Guided Reading Essay

Abstract This paper will describe the leveling process and how leveled books fit into the reading classroom. It will also describe how to use tools yourself, to locate lists of leveled books, how the listed levels of a title compare between one you leveled, what the publisher class the level and the guided is reading classroom as a function. The last part of this paper will describe the instructional level of a student previously interview in Module 1. Guided Reading How to use leveling tools yourself Guided reading is an instructional approach that teacher uses when students are reading at the same level of instruction. The teacher selects books from certain reading levels to guide students to make connections from print to the text. The books are easily read with the support of the teacher. Challenges and opportunities for problem solving are offered in the text. Choice selection of the books from the teacher will expand their strategies. The purpose of guided reading is for the teacher to select books that students can read with 90% accuracy. When the story is introduced to the student by the teacher, the students, through their own strategies understand and enjoy the story because it is available to them. Pinnell, (2007) states that guided reading gives students the chance to apply the strategies they already know to new text. The teacher supplies support, but the ultimate goal is independent reading. Readers that have developed some since of print have already gained important understanding of it. If they have encountered a problem in reading they will monitor their own reading and check on themselves while searching for possibilities or alternatives How to locate list of leveled books. In order for the teacher to locate leveled books for their students, the teacher should select the students with similar reading habits and behaviors. These students should experience reading habits and behaviors in the same time frame. The guide lines of the choice of books should be not too easy, yet not too hard, and offers a variety of challenges to help readers become flexible problem solvers (Pinnell, 2007). When choosing a guided reading program or leveled books, the teacher should look for books that are similar to their knowledge, are interesting to them, support them to move to the next step in reading, and give just the right amount of challenge to ensure that problem solving is taking place while supporting fluency and understanding. Leveled book collection is a large set of books organized in levels of difficulty from easy books that an emergent reader might read, to the longer, complex books that advanced readers will select. The leveled books collections may be housed in an area where it is easily accessible. A key component in a guided reading program is the leveled books. The scholastic Guided Reading Program is a varied collection of books that are categorized by the kind and level of challenge they offer children as they are learning to read. The Guided Reading Program consists of 260 books organized into 26 levels of difficulty –Levels A-Z. Many different characteristics of the texts are considered in determining the level of challenge and support a particular book or short story presents (Pinnell, 2007) Some leveled books may consist of the teachers’ working collaborately together to construct leveled books from large collections of books. When teachers have been teaching a long time, they began to acquire the knowledge necessary to know what is easy and what is difficult for their students. When using the books frequently, the teachers will notice that categories of their collections will become more established (Scholastic. com) How the listed levels of a title compare between one you leveled. There are factors and criteria’s for leveling books. There is no distinct characteristic that can be used to evaluate text or reading materials. Some of the factors that are considered when evaluating text are length, layout, structure and organization, illustrations, words, phrases and sentences, literacy features, and content and theme (Scholastics. com). When compared the book that was leveled with the books in Scholastics, it was very close. The formation was based on the factors and criteria’s’ for leveling books. Guided reading classroom, how it functions, its advantages, and its disadvantages. The guided reading classrooms should have an independent reading practice location. This independent practice space should welcome students to a rich environment for reading. Teachers with a good sense of what a rich reading environment consist of will include in the reading practice location pillows or a couch for a feeling of an invitation to read. Students need to feel very comfortable when reading. The library in a guided classroom needs to be complete with rich and exciting literature. Some of the literature that should be included in the library is fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, magazines, current events, and sports and whatever you feel as a teacher that the students will be interested in. Technology is a major component of a guided reading classroom. It services as an independent and small group practice while the teacher is working with students in a small guided reading group. The guided reading groups should consist of four to six students at a time. The sessions for guided reading groups vary depending upon what level of readers you are dealing with. It is often 10-15 minutes for emergent readers, and 15-30 minutes for more advanced readers. Also in a guided reading classroom there should be cross curriculum centers for writing, art, and science which can be done at their desk with very little instruction. This would take very explicit planning on the teacher part. This will allow for the teacher to continue guided reading groups. A teacher-led small-group assessment area should be located in a place where the teacher has total vision of her classroom, but yet in an area where the students that are in the guided reading area can be together so that the skill can be implemented as one. Finally, there should be a designated area where the teacher can teach in a whole group setting. The advantages of a guided reading classroom when the teachers are working with a particular group, is that they can control what is going on in the classroom and ensure that the students are actively engaged at all times. By setting guided reading classrooms up this way, the teacher can take an informal assessment of behaviors whether or not the students are working in centers, at their desk or with the teacher in a guided reading group. The teacher should be taking running records, jotting anecdotal notes, or even conducting oral interviews if time permits. The disadvantages of this guided reading classroom is that it will take a lot of planning time to ensure that the centers all have meaningful activities that will help them read or increase their ability to interact with each other. Most of the time teachers do not have centers that are effective because of the necessary time needed for preparation to ensure an effective guided reading classroom. These guided reading groups should constantly change from week to week to ensure that all students are actively engaged in a differentiated atmosphere. Student from Module 1 This student could fall between emergent literacy and beginning reader because in module 1 the student started finger pointing and looking at the picture to determine the words. Also the student had trouble with the recognition of sight words. The student experienced difficulty with decoding unfamiliar words. This was a 3rd grade student that seemed very happy at home. The student does understand the concepts of print and words. Even thought she had trouble with decoding unfamiliar words, she seems to have phonological awareness. Knowledge of alphabets was noted. Her Independent level was grade 1, Instructional grade 1-2, and Frustration Level is Grade 3. Can this student benefit from a pull-out intervention program that focus on sight words and decoding? Conclusion This paper described the leveling process and how leveled books fit into the reading classroom. It will also described how to use tools yourself, to locate lists of leveled books, how the listed levels of a title compare between one you leveled, what the publisher class the level and the guided is reading classroom as a function. The last part of this paper described the instructional level of a student previously interview in Module 1. References Pinnell, G. S. (2007, Guided Reading Program, Scholastic, Scholastic, Red, New York, NY Scholastic. Com Retrieved September 14, 2009 from http://www2. scholastic. com/browse/article. jsp? id+4177.

Project Management Written Assignment 1

2012-02-MAN-435-OL009: Project Management Written Assignment 1 1. Discuss the principal reasons why project management has become such a popular business tool in recent years. Business has changed in the past 20 or so years. Products are being produced more rapidly and with the introduction of globalization competition has become more abundant. There is a need to become more customer focused but at the same time quicker to market while still reducing cost. Doing business the old way is just not cutting it anymore. Project management gives companies the ability to focus on many things at once without losing focus on their core business model.Processes become projects that have a start and finish and can be tracked and quantified from beginning to end. Projects also give the company the ability to become more innovative by bringing people from different departments together. This promotes fresh thinking and upsets the status quo which is a good thing. 2. Suppose that you are in charge of a production line. What is expected of you as a process manager? Now suppose that you are assigned the task of making a radical change to the production process. What then would be expected of you as a project manager?As a process manager you are in charge of making sure the day to day operation is running smoothly and that you meet your immediate quotas. You are also in charge of managing people. Managing people includes disciplining workers when need and conflict resolution. A process manager, especially on the production line level is not involved in big picture thinking and only needs to be concerned with what is happening in their department. If I were tasked with revamping the production line my day-to-day would change drastically. My main focus would less about the process and more about the project.Instead of managing people directly it would be more about managing the project and the conflict resolution would be more focused on how to make the team members work together for the common goal. The project would probably be more big picture oriented instead of focused on just the task at hand. More would be expected of me than just meeting quota. 3. Describe the basic elements of the project life cycle. Why is an understanding of the project life cycle relevant for understanding project management? The project life cycle consists of the conceptualization phase, the planning phase, the execution phase, and the termination phase.Understanding the project lifecycle is important because it is the base of all project management. You take one phase out and the project will fail. You cannot start a project without a good scope, or blueprint. The project lifecycle is set up so that you cannot move on to the next stage in the cycle without going through the previous stage. I also want to mention the termination phase. This is where you terminate the project and put together a document that explains the delays and fixes that helped the project come to fruition. 4.Compare and contrast the three organizational structures discussed in the text: functional, project, and matrix. Provide examples that show the difference between the three, including some of the advantages and disadvantages of each. There are three main organizational structure types used in business today. They are functional, project and matrix. They each have their strong points and weaknesses. I will list the strengths and weaknesses of each while comparing them to each other. The functional structure is based around having similar activities grouped into departments. An example of this would be an accounting department.The strength of the functional structure is that you have a group of experts located in one department which makes choosing someone with a certain expertise more efficient. The weakness to this structure comes when you try to allocate people to projects. Their loyalty will always be to their function which usually puts the project on the back burner. The proje ct structure takes some of the stress of the project managers by making it so they don’t have to be second to a functional manager. They get full access to their own people and the loyalty is always on the project. The downfall to this structure is that they may have a lack of expertise.Especially since project structures usually go to external sources when needing a specific type of expertise. Therefore they lose that expertise when the project is completed. The matrix structure is good in that it combines strengths from both the functional structure and the project structure by placing the functional and project managers on the same level. The downfall comes when there is disagreement on where the resources should be best allocated. This structure involves more negotiating and politics than the other structures and takes a special skill set to be an effective project manager.

