively aware of events on earth after they die. Adolescents whose suicide attempts failed have explained that they imagined how good it would feel to observe the effects of their act on those here on earth. Some imagined that their suicides would radically transform the world or would cause their lovers who rejected them to feel forever guilty. Suicide is sometimes envisioned as a chance to be reunited with a deceased loved one. Conceiving of death as an escape from problems rather than as a permanent end to life, suicidal youths tend to differ from nonsuicidal children in their belief that death is temporary. Societal Factors According to some cross cultural data, in societies with a high degree of anomie, suicide rates are higher than in countries with low anomie. Anomie is a condition that manifests itself as a feeling of alienation and detachment from other individuals and from society. Anomie is said to arise in situations where personal bonds are discouraged. Societies with the most anomie are those that stress such values as competitiveness, mobility, rapid change, and materialism at the expense of family intimacy and dedication to interpersonal relationships. According to cross cultural comparisons, adolescents in highly industrialized, modern countries like Japan and the United States commit suicide more often than those in more rural, religious and traditional countries. Such suicides are thought to occur partly in response to adolescents feelings of culturally induced anomie. It has also been suggested that modern society creates feelings of anomie and insecurity in adolescents through overemphasizing competition and financial success (Husain Vandiver, 1984). In a society where self esteem and social status are often derived through money, many adolescents grow up under the pressure of having to be number one in social, athletic, and academic pursuits. Pressured on the homefront to succeed, young people may feel overwhelmed by the economic instability, high mobility, competitiveness, and rapid change operative in our technological society. Feeling powerless and lonely in the midst of these pressures, some youngsters may feel so overwhelmed that they opt for suicide. In support of this argument, data regarding rates of American Indian youths are particularly instructive (Berlin, 1984). Reported suicides among Native American youths have increased by almost 1,000 percent during the past two decades, becoming the second leading cause of death in the 10 to 20 year old age group. Environmental factors contributing to the suicide escalation include a breakdown of tribal tradition, the increasing incidence of divorce, and a decline in the importance of religion. As Indian communities have become more acculturated, the factors contributing to the feeling known as anomie have grown. In support of this analysis, it has been noted that the lowest anomie rates exist in tribes with the most traditional customs and in areas where opportunities for employment and education exist within the tribal community. Sex Roles Because three times as many females of every age attempt suicide than do males and use less lethal methods in their attempts, it has been suggested that gender stereotypes may be influencing suicidal behavior (Husain Vandiver, 1984). According to this view, society offers males certain outlets for expressing their aggression and frustration that are typically denied to females. For example, disobedience to elders, sexual promiscuity, and physical aggression are generally condemned more severely in females than in males. Girls tend to learn to turn their hostility inward rather than to express them overtly. This anger directed toward the self contributes to suicidal thinking; although the reasons underlying the higher rate of suicide attempts among the female population are debatable, girls are clearly at a higher risk than boys. Recognizing this, special attention might be directed toward adolescent girls who manifest symptoms of depression. Family Factors Among the variables associated with adolescent suicide a number are related to the adolescents family (Husain Vandiver, 1984) It appears that drug abuse, marital discord, and physical abuse are more common in the families of suicidal than nonsuicidal youths. Suicidal youth often report feeling unloved and unwanted, suggesting that their parents have been unable to create an accepting, loving atmosphere in the home. Many suicidal children also report that their parents are excessively critical and have high expectations in regard to vocational and academic goals. Preventing Adolescent Suicide Some states have assumed legislative initiative in suicide prevention programs (Folk, 1984; Tugend, 1984). In 1984 California and Florida enacted state laws requiring suicide prevention programs in high schools. The programs are aimed at teaching students to recognize suicidal tendencies in themselves and in their friends and to seek help when suicidal thoughts occur. Given the stigma attached to the word suicide some schools are presenting the information under the guise of student stress programs. Brochures are also being provided for parents and teachers. The Florida law further requires that to be eligible for teacher certification, college graduates must receive suicide prevention training in order to recognize the signs of depression and stress in their students. There have been cases where an English teacher would grade an essay by a student- on suicide and return it corrected for grammar (Tugend, 1984). Several authors have outlined the situation and behaviors that often indicate depression