Response to “We Should Cherish Our Children’s Freedom to Think” by Kie Ho

We read the article, â€Å"We Should Cherish Our Children’s Freedom to Think† last week. The author Kie Ho uses his own experiences about his son’s thought and many examples to prove his point. He thinks that public education certainly is not perfect in America, but it is a great deal better than any other country. Children should be more liberal thinking, writing and imagining, rather than comply with the rules or follow the prescribed order of their parents and the execution of what adults say. Children’s creativity brings inspiration to adults, improves the act of education and makes the change to the world.It is also can make children have a better future. The system of education is not perfect; it is difficult for the children to freely to think, write and create when they began to study the knowledge from the school for a long time, because school teaches the knowledge that is scientific and rigorous. The knowledge is the system and it needs to be au dited and modified. Chinese students spend 15 to17 years study knowledge in school. So the school does not require students to research the new knowledge. They just need the student to memorize and calculate rather than to validate it that is correct.Just like the sky is blue. Why? Because our teacher is telling us the sky is blue. When people are very young, they do not know what many words mean. And the meaning of these words is also what other people give to it. After that their parents or teachers teach them what these words mean, because that knowledge is fixed and cannot be changed. The reality of the society requires people to not only to remember the knowledge, but also have to complete experiments. Solving the reality and ideal conflict can also make the education system more perfect.I agree with the author’s point that the students just use ways of dedication and obedience to answer the teachers’ question about knowledge. The teacher very easily controls and manages the students' learning progress, and can quickly lead students to think about the knowledge. They do not have a chance to choose the answers because teacher will give a correct answer when the student asks. There is nothing that can replace it. If the student does not use the correct answers to fill in the homework or exam problems, they won't get a good result, which has a great influence on their GPA.So that in the future they can't go to a good university. Therefore there are many schools that will provide opportunities for students and guidance to exercise to have a rich imagination. In China, many parents send their child to this school to exercise the ability before children go to the elementary school. Parents always are willing to provide their children with future security. People need the very rich and colorful thought from the children, because Children's thinking is not restricted and is not affected by the external environmental effects. Adult feeling and though t has a fixed pattern.And they also think things should be comprehensive and meticulous, they cannot do wayward things before they think. They need to have sense of responsibility and social moral consciousness, because they have more force of action and also have independent economic needs to support their actions. So the idea of children of the enlightenment, schools can compensate for these external factors, and reduce the bad influence of socially. So in conclusion I agree with Kie Hos’ ideas that people should cherish their children’s freedom to think, write and be creative in imagination, and make education system more perfect.He improves his idea on children thought, and uses his experiences to show other people what he thinks about the freedom of young people’s ideas. In return, I think that he demonstrated the ideas and perspectives made by the adults to reflect on their own ideas on the future of children’s thought, Children’s thought can help adults instead of limiting children’s development. The children’s thought is very rich and colorful, and they cannot be influenced by the adult’s thought. The adults will from their mind bring inspiration of the children. Do not imprison our thoughts. We can make our country perfect.

Explanatory synthesis(read the prompt) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Explanatory synthesis(read the prompt) - Essay Example The recently proposed or established acts like the Homeland Security Act, the USA Patriot Act, and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act etc have initiated hot debate. Many people consider that national security should be placed above privacy of individuals, ignoring the fact that after that America is slowly being converted into a police state. However, civil privacy and personal rights are much more important and the Government must focus on enhancing security without compromising with the privacy of the common man. The fear of being attacked again, the continuous security breaching threats have put America under immense pressure and made it more vigilant, such that the Government is pulling all stops to convert the country into a total surveillance state. Most state authorities now employ cameras to keep a track of things and snoop on its citizens. I believe that this is in fact not fair at all, because such surveillance cannot only be abused but also can give false results. C hristian Parenti in the article DC Virtual Panopticon, discusses on the issue and reveals how the â€Å"police in Detroit and DC have used CCTV to stalk personal foes, political opponents and young women† which in itself is a threat to the security of citizens. Another much publicized electronic surveillance instrument- the facial recognition system is not close to what had been promised. In â€Å"trading liberty for Illusion†, Wendy Kaminer informs us that the facial recognition system used â€Å"never identified a single individual contained in the department’s database of photographs.† Some may have the opinion that electronic surveillance are an efficient method to keep track of potential threats but time and again the system has failed and the surveillance cameras have been used not for the purpose of security at all. Another crucial point about such electronic surveillance is that the chances of the camera operators keeping eye on minority civilians only rather than focusing on everyone with equal vigilance is increased. Wendy Kaminer said that it is a true fact that the security officers are bound to   Ã¢â‚¬Å"focus disproportionately on racial minorities or while away the hours peering up women's skirts†. Therefore, it is clear that even though electronic surveillance have been supposedly adopted and installed as a national security measure and keep the citizens from any harm. Yet, the ways in which the system is being abused by the security officers themselves establishes the fact that such technological measures that have been adopted are in no way enhancing security but are successfully destroying the freedom of the civilians. A similar breach of civilian privacy is the tapping of phone lines. The USA patriot Act brought in the use of wiretap warrants that allowed the USA police to engage in wiretap surveillance against anyone who was under suspicion. Therefore the Government could easily intercept the electronic c ommunication of just about anyone they liked. Though the electronic Communications Privacy Act was brought into force to safeguard the citizens from such interceptions, the ACT did have loopholes. However, many people like Joshua Quittner, believe that a little loss of privacy is not a high price for security and that most people are too paranoid about their privacy. In the article â€Å"Invasion of Privacy†, Joshua Quittner wrote that at first he couldn’t â€Å"get worked up about privacy: my right to it; how it's dying; how we're headed for an even more wired, under

Human Services Research Article Discussion Essay - 2

Human Services Research Article Discussion - Essay Example Although the authors tried to impress upon the appropriate governments of taking the children’s well-being into account, there was no bias as set forth in the APA Publication Manual (Emory). Active voice was utilized and there were no racial lines discussed, as it can be assumed that the article encompassed all children â€Å"in care†. As Ms. Davidson is a social services manager and Dr. McKenzie is a clinical psychologist, both women are well versed in the subject matter. They were comprehensive in interviewing other social workers in the field. The actual study was conducted in a mostly rural area of the country which had seen an astronomical increase in small children (under one year old) being placed in care. Social workers seemed to be both harried and stymied by an overloaded system and most of the time the services put in place for the parents (alcohol, drug, and mental heath therapy) collided with the children’s needs, so that even though the case workers were aware of the child’s developmental milestone needs, the procedures were delayed by the legal system (P 36). The conclusions reached included the fact that even though workers had as much as twenty seven years of experience they could be better trained to deal with the greater influx of infants and babies requiring foster care and the special considerations that age group requires. This was supported by the social workers themselves in the body of the study. Even the authors admitted the small number of children studied (eighteen) was disproportionate to the numbers nationwide and the study was maybe not representative of Scotland as a whole. For instance, they could have expanded the study to include what developmental delays occur when cultural lines are crossed, such as children being placed in a home of a different race than their own. Another good study for this would be the ability to thrive of those children placed from Eastern European countries such as

Research Essay 1.What is independent filmUsing one or two contemporary

Research 1.What is independent filmUsing one or two contemporary films of your choice critically examine the problem of how to define independent cinema - Essay Example One of the most popular as well as influential kinds of art at the present moment is cinema. However, it must be noted that contrary to the so called mainstream cinema, there is a peculiar phenomenon that is called independent film. This paper will engage two independent movies and based on their close examination will come up with a list of characteristic features of an independent film. The first movie that will be used is titled Reservoir Dogs. Leaving aside some formal details of it, such as the cast or the director, one should note that it reflects the general tendency of independent films to involve unusual, controversial and provocative actions in the plot of the movie. In other words, the characters are shown performing actions that are rarely seen in the mainstream cinema (Allen 2003, p. 14). For example, in Reservoir Dogs one of the main characters, namely Mr. Blonde is portrayed torturing a hostage with a razor, ultimately severing his ear off. There is no doubt that scenes which depict torture are seen in the mainstream movies as well, but they have more symbolic meaning, while directors of independent film tend to portray violence quite realistically. In addition to that, in the same scene of torture, Mr. Blonde finds it necessary not only to mutilate the hostage, but also to kill him. In spite of the fact, that Mr. Blonde has a gun and can easily end li fe of this man, the former decided to spill gasoline all over the hostage and ignite it, making death of the latter long and painful. As one can clearly see, the amount of violence in one particular scene is tremendous if compared to mainstream movies. Indeed, in the latter, people are often killed without excessive cruelty as this is able to undermine the reputation of the studio. Contrary to that independent films have almost no restrictions on the amount of violence that they are able to provide the viewers with. Another important characteristic feature of

Essay about martin luther the priest Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

About martin luther the priest - Essay Example He translated Bible into the language of the people so that they could understand the Holy Book. He was also a noteworthy hymn writer as his hymns brought together different pieces of art and music with different age segments of the society. His theology basically challenged the manner in which the authority of the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church was raised (Rose 2002). He suggested that Bible was the only source of knowledge that comes under the aegis of divinely revealed ones. In the later stage of his life, Martin Luther became strongly Antisemitic whereby he wrote that Jewish homes should be dismantled their synagogues be burnt, money usurped and liberty ended. For these revelations and public statements, Martin Luther was hailed as a very controversial figure among a number of historians and religious scholars. Martin Luther suffered from a number of diseases and eventually died in 1546. Rose, Paul Lawrence. Revolutionary Antisemitism in Germany from Kant to Wagner. Princeton University Press, 1990. Cited in Berger, Ronald. Fathoming the Holocaust: A Social Problems Approach. New York: Aldine De Gruyter,

Operating Systems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Operating Systems - Research Paper Example There are several and diverse components of an operating system that include but not limited to the file management, security, memory and process management. It is worthwhile to compare each operating system to evaluate and assess the above given components of an operating system. The following paragraphs present the comparison of basic operating systems with respect to the above given features (Solomon, Russinovich & Polze, 2006). The file management system refers to the organization, management and manipulation of computer data in documents and files that is provided by the file manager (different with respect to the operating system) through a graphical user interface. The computer documents and files can be created, edited (existing file), viewed and deleted from the computer memory as well as the files can be arranged in computer directories / folders. The process of file management differs with respect to the operating system as presented in the following paragraphs (Goel, 2010). There are several file managers used by Microsoft Windows only that include but not limited to the Altap Salamander, FAR Manager, File Manager, Windows Explorer etc. The files are placed in the folders and the index contains the file information known as File Allocation Table (FAT). One of the latest file management systems of the Windows is the New Technology File System (NTFS). The NTFS store owner name, it provides POSIX file permissions, creation timestamps, last access timestamp, and last content modification timestamp. The Mac operating system uses the file managers that include: the Disk Order, Finder, Path Finder, and Xfile. The Disk order file manager provides the graphical user interface and shows the files as list view and twin panel view only. The Finder and Path Finder file managers show the icon, list view, panel view,

Starbucks Analyse Marketing Activities and Performance Essay

Starbucks Analyse Marketing Activities and Performance - Essay Example It opened its very first outlet in Market Place, Seattle’s Pike. In 1986 it was acquired by Schultz, who envisioned it as a home coffee shop where people can get the best coffee with other complementary services. The company was expanded with proper positioning and marketing strategies soon after it was acquired by Schultz. Starbucks then reanalyzed its marketing activities which were solely based upon maintaining a personal and cherished relationship between customers and the company. This was done initially by reviving the experience of Italian Espresso Bars. The company’s primary focus was over the quality services extended to its customers and the overall in-store experience. Therefore they bought the best quality coffee and maintain a consummate brand image. The company had a mission statement stating the real purpose of existence i.e. to serve American population. In exact words: â€Å"To instigate and nurture the human strength through serving them one cup per p erson at a specific area† (Charles W. Lamb 22). After having successful business for twenty five years Starbucks expanded its business into the foreign lands. This was initiated through the opening of their first international outlet in Tokyo, Japan. Currently the company has more than 17,000 stores in 49 countries which has enabled the company to become the most recognizable and reputable brand of the world. From the time when it was established in 1971, the company has shown a significantly increasing growth trend which indicates its outstanding performance and enhanced satisfaction level of Starbucks’ customers (Charles W. Lamb 22). Organizational Chart (Starbucks) Product Portfolio Starbucks has a distinctive product portfolio which encompasses a wide range of coffee flavors. It is divided into five categories, namely: Starbucks, Creamice, Fontana, Tazo Tea and Supplies (Products: Our Complete Product Portfolio). Starbucks: It is further classified into ingredients of beverages which are mostly used in production of different drinks and coffees. They also have branded cups with the name of ‘Starbucks’. Additionally they have hot cocoa which is a very unique, high quality chocolate drink and resale merchandize which includes: ceramic cups, roasted dry fruits, biscuits, etc. Creamice: It includes all the beverages which fall into the category of frozen blend. These are served with flavor treats and customized syrups. It has been divided into further categories: Latte, Mango, Mocha and Raspberry. Fontana: It contains a wide variety of syrups and sauces which turns beverages into specialty offering i.e. unique to Starbucks only. The major categories includes: chocolate syrups, fruit syrups and sauces, nuts and essences. Tazo Tea: Coffee and tea are ever best companions and Starbucks has further intensified their relationship. There is a huge variety of tea which is sold in branded packaging. It is artfully blended to give a superior t aste to the customers. The extended versions include: Gallon Bulk Iced tea I, Gallon Bulk Iced Tea II, Filter bag and Tea Latte Concentrate. Supplies: They supply a wide range of products concerning coffee and tea. For instance, they have filters of different sizes, cleaning powders, brushes, pitchers, cream dispensers amongst other things. Broadly the supplies are categorized in to airpots and carefes, small wares, cups and cleaning stuff. SWOT Strengths (Starbucks SWOT Analysis): They have a wide range of p

Ethical Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Ethical Dilemma - Essay Example It is indisputable that marijuana smoking has many ill effects not only to the smoker but also to the community surrounding a smoker. Consequently, while confronted with such a dilemma, there is the need to engage in ethical decision making to make the choice that best fits a person. The theories of normative ethics are superior tools of decision making when an ethical dilemma arises. The theories of Utilitarianism and the deontological ethics have been highly regarded in the philosophy of decision making, especially when individuals seek to choose between right and wrong actions in the society. While the Utilitarianism theories express that human beings will make a choice depending on the end effects, the deontological theory proposes that human beings have primary â€Å"duties† that they have to fulfill in every decision that they make. The objective of this paper is to critically apply normative theories in solving the ethical dilemmas that come along with smoking marijuana . In this case, smoking marijuana is an ethical issue that is surrounded by both legal and moral issues that can only be solved through critical decision making techniques. ... Currently, the drug has found application in treatment of cancer patients, as an anti-pain drug to reduce headaches, improving appetite among HIV patients and with treatment of the side effects of chemotherapy. However, in the field of medicine this drug is administered in small portions as the medical experts recognize the effects that come along with the use of the drug in large quantities (Jabelle, 2013). From this perspective, it is indisputable that this drug has many positive effects that are beneficial to the human race. On the other hand, the use this drug in the social circles has generated a lot of heat in its use and abuse in the social circles. The government in many states has waged war against marijuana use and laws have been enacted to prohibit its consumption in the society. While many states such as the United States have opposed any move to legalize this substance, other nations such as Jamaica have legalized its use in the public (Jabelle, 2013). Of more concern is the use of this drug as a means to get high in the entertainment circles in the society. The side effects of this drug in its excessive use are the risk of loss of short term memory and development of diseases of the nervous system (Souryal, 2010). Consequently, the proponents of its illegalization have proposed that this drug has long term consequences on the public and only regard its use under the prescription of a medical expert. Smoking marijuana as an ethical issue has both legal and moral consequences that come along with it. In the moral perspective, it is wrong since its abuse in the long term causes the user to suffer from diseases of the heart and the nervous system. In addition, the users of this drug are specific social groups that exist in this