leading to adolescent suicide (McKenry Christman, 1980; Husain Vandiver, 1984): 1. Changes in eating or sleeping habits 2. Increasing isolation from friends and family 3. Behaving more aggressively or more belligerently 4. Giving away valued possessions or making comments about getting my life in order 5. Talking or asking questions about suicide 6. A sudden interest in religion and afterlife 7. Experiencing recent losses: a parents divorce, breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, the death of a friend or relative, a personal injury or chronic illness, the death of a pet 8. Making lower grades at school 9. Complaining often about being bred 10. Breakdowns in communication with parents or other important people 11. A history of repeated accidents 12. Truancy, delinquency, drug abuse, or sexual permissiveness 13. Appearing excessively bored, restless, and hyperactive 14. Verbalizing feelings of helplessness 15. Expressing excessive shame or guilt Recognizing the need for more data to aid suicide prevention and rehabilitation, the National Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Mental Health instituted suicide research programs in the early 1980s. Through these federally funded programs studies are being conducted on the possible genetic, biological, and family causes of suicide. Since children who come from a family where suicide has been committed are six times as likely to kill themselves than are other young people, researchers are simultaneously examining genetic data and investigating the interpersonal interactions within these families. In addition, researchers are continuing to examine the relationship between suicide and the bodys chemicals. For example, low levels of the brain chemical, serotonin, have been correlated with aggressive, impulsive behavior. Since males almost always have less serotonin than females, this finding suggests a possible link between the high attempted suicide rate of fema les and chemically related impulsivity. Such data should eventually yield a clearer profile of suicidal youth and provide a sounder basis for prevention and treatment. From the available data it appears that depression, misconceptions about death, a sense of anomie, family factors, and sex role influences contribute to suicidal thoughts, but two important caveats must be pointed out. First, although crises like losing a job, having a violent fight with a parent, to getting pregnant may appear to account for a suicide, a single incident is seldom the primary motivator. Adolescents who attempt suicide have typically been wrestling for some time with conflicts and concerns that they cannot resolve. (Weiner, 1980) A second caveat is that researchers do not agree that suicides could be prevented if only someone had taken heed of the youngsters cries for help., Some psychologists who have worked with suicidal youths feel that suicide is not clearly enough related to depression to permit us to identify suicide prone adolescents. Most suicides in adolescents come totally out of the blue; either many adolescents give no warning before their suicide or their symptoms are too imperceptible to cause adults much alarm. (Husain Vandiver,,l 984) References Angold, A. (1988). Childhood and adolescent depression. British Journal of Psychiatry 152, 601-617. Attig, T. (1986). Death themes in adolescent music: The classic years. Adolescence and Death. New York: Springer. Berlin, I. (1984, March). Suicide among American Indian adolescents. Washington, DC: National American Indian Courts Judges Association. Butcher, J. (1988). Introduction to the special series. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 56(2),171. Carrison, C., Schluchter, M., Schoenbach, V., Kaplan, B. (1988). Epidemiology of depressive symptoms in young adolescents. Chartier, G., Ranieri, D. (1984). Adolescent depression: Concepts, treatments, prevention. In Karoly Steffen, Eds. Adolescent Behavior Disorders. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. Coleman, L. (1987). Suicide Clusters. Boston: Faber and Faber. Deykin, E., Levey, J., Weels, V. (1987). Adolescent depression, alcohol and drug abuse. AJPH 77(2) 178. Emery, P. (1983). Adolescent depression and suicide. Adolescence 18, 245-257. Folk, J. (1984). Preventative legislation. Psychology Today 18, 9. Gibbs, J. (1983). Psychosocial factors associated with depression in urban adolescent females. San Francisco: Western Psychological Association. Holmes, S., Robins, L. (1987). The influences of childhood disciplinary experience on the development of alcoholism and depression. Journal of Child Psychology 28(3), 399-415. Holmes, S., Robins, L. (1988). The role of parental disciplinary practices in the development of depression and alcoholism. Psychiatry 51, 24. Husain, S., Vandiver, T. (1984). Suicide in children and adolescents. New York: SP Medical and Scientific Books. Merikangas, K., Pursoff , B., Weissman, M. (1988). Parental concordance for affective disorders: Psychopathology in offspring. Journal of Affective Disorders 15, 278-290. McKenry, P., Tishler, C., Christman, K. (1980). Adolescent suicide and the classroom teacher. Journal of School Health 50, 130-132. Tugend, A. (1984, October 31). Researchers begin to examine youth suicide as a national problem. Education Today, 11-12. Weiner, I. (1980). Psychopathology in adolescence. In Adelson, Ed. Handbook of Adolescent Psychology. New York: Wiley. Weiner, I. (1982). Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. New York: Wiley. Research Papers on Suicides in AdolescentsArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Effects of Television Violence on ChildrenPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesCapital PunishmentResearch Process Part OneThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Against Euthanasia