Fiscal Federalism in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Fiscal Federalism in Nigeria Essay The question of an acceptable formula for revenue sharing among the component tiers of the Nigerian nation is one of the most protracted and controversial debates in the political and macroeconomic management of the economy. This debate has its foundations in the history and evolution of the Nigerian federation. â€Å"Revenue allocation or the statutory distribution of revenue from the Federation Account among the different levels of government has been one of the most contentious and controversial issues in the nation’s political life. So contentious has the matter been that none of the formulae evolved at various times by a commission or by decree under different regimes since 1964 has gained general acceptability among the component units of the country. Indeed, the issue, like a recurring decimal, has painfully remained the first problem that nearly every incoming regime has had to grapple with since independence. In the process, as many as thirteen different attempts have been made in devising an acceptable revenue allocation formula, each of which is more remembered for the controversies it generated than issues settled† Fiscal federalism refers to the scope and structure of the tiers of government responsibilities and functions as well as the allocation of resources among the tiers of government. Perhaps the most important issue of fiscal federalism is the revenue allocation formula, the sharing of national revenue among the various tiers of government (vertical revenue sharing) as well as the distribution of revenue among the state governments (that is, horizontal revenue allocation). The centralization of Nigeria’s fiscal federalism began with the report of the Dina Commission (1968) which argued that an appropriate revenue allocation system should result in a more equitable distribution of revenue among the states to achieve a balanced development of the federation. Revenue allocation can be described as a method(s) of sharing the centrally generated revenue among the different tiers of government and how the amount allocated to a particular tier is shared among its components. Nigeria is a federal state – under the federal system of government, federation or centrally-generated revenue is shared among the three levels of government, namely; the federal government, the states and the local governments. The theory of revenue sharing in a federal state is that each level of government receives an allocation of financial resources tailored to their specific requirements as defined by the mandate of legislative competence, their actual situation and the statutory indices of calculation. In Nigeria, decisions as to what proportion of centrally-generated revenue that would be retained by the federal government, the proportion that will be shared among the state governments and the proportion that will go to the local government has always been a problem, due to the fact that there is no consensus of opinion as to what could be seen as an ideal formula. The principles that guide the implementation of intergovernmental fiscal relations include: (a) The Principle of Diversity: The federal system must have the ability to accommodate a large variety of diversities. Hence, the fiscal system must provide scope for variety and differences to supply national, regional and local public goods. (b) The Principle of Equivalence: Based on the geographical incidence of different public goods, allocative efficiency requires the equalization of locational advantages arising from inter-jurisdictional differences with a combination of taxes and public goods and services. This requires the use of fiscal instruments for achieving macroeconomic objectives of growth, stabilization and full employment by residents of different geopolitical units; this requirement controls for what is often referred to as â€Å"central city exploitation thesis†. (d) Minimum Provision of Essential Goods and Services: This ensures that fiscal federalism guarantees all citizens, irrespective of where they reside, the minimum provision of ertain basic public goods and services. (e) Principle of Fiscal Equalization: In order to ensure a minimum level of public goods and services same degree of fiscal equalization is required. This is as a result of differences in resource endowment. (f) The Efficiency Principle: This principle implies that efficiency must be applied in the allocation of resources (g) The Principle of Derivation: The component units of a system should be able to control some of its own resources as they desire. h) The Principle of Locational Neutrality: Interregional fiscal differences tend to influence location choices of individuals and firms. Therefore, policy should focus on minimizing distortions due to some interference. Hence, differential taxes which create locational distortions should be avoided as much as practicable. (i) The Principle of Centralized Redistribution: This principle states that the redistribution function of fiscal policy through progressive taxation and expenditure programmes should be centralized at the federal level. That is, if the redistributive function is decentralized, it can result in distortions in location decisions. It should be noted that the above principles are not mutually consistent. There are several challenges and contending issues confronting intergovernmental fiscal relations in Nigeria: 1) Non – Correspondence Problem Ideally, each level of government should be given adequate resources to allow it discharge its responsibilities. Because this is not possible, there is usually a lack of correspondence between the spending responsibilities and the tax powers/revenue sources assigned to different levels of government. It is this incongruence that is often referred to as the non-correspondence problem. In Nigeria, most of the major sources of revenue come under the jurisdiction of the federal government yet lower levels of government are supposed to generate internal revenue. There is, therefore, the need to resolve the imbalance between assigned functions and tax powers. The issues concerning fiscal relations among the constituent units of the Nigerian federation that remain mostly unresolved are the divergence between assigned functions and tax powers, principle of horizontal and vertical revenue allocation, dependence of states and local governments on federal sources of funding, tendency towards concentration and federal presence in the states (Fadahunsi, 1998). The five principles currently applied in the horizontal revenue allocation formula are far from acceptable to all the stakeholders. 2) Fiscal Autonomy and Independence The issue of relative fiscal autonomy and independence of the state and local governments in a true federal structure goes with the corollary issue of the correspondence of governmental functions and revenue sources. Since the creation of the twelve-state structure in 1967, states and local governments have been excessively dependent on the Federation Account. This independence must be reduced if the federating units are to be free to pursue their own development goals without being hampered by the unpredictable fluctuations in their shares of the Federation Account. It is important that revenue sources should be reallocated and made compatible with the fluctuations stated for each tier of government to enhance steady and proper funding of administrative and developmental activities instead of the often experienced unexpected financial constrictions at the two lower tiers of government. 3) Oil Producing States, Oil Producing Local Government Administrative Areas or Communities Professor Omo Omoruyi in his treatise â€Å"the Politics of Oil: who owns the oil, Nigeria, states or communities† (2000) raised three salient questions on true ownership of oil in Nigeria. The question of local control over local resources is an established constitutional principle in federal systems. But the way the Nigerian federal system developed under the external colonial order (1954-60) and continued under the period of geo-ethno-military internal colonial order (1960-1999) and in the democratic dispensation between 1999 to date is yet an unresolved contending issues in the discourse about Nigeria’s federalism. He challenged the â€Å"Tripod† approach to Nigeria’s problem where the three major ethnic nationalities decide the content and the trend of national issues. This tripod approach to Nigerian politics, should have been done away with by now, with the introduction of the notion of ‘federal character’, which takes states in the federation as the units of representation. The tripod approach to Nigerian politics applies to how the oil, which comes from the non-majority areas, is approached in the political and economic discourse. We should also be aware of the feeling among the majority ethnic nationalities that the areas producing oil by virtue of powerlessness in the military and politics should not be allowed to lay claim to the oil from their areas as of right†. However, theres a distinction between oil producing communities and oil producing states. This is the basis of the activities of the Traditional Rulers of the Producing Communities who are dealing with the President and want the money due to states on the basis of the 13% derivation in the Constitution should be paid to the â€Å"oil producing communities/local government areas†. The Traditional Rulers’ argument is that â€Å"communities† own oil and not â€Å"states†. This is an unresolved issue and separates the communities in riverside areas directly affected by oil spillages from their compatriots in landed areas from enjoying the full benefits of allocations to producing states. One does not know the end of this argument. How should the National Assembly address this matter? The federal government should find a way of making the oil producing local government administrative areas as shareholders in the joint venture arrangements with the oil companies, thus making them stakeholders in the oil industry. There was the issue of who should be spending the oil money. Should it be the Nigerian government in conjunction with the oil producing areas? Should it be the oil producing areas alone? The Constitution from 1960 till after the civil war up till 1978 gave the right of ownership to the federal government but the proceeds were shared between the federal government and the regions or states on the basis of derivation like the agricultural crops. 4) Federation Account and the Derivation Fund It is important to define what constitutes the Federation Account – to which the various vertical revenue allocation formulae have been applied and what should be directly financed from it. Up to 1990, the amount accruing yearly to the Federation Account was still over 96% of totally federally collected revenue; but since 1991, when it first dropped to about 75% and nose-dived to around 35% by 1997, it showed no sign of recovery (Olowononi, 1999). It is therefore clear, that in such a situation, whatever the vertical formula applicable, there must still be a serious fiscal imbalance between the ederal government and the two lower tiers of government. It is crucial to redress this revenue imbalance in the spirit of balanced true federalism. What appears to account for this imbalance is the assertion of the self-claimed right by the federal government to finance various first-line charges from the Federation Account before the application of the vertical formula. The first-line charges include funding for external debt service, national priority projects, NNPC priority projects, special reserve account, and excess proceeds of the crude oil sales account, and in addition, the joint venture cash calls account. These deductions are made from the proceeds of crude oil sales before the derivation fund in the Federation Account is arrived at, and after which further deductions for special funds and the funding of the federal capital territory are made. It will seem more logical, with the exception of the joint venture case calls, that these various charges which are federal government obligations be financed solely from the federal government’s revenue proper, that is, from its share of the Federation Account or from its revenue from other sources. Therefore, in order to determine what constitutes the derivation fund, resolving the issue of the Federation Account is crucial. Thereafter, the derivation formula to be utilized can be arrived at. 5) Oil – Producing Areas and the Derivation Principle The crude oil production has been the most important economic activity in the Nigerian economy since the early 1970s is not subject to debate. Its impact is not limited to its contributing almost 90% of Nigeria’s total foreign exchange earnings but also to the fact that the national budgets are predicated on the expected annual production and price of crude oil.

War Powers Act of 1973 Essay Example for Free

War Powers Act of 1973 Essay Who could forget that catastrophic day of September 11, 2001, when America, the most powerful nation in the world, trembled in the hands of so-called terrorists and their attacks? Nations were shocked, families wept, and a country was full of rage, waiting to retaliate. Following the attack, an operation called War on Terror was launched. â€Å"The War on Terror (also known as the War on Terrorism) is a campaign initiated by the United States government under President George W. Bush which includes various military, political, and legal actions ostensibly taken to curb the spread of terrorism, following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. The War on Terror was authorized by the United States Congress under the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists passed on September 18, 2001http://www. answers. com/ war%20on%20terror. † The phrase was first broadly use by the press, particularly western ones, to refer to the attempts of the Russian, European, and subsequently, the U. S governments to stop attacks by anarchists against international political leaders. Before, many of the anarchists described themselves as terrorists and the term itself has some positive connotation to their cause. This was shown â€Å"When Russian Marxist Steven Park shot and wounded a Russian police commander who was known to torture suspects on 24 January 1878, for example, he threw down his weapon without killing him, announcing, ‘I am a terrorist, not a killer’http://www. answers. com/war %20on %20terror. † The next time the phrase will be used publicly was at the late 1940’s where it was used to describe the efforts by the British colonial government to finally stop the wave of Jewish attacks in the British Mandate of Palestine. The British used the term war on terrorism to give them the power to crackdown anyone suspected of the act or even just perceived cooperating with the terrorists. Thus, the events led more attacks from the Jews and also from the Arabs, which made the British government to fled Palestine. Currently, the United States is still on war against terrorism and they are being backed up by their allies. During the â€Å"Operation Enduring Freedom† in Afghanistan, a multinational combined task force was formed, called the CTF 150, which was composed of France, Germany, Italy, Pakistan, New Zealand, Spain, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States. â€Å"The first wave of attacks were carried out solely by American and British forces. Since the initial invasion period, these forces were augmented by troops and aircraft from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway amongst others. In 2006, there were about 33,000 troops in Afghanistan http://www. answers. com/ war%20on%20terror. † From the beginning, there have been a lot of criticisms regarding this â€Å"war† and these days the protests have been more vocal and even the Americans are getting restless if whether when will it be over. Families of soldiers whether American or from other nations are worried and are getting worried as the days pass that their loved ones are still serving something for them as a lost cause. Yet, there are a lot of things to do and as long as the insurgency has not yet been resolved, the war will persist. But, there is another insurgency that has been around for centuries, which still needed to be taken care of, and needed to be waged, that is, the war on- poverty. Poverty dates back to who knows when and how, maybe from the time when man started to create monetary values, started owning properties, and became more individualistic. There has been a lot of programs and campaigns all over the world, one of these is the so-called, War on Poverty. The War on Poverty is the name for legislation first introduced by United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964. This legislation was proposed by Johnson in response to the difficult economic conditions associated with a national poverty rate of around nineteen percent. The War on Poverty speech led the United States Congress to pass the Economic Opportunity Act, a law that established the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) to administrate the local application of federal funds targeted against poverty http://www. answers. com/topic/war-on-poverty. Every nation in the world has its own version of its war on poverty, for every nation has poverty as one of their major problems. Even highly developed countries like the U. S, the U. K and Japan have their own problems on poverty. A lot of causes can be attributed to poverty such as graft and corruption, geographical location, and of course war just to name the few. The causes are eminent but the effects are devastating, in an article of wikipedia. com on poverty they elaborate the effects of poverty as: The capacity of the state is further undermined by the problem that people living in poverty may be more vulnerable to extremist political persuasion, and may feel less loyalty to a state unable to deliver basic services. For these reasons conditions of poverty may increase the risk of political violence, terrorism, war and genocide, and may make those living in poverty vulnerable to human trafficking, internal displacement and exile as refugees. Countries suffering widespread poverty may experience loss of population, particularly in high-skilled professions, through emigration, which may further undermine their ability to improve their situation. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Poverty But these effects are more likely to be the causes too and vice-versa, thus making a cycle, a â€Å"poverty cycle†. Now, some questions have been raised and one of them was- what is more important, the war on terror or the war on poverty? Before answering that question, let bus first put the situation in the context. The context of this study is European specifically, the context of the United Kingdom. The background on the two topics was given earlier in order to establish the common ground and to assert where things stand right now. The United Kingdom has been allies with the United States since time immemorial, and both of the countries embark in this so called war on terror. In fact, after the 9/11 attacks, the UK was one of the first to condemn the horrible acts and was also considered US’ biggest ally in the Operation Enduring Freedom. But, after more than five years, the UK has been thinking about whether to continue its support on the said war on terror. The term war on terror was dropped by the UK government through Sir Ken McDonald, the country’s chief prosecutor on December 27, 2007. He elaborated that â€Å"terrorist fanatics were not soldiers fighting a war but simply members of an aimless ‘death cult’. We resist the language of warfare, and I think the government has moved on this. It no longer uses this sort of language http://www. democraticunderground. com /discuss/duboard. php? az=view_alladdress=1023116863. In an on-line article, on timesofindia. indiatimes. com, which was entitled Britain Finally Drops ‘War on Terror,’ the article explicitly said, â€Å"In the clearest indication yet of the UKs public disengagement from the US war on terror, British ministers have finally dropped the term and decided henceforth to refer to jihadis as mere criminals rather than a homogenous ideology-ridden group of desperadoes http://timesofindia. indiatimes. com/Britain_finally_drops_ war_on_terror/articleshow/2708606. cms. † The UK clearly is making some distance with the stand of the United States, but I think it should not be the case. While a lot of criticisms have shaken the very foundation of the said war because of reported human right’s abuses done by some US soldiers, the whole idea of war on terror should not be dropped. If there are changes to be made, then so be it but it’s not appropriate to drop the whole thing. This war has been waged for a long time now and it will all be a waste if it will end without seeing the final outcome. Think of all the lives that were taken on September 11, don’t they deserve justice? The people who unwillingly and unknowingly sacrificed their lives on that day will all be put into the waste basket if they don’t get the justice that these terrorists’ owe them. We can’t let just anyone to put fear in our homes; we can’t let them hurt our children, thus, we should continue the advocacy to bring about security and later peace in our nation. With regards to poverty, the war on poverty has been there for a very long time, and a lot of measures have been done to solve the problem. Poverty will not end that easy, we have to consider thousands of years of history to fully understand the root of the problem. But, we have an immediate problem to be solved, which is terrorism. Another thing with the idea of the war on poverty is that the whole scheme tends to make the citizens dependent on the state by having programs like the unemployment aid, which gives unemployed people some money to cope with their living. Rather than giving them money, he/she should be encouraged to find a job, but with the aid, he/she is encouraged otherwise. Still, the immediate concern that brings more threat to our very existence should be put first on the list. We cannot solve poverty if fear rules us due to the terrorists’ attacks, and we will not solve poverty if all of us will be dead because of the same reason. References: Rashmee Roshan Lall, January 17, 2008. Britain finally drops war on terror, viewed March 16, 2008, http://timesofindia.indiatimes. com/Britain_finally_drops_ war_on_terror/articleshow/2708606. cms Britain Drops War on Terror Label, military. com, viewed March 16, 2008, http://www. democraticunderground. com/discuss/duboard. php? az=view_alladdress=1023116863. War on Terror, viewed March 13, 2008, http://www. answers. com/ war%20on%20terror War on Poverty, viewed March 13, 2008, http://www. answers. com/topic/war-on-poverty. Poverty, viewed March 13, 2008, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Poverty