Euthanasia  is: 1. â€Å"A quiet, painless death. †Ã‚  or 2. â€Å"The intentional putting to death of a person with an incurable or painful disease intended as an act of mercy. † BIBLICAL POINTS: -Euthanasia is considered MURDER One of the Ten Commandments is â€Å"Thou shall not kill† and life is a gift from God that should not be destroyed – God has given us life to live, and SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AWAY on purpose – God is in everyone and every living thing. If you harm a living thing, YOU ARE HARMING GOD. – Paul stated (1 Corinthians 6:19) that our bodies are temples of our Lord. In VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA, we should not destroy ourselves because our life contains God’s Holy Spirit – WHEN JOB WAS GOING THROUGH SUFFERING, he still refused to TAKE HIS OWN LIFE. He argues that we must accept the suffering as we accept happiness and joy. SUFFERING IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH. – No man dies unless God allows it (Job 2:6) Therefore, according to the Bible, a person SHOULD NOT be killed because of a certain condition they have. Although they WILL DIE, euthanasia should not take place. IT IS MURDER. Yes, God has planned that they will be terminally ill, and he knows when they will die. But only HE has the right to take their life, not doctors. OTHER POINTS: -the power to play with people’s lives should not be handed out under a legal and /or medical disguise. – it promotes abuse and gives doctors the right to urder. – doctors are people who we trust and cure us, but euthanasia gives them the opportunity to PLAY GOD -It’s not only Christians who are against euthanasia, but other religions too. (Musilim, Jews, Hindu, Buddhist) -UNBEARBLE PAIN- pain cannot be all eliminated, but killing is not the answer! The solution is to command better education of health care professionals, expand health care, and inform patients about their rights to be alive. – Euthanasia is not about the right to die. It’s about the right to kill. OTHER RELIGIONS AGAINST EUTHANASIA: Roman Catholic Church: direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped sick or dying persons. IT IS MORALLY UNACCEPTABLE. Muslim: -All life is a gift Allah, so it is sacred and Muslim have a duty to respect it and submut to his will -Only ALLAH can choose when a life will end -The reason for any suffering will be known to Allah, there must be a reason for pain Jews: – Anything which shortens life is forbidden, only God could decided when a person’s life should end Hindu: -Euthanasia goes against the belief of Ahimsa (non-violence) Buddhist: -voluntary euthanasia is wrong, it shows that the person’s mind is in a bad state. Against Euthanasia Euthanasia  is: 1. â€Å"A quiet, painless death. †Ã‚  or 2. â€Å"The intentional putting to death of a person with an incurable or painful disease intended as an act of mercy. † BIBLICAL POINTS: -Euthanasia is considered MURDER One of the Ten Commandments is â€Å"Thou shall not kill† and life is a gift from God that should not be destroyed – God has given us life to live, and SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AWAY on purpose – God is in everyone and every living thing. If you harm a living thing, YOU ARE HARMING GOD. – Paul stated (1 Corinthians 6:19) that our bodies are temples of our Lord. In VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA, we should not destroy ourselves because our life contains God’s Holy Spirit – WHEN JOB WAS GOING THROUGH SUFFERING, he still refused to TAKE HIS OWN LIFE. He argues that we must accept the suffering as we accept happiness and joy. SUFFERING IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH. – No man dies unless God allows it (Job 2:6) Therefore, according to the Bible, a person SHOULD NOT be killed because of a certain condition they have. Although they WILL DIE, euthanasia should not take place. IT IS MURDER. Yes, God has planned that they will be terminally ill, and he knows when they will die. But only HE has the right to take their life, not doctors. OTHER POINTS: -the power to play with people’s lives should not be handed out under a legal and /or medical disguise. – it promotes abuse and gives doctors the right to urder. – doctors are people who we trust and cure us, but euthanasia gives them the opportunity to PLAY GOD -It’s not only Christians who are against euthanasia, but other religions too. (Musilim, Jews, Hindu, Buddhist) -UNBEARBLE PAIN- pain cannot be all eliminated, but killing is not the answer! The solution is to command better education of health care professionals, expand health care, and inform patients about their rights to be alive. – Euthanasia is not about the right to die. It’s about the right to kill. OTHER RELIGIONS AGAINST EUTHANASIA: Roman Catholic Church: direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped sick or dying persons. IT IS MORALLY UNACCEPTABLE. Muslim: -All life is a gift Allah, so it is sacred and Muslim have a duty to respect it and submut to his will -Only ALLAH can choose when a life will end -The reason for any suffering will be known to Allah, there must be a reason for pain Jews: – Anything which shortens life is forbidden, only God could decided when a person’s life should end Hindu: -Euthanasia goes against the belief of Ahimsa (non-violence) Buddhist: -voluntary euthanasia is wrong, it shows that the person’s mind is in a bad state.