The Impact Of The Renaissance History Essay

The Impact Of The Renaissance History Essay In a short span of time, the world flourished. Rediscoveries of classical manuscripts lead to a new and improved period of art works. This period was responsible for the transformation between the medieval west and the modern western civilization, and in creating some of the greatest pieces of art that the world has ever witnessed. This period was known as The Renaissance, and as historian Paul Johnson explained it in his book Renaissance, A Short Hisotry, The Renaissance was primarily a human event, propelled forward by a number of individuals of outstanding talent, in some cases amounting to genius. From Dante, to Da Vinci, Gutenburg and others, they made The Renaissance a true historical phenomenon. The overwhelming emphasis on God started to deteriorate and peoples lives felt freer and less limited. Technology, education and expand of knowledge and ideas, medical science and the living environment excelled those of the Middle Ages. Life in The Renaissance thrived. In the Middle Ages, God and the church played a very important role in the medieval lives. God was the center of peoples lives, they worshipped him greatly. The pope was like Gods puppet, leading the church and running things through the ideas of God . The Church ran almost everything in the society and affected the way people lived. They believed God created the world and their main goal in life was to land in heaven. As the Middle Ages ended and The Renaissance began, importance started shifting from God to man and science, art, and humanism became the new main ideas. The Catholic Churchs influence and power over the people started to decline and individualism was emphasized. According to historian Jacob Burckhardt, the Middle Ages was a society where people were part of a class but the Renaissance saw a society change to one where individualism was stressed. He expresses this thought in his book The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy where he stated: both sides of human consciousness the side turned to the world and that turned inward lay, as it were, beneath a common veil, dreaming or half awake. The veil was woven of faith, childlike prejudices, and illusion; seen through it, world and history appeared in strange hues; man recognized himself only as a member of a race, a nation, a party, a corporation, a family, or in some other general category. It was in Italy that this veil first melted into thin air, and awakened an objective perception and treatment of the state and all things of this world in general; but by its side, and with full power, there also arose the subjective; man becomes a self-aware individual and recognizes himself as such. He is basically saying that the idea of individualism started off in Italy, where The Renaissance began, and people started to view the world in a different way, while in the Middle Ages, everything was viewed ridiculously to him (childlike prejudices, illusion, world appearing in strange hues) and faith was very important. And it was, but as the Churchs importance faded, the lives of people saw more freedom in the centuries ahead. An improvement of education, spread of Humanism, and expanding of knowledge took place in the Renaissance. Back in the Middle Ages, the Church played a major role in the education of the people. Boys were taught by Bishops and Monks, while girls were practically ignored when it came to education. The boys sat on the floor and scribbled notes onto wooden tablets. The teachings during the Middle Ages were based on scholasticism. They taught what the Church wanted them to teach (how the Church sees the world), it related to theories and faith, not by real facts or evidence. For example, they believed and taught that God created the world, and peoples ideas are born with their soul, it doesnt come from anywhere else. When The Renaissance began, education became more important and popular. The opportunity for more to be educated was aided by the printing press. Education improved a little for girls, high class girls could go to school or they could receive some private tutoring. People st arted unearthing old manuscripts. People like Petrarch told that people shouldnt be following Christ, they should be educated about the truth and facts written in the manuscripts. Humanism played an important role in the education of men, as opposed to the Middle Ages where the ideas of the Church did. It was the philosophical idea that concerned the life and values of human beings. Historian Bertrand Russell described this change of knowledge by saying A good world needs knowledge, kindliness, and courage; it does not need a regretful hankering after the past or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words uttered long ago by ignorant men. Math and accounting improved during the centuries, from children being able to learn the skills of being a merchant, to Fibonacci combining the rules of arithmetic and algebra in 1202. Not only that, knowledge of geography expanded more too during the Renaissance as America, the New World was discovered in 1492 by Columbus. Astronomy experie nced some breakthroughs during the late Renaissance. In 1514, Nicolaus Copernicus discovered that the Earth revolved around the sun and published his idea of the solar system in his book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium. Education and knowledge prospered in the minds of the Renaissance people. The lives of The Renaissance civilians changed dramatically as new technologies were invented. There was an invention in The Renaissance that is considered the most significant. It was the printer press, which was invented in 1445 by Gutenburg. During the Middle Ages, monks had to copy the books by hand. It took months and years to complete a single book; as a result, books were really expensive back then. Most of the books were written in Latin and since most of the population wasnt educated, they couldnt read the books. Quantities of the Bible printed in The Renaissance were massive and it helped greatly in the spreading of religion. Middle class people could afford the books now, and they wanted them to be written in vernacular and with a more variety of topics. With increase of purchase in books, book trade and industries started to bloom, such as the paper making companies. With more people able to afford and acquire books, literacy rate increased gradually. Before The Renaissan ce, about 5-10% of the population could read or write, as The Renaissance progressed, the literacy rate went up to about 20-30%. The printing press helped tremendously in the spread of the new philosophical idea developed in The Renaissance, Humanism. The printing press was surely one of the biggest highlights of The Renaissance that leaves its mark here in the modern world still. Without it, writings werent able to be produced in such a short amount of time and money. Living life in both eras was a huge difference. The Middle Ages followed a system called Feudalism. It had a pyramid of power, which ranks from King all the way to the peasants. Life for the peasants were harsh, death was very common. A child who survived childhood was considered lucky and most parents were grateful to end up with one grown up child after many births. Children in the Middle Ages followed in their parents footsteps as soon as possible: peasant children doing labor, merchant children studying trade, and nobles children training to be warriors or good wives. Feudalism started to decline in The Renaissance and cities and towns started to rise. This helped many merchants because as more products were demanded in shops, the products trade increased. For example, when the demand for expensive accessories increased, the trade increased too which made the merchants rich, and with their wealth, they buy other expensive accessories. During the Middle Ages, the Church adopted th e ideas of Galen about the human body which were proved to be wrong in The Renaissance because dissecting human was banned during that time. Some of his errors were that he said the blood moved from the left side of the heart to the right by going through pores, when it is actually because of the pumping of the heart. He even said that the blood was produced from the liver. These theories and others he came up with were approved for over 1,400 years. It took centuries later in The Renaissance that his errors were corrected and medical science advanced. Understandings of the circulation of the blood in the body, invention of surgery equipments and the approval of dissecting bodies lead to new discoveries and treatments. From 1533-1536, Parà © served as a French military surgeon, where he mastered surgery techniques, and he developed new treatments and equipments. In 1543, Andreas Vesaliuss book De Corporis Fabrica was published with accurate details of the human anatomy. And in 1628 , William Harvey published his book De Mortu Cordis, explaining the circulation of the blood throughout the body. The church had trouble stopping these new discoveries (which disproved their beliefs) because of the printing press. Medically improved, The Renaissance provided a healthier and safer life for the people. With all the developments, advances, and improvements, hardly anyone can deny The Renaissance wasnt a better time to be living in than the Middle Ages. The 14th century just rocketed off from the centuries before, spiraling into a new universe with great educations, technologies, medicines, and lifestyles. The brilliant minds that made this era an era to remember will always be remembered. Their minds decorated and purified the world. They recovered the lost lives of people and left us to remember a rebirth that marked its place in history as one of the three greatest centuries of all time, The Renaissance.

Remember The Titans :: essays research papers

Coach Boone is a great example of a leader. He knows he faces a tough year of teaching his â€Å"hated† team. But, instead of listening to the hating town or administrators, Boone pushes his team to their limits and forces good relationships between players, regardless of race. His vision for the team involves getting the players concerned in what the team needs to become, and not what it is supposed to be; a waste. Boone is a convincing leader with a brutal, boot camp approach to coaching. He believes in making the players re-build themselves as a team. When Boone says,† You will wear a jacket, shirt, and tie. If you don't have one buy one, can't afford one then borrow one from your old man, if you don't have an old man, then find a drunk, trade him for his.† It showed that he was a handy Craftsman and wanted done what he wanted done no matter what it took. During training camp, Boone pairs black players with white players and instructs them to learn about each other. This idea is met with a lot of fighting, but black linebacker Julius Campbell and stubborn white All-American Gerry Bertier end up getting a strong bond through Boone's heavy discipline. Boone teaches them that they can build their strengths and look beyond when they work together. Boone also uses both power and authority with his position as Head Coach to get his way. Since he is Black and has power, the white players do not immediately accept Boone's authority. Many threaten to quit the team if Boone remains as head coach, and their parent’s pressure to move their children to other schools. Boone must use power and mind-games to force the players to tolerate each other until he can help them look beyond the racial conflict. When training camp at the college ended, the players gradually respected his leadership more and more and no longer saw his power as unlawful or hurtful. The players thus agreed with Coach Boone’s philosophy and became friends with one another. When Boone's tactics finally began to pay off, the players start to recognize who they are and where they are going in life.

Black And White Essay -- essays research papers

Black and White   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Following the Civil War, just prior to the turn of the century, many American novelist were writing more freely of the previous slave culture. Two of these writers being Mark Twain and Charles Chesnutt. Mark Twain was a popular â€Å"white† author by this time. Charles Chesnutt, the son of free blacks, decided to pursue a dream of becoming an author in order to remove the spirit of racism. By studying these authors in particular, the views of a white raised in the slave holding south are juxtaposed with the views of free black. Both Twain and Chesnutt satirize whites in different ways through their literature. Twain also displays some unfavorable preconceptions of blacks. This can be attributed to his own upbringing in the slave holding south.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main character of the Chesnutt stories is an old Negro man, previously a slave, who engages his new white employers in many tales about life on the plantation. Uncle Julius relays these stories with much detail. Though, at the conclusion of each, the reader is left wondering whether the tale was true or if Uncle Julius had conceived of it merely to satisfy his own desires. Chesnutt has added to the end of each story an ulterior motive of Uncle Julius that seems to be met by the telling of his tales. By doing this, Chesnutt discretely satirizes whites in general.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first story, The Goophered Grapevine, Uncle Julius tells of a conjure woman putting a â€Å"goopher† on the grapevines, causing all blacks that eat the grapes to die within one year. This story is relayed upon the first meeting of the northern white couple (John and Annie) and the native South Carolinian. After telling his tale of Henry and the others that suffered from this spell, Uncle Julius concludes that these northerners should not buy this vineyard, adding conveniently that he is not afraid to eat the grapes because he know the â€Å" ole vimes fum de noo ones.† John decides to buy the farm in spite of Uncle Julius's warnings, but he does offer him employment as a coachman. It seems as if Uncle Julius had been trying to guarantee his usefulness on the plantation even after its sale. Was white man tricked into believing Julius' knowledge would be useful in the renewing of the vineyards? Chesnutt lets the reader wonder, but regardless of his tale being ... ... of blacks, especially her own black heritage. When scolding her son Tom for refusing to challenge the twins, Roxy blames his cowardice on â€Å"de nigger† in him. After noting all of the predominant white members of his pedigree, she concludes that â€Å"de nigger† is his soul. Twain seems to have some assumptions of his own that blacks have no pride in their own heritage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Twain and Chesnutt both satirize whites, but in different ways. Twain, being a white, satirizes the slave holding south, rather than whites in general. Chesnutt, on the other hand, uses a couple from the north in a story set in the free south. Chesnutt also is more descrete in his satire, while Twain pokes fun directly. Twain also displays some of his own prejudices, being a white trying to explain the black culture. On the contrary, Chesnutt honestly portrays blacks from an inside perspective. Roxy was ashamed of the black blood in her, while Uncle Julius seemed to be a proud old man, happy to tell of his black friends and past. From the analysis these literary selections we can gain a greater understanding of racial views but, one may say that everything is not as simple as black and white

Deception in Shakespeares King Lear :: King Lear essays

The Deception in King Lear William Shakespeare's play King Lear is a play full of deceit and betrayal. This becomes evident in the first few lines. We first learn of the empty words of Goneril and Regan as well as their hatred for their father, King Lear. This becomes the center of the play and also leads to the madness that the king suffers from. The first words that Goneril speaks are totally empty and are the complete opposite of what she really feels. She says, "Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter; Dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty;" (I.i.54-55) The reason why there are no words to express her love for her father is that she has no love for him and it does not exist. The same goes for her sister, Regan, who is plotting against her father as well. She says that she feels the same way as her sister and expresses how Goneril has named her very deed of love. Regan adds a little twist to this and professes that she loves Lear more than her sisters and that Goneril's affection for her father "comes too short." (I.i.71) By uttering these words, Regan shows that her love is even less true than that of her sister's. She goes even farther to say: "...that I profess Myself an enemy to all other joys Which the most precious square of sense possesses, And find I am alone felicitate In your dear highness' love." I.i.71-75 This goes to show that she is more greedy than her sister and her words are also falser. She wants more than her sister and will do anything to attain her goal. Her ambition to get what she wants is evident in the words that she speaks. She claims herself to be "an enemy to all other joys" but she is really the enemy to her father. The next person King Lear calls to speak is his soft-spoken daughter, Cordelia. Lear does not have much respect for her because she does not flatter him and put him on the pedestal that he feels that he should be put on. This is exactly what his other daughters do and he feels very strongly that Cordelia should do the same. Because of all the flattery that was given him by his other two daughters, he gives them most of his possessions. The first thing that Cordelia says when the King asks her to speak is "nothing." The king is enraged by this remark and says that, "Nothing will come of nothing: speak again.

Expressing Yourself

Expressing Yourself Many people have opinions on what they see others wear. They feel that if everyone looks the same that there will be less problems. I believe they are wrong. Have you ever went to a school where they were about to give you a dress code? What was your opinion on the subject? If school officials like principals and vice principals decide they want to enforce a uniform rule they are not helping anything. They will be taking away students creativity and their ability to express themselves.When people wear what they want they feel confident and comfortable in their own skin. If official change the way we dress it would make for a very boring school. There are so many personalities in a school and they all make the school a fun place to be where others can express themselves without being judged. This will help with a self- esteem problem. Many kids have a self- esteem issue. If people think that wearing a uniform will help them love themselves more they are wrong. I be lieve it will only make them look down on themselves.Think about it, if they are out of shape and they see someone in better shape than them and there wearing the same thing their going to think they are ugly Clayton 2 and worthless. Even if people choose how students would dress it wouldn’t help all the other reasons why kids get bullied now-a-days. Everyone should feel beautiful and wearing clothes that you want helps you feel better about yourself. Clothes can also be therapeutic. Sometimes being a misfit is what brings joy to someone. They don’t want to be the same as everyone else.In the constitution it states that we have the right to be free. Free to dress however we would like. If they make us where uniforms it would be taking away one of our rights. I also believe that students parents don’t have all the money in the world to be spending on their child’s clothes. Uniforms are not clothes that students could wear on and everyday basis. Adding unif orms to a schools dress code would allow parents to spend way more money than what they usually would. They would have to pay for their child’s school clothes plus their regular clothes.I believe school uniforms should not be allowed in schools. I believe wearing uniforms is just all around a bad idea. They don’t allow students to express themselves and their personalities, they don’t help with bullying in the school system, and they take away student rights. I think that if schools really want to have uniforms they should pay for every single students uniform in the school. Students take pride in what they wear and by having to wear a uniform you would just be lowering their self- esteem.

Bridal Assignment

J. Crew has become a famous American brand in the retail and garment industry. It started out in 1983 with catalogs, and by 1989J. Crew established their first store which expanded to â€Å"206 retail and 69 outlet stores† through out the US. In 2004, J. Crew launched its wedding line that positively affected the increase of the direct sales of the company. J. Crew’s wedding line headed by Jenna Lyons, creative director, is famous for their simple and refined dresses with minimal bead and lace works.The design of the dresses is classic yet fun ranging from white to champagne-colored garments. More so, the price range from $1,000 to $3,000. Presently, J. Crew’s wedding line does not have any retail stores. They sell their garments through their catalog and website. To compensate for the lack of retail store, J. Crew offers additional wedding services for free including alteration of the garments and complimentary staff that will be of assistance to the customer (F ischer, 2005). Meanwhile, Clea Colet is a bridal gallery headed by Clea Colet who is also the head wedding dress designer.Their store in located at the Madison Avenue in New York City is an upscale boutique where clients can browse to the wide array of exquisite collections or customized their unique wedding dresses She is known for her â€Å"cautious with silhouettes† wherein most dresses have an A-line cut instead of looking like a ball gown. Also, Cle Colet designs have only minimal ornamentations and design wherein only a simple draping or fine beading are incorporated to accentuate the garments (New York Magazine, 2008).As Clea Colet once have said, to find one’s dream dress, a bride must look for â€Å"classic, timeless, flattering to her figure, and appropriate for her location† which are the main characteristics of her wedding dress designs (Manhattanbride. com, 2009). Most of the customized dresses are sold in price range of $2,500 to $6,500 garments (N ew York Magazine, 2008). Part 1 B J. Crew’s latest collection for their wedding line for Spring 2009 is very exquisite and stylish. The style varies from one dress to another but the one thing in common in these wedding gowns is that they flatter a woman’s figure.More so, the diversity of the collection is intended to address the different needs, wants and tastes of women. There is a â€Å"column-style jeweled cady gown made out of silk cotton† with necklace rhinestones and crystals accents, a champagne-colored empire-cut Esme Gown, â€Å"bow-tie dress made out of the softest silk tricotine with scooped neckline accented by pleated chiffon and a trumpet skirt that flatters all body types† and many others(Weddingbellsblog. com, 2008). On the other hand, Clea Colet’s present collection was inspired by the many kinds of weddings designed by modern and independent brides.Most of the dresses would fit any theme of the wedding whether beach or a formal s etting. The designs are simple and uncomplicated but they exude elegance and uniqueness which makes them timeless or classic pieces. Most of the dresses were made from chiffon, silk and taffeta with complimentary accents of delicate lace and bead works. More so, most of the gown are strapless ball gowns or figure fitting dress with a free flowing bottom (Manhattanbride. com, 2009). Part 2 Both Macy’s and Target’s Wedding Registry are very easy to use and to navigate.These two retail stores offer an assortment of products ranging from electronics to kitchenware that are essential and very stylish. For couples who want to register, both Macy’s and Target only require them to provide basic information such as e-mail address and telephone numbers in order to facilitate fast transactions. The two department stores have almost similar features for their wedding registry websites. Both stores present their products by category and they also provide recommendations on m erchandises that are popular and most commonly picked by couples.More so, a checklist is provided in order for couples to have a guide on the items that they want. Basically, the wedding registry websites of Macy’s and Target are a convenient and practical way of choosing products that will help couples to facilitate a smooth transition to married life. However, Target’s website is easier to navigate because you just have to mark the items that you want while at Macy’s you have to click on the item and then add it to your wedding registry. Also, Target presents at least 20 items in 1 page while Macy’s only show 5 to10 items.Furthermore, the list of chosen items at Target is more organized with detail information about the product, shipping and the stores where it can be bought. On the other hand, Macy’s registry list is less detail-oriented but it offers other promotions such as gift wrapping and gift etiquette which are also necessary to consider when selecting wedding gifts. Overall, all the information and the features of the websites can definitely be of great help to the bride and groom as well as to their guests. Part 3In a wedding, the bride and groom are not the only essential personalities that are needed in order to facilitate a successful union ceremony. This occasion requires another figure that will ensure the smooth execution of all the wedding plans and this person comes in the form of a wedding planner. A wedding planner is responsible for the pre, during and post planning stages of the wedding. Furthermore, the wedding planner must assist the couple in every way possible to help in reducing the stress which is an inevitable occurrence in preparing for one of the most special events that an individual can experience during his or her lifetime.So, a big responsibility is appointed to a wedding planner and whoever takes on the role must be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills. Preparation prior to th e wedding day is considered to be the most important stage because this is when all the principal matters are discussed and organized. Initially, a wedding planner must first meet with the couple in order to determine their needs and wants for the wedding. Then, the wedding planner would help the couple to choose the wedding venue and wedding theme.After this, the wedding planner would work on the wedding decorations, seating arrangements, photographers, invitations and everything else that are needed in a wedding. Moreover, during the wedding, the wedding planner needs to make sure that everything that was planned will materialize. The wedding planner will act out as the supervisor who will ensure that everyone will do their tasks to make the wedding a success. But the job of a wedding planner does not stop there. The wedding planner will still work even after the wedding. He or she will make sure that all financial matters will settled and every guest will receive wedding favors.B ut most importantly, the wedding planner must ensure that the bride and groom had the time of their life (Manohar, 2008). Part 3 The wedding of Prince Rainier Grimaldi and Prince Grace Kelly of Monaco took place on April 18, 1956 at the â€Å"Palace Throne Room† in Monaco. It was a â€Å"40-minute civil ceremony† that was broadcasted to millions of television across Europe and the US. The next day, the wedding continued with a church ceremony at Saint Nicholas Cathedral. The wedding was attended by high-profiled personalities such as Royal figures and Hollywood celebrities (Weddinggownreviews. com, 2009).The bride wore a â€Å"lace decorated upper bodice with a high neck† designed by Helen Rose who was then the MGM wardrobe designer. The gown was â€Å"made from antique Valenciennes rose point lace, 25 yards of silk taffeta, 98 yards of tulle and her veil was covered with appliqued lace lovebirds and thousands of seed pearls. † More so, the whole entourag e was also designed by Helen Rose who gave a glamorous but classic style to the dresses. For the groom, Prince Rainier wore a â€Å"Napoleonic influenced dress uniform. † Then, the ceremony was followed by a lavish garden reception for the newlyweds and their celebrity guests (Thomas, 2009).References Fischer, J. (2005, September 1). J. Crew commits to wedding line. Retrieved March 18, 2009, from http://multichannelmerchant. com/mag/crew_commits_wedding_0901/ Manhattanbride. com. (2009). Clea Colet. Retrieved March 18, 2009, http://www. manhattanbride. com/fashionstories/CleaFash. html Manohar, U. (20008, October 17). What are the duties of a Wedding Planner. Retrieved March 19, 2009, from http://www. buzzle. com/articles/what-are-the-duties-of-a-wedding-planner. html New York Magazine. (2008). Bridal Gowns Directory. Retrieved March 18, 2009, from http://nymag.com/weddings/listings/gowns/index1. html Thomas, P. W. (2009). A Royal Wedding. Retrieved March 18, 2009, from http: //www. fashion-era. com/Weddings/1956_old_wedding_photos_royal. htm Weddingbellsblog. com. (2008, December 18). J. Crew Wedding Collection 2009. Retrieved March 18, 2009, from http://weddingbellsblog. com/designers-couturier/j-crew-wedding-collection-2009/ Weddinggownreviews. com. (2009, February 6). Princess Grace of Monaco. Retrieved March 18, 2009, from http://www. weddinggownsreview. com/princess-wedding-gowns/princess-grace-of-monaco

Is Our Constitution Still Relevant?

The United States Constitution is a very important piece of document for the American people and especially immigrants. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that the Constitution gives freedom to people who enter America. These freedoms are not in many other countries and that’s why immigrants flee to America to pursue the American Dream. Our Constitution is still relevant today because of two things: Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of Religion.The first reason why the Constitution is relevant is because of freedom of speech the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. This gives the American people the right to voice their opinion whether it’s good or bad. In some countries, for example China does not allow freedom of speech because they are communists, they have a law saying anyone can protest against the government, as long as they get a permit first, But if you take the risk to get a permit you’re probably going to be shipped off the a â€Å"re- education camp â€Å"this is why our Constitution is relevant.Free speech allows you to say whatever you want without being judged or held against your will by law enforcements. The second reason main reason why the constitution is important is freedom of religion the American people having the right to worship whoever they want even if it’s a dog. People believe in whatever and whoever and it lets them live their life without getting discriminated against by mostly people and/or the government. All in all I believe the Constitution is still relevant today because

A Moral Evaluation of Child Labor in the Philippines

A Moral Evaluation of Child Labor in the Philippines in the Perspective of Immanuel Kant’s Second Formulation of Categorical Imperative- Formula of End Itself Introduction Children are the prime movers of the country. They are very much endowed with so much potentialities in which may contribute for the betterment of the many. They are indeed really important in everybody’s life not only of their own family but also of their fellow human persons. Every person including the child must be respected and valued in virtue of his/her being a human person.Thus, children must and necessarily be treasured by valuing their own dignity as human persons capable of rationalizing for the betterment of the future. However, in the Philippines; most of the children in the past and even until now are being exploited in many different ways. Every child in this country is somehow is in the state of danger because the child may be abused at anytime, anywhere, and of anyone. Evidently, Phili ppines is a young country by which most of the people are composed of youth and/or children. By this, Philippines is very vulnerable to any forms of child exploitation.Similarly, one of the most evident forms of child exploitation in the Philippines is the child labor. Child labor is prevalent in the Philippine society. It should be noted that children are abused by forcing them to bare labor at their very young age. They are supposed to be in the classroom to learn and become educated but because of child labor they could be seen in many places working to earn a living. Because of child labor, it is evidently that children at their very young age are dehumanized. Their own inherent dignity has been taken away from them and thus makes children as objects of exploitation.Moreover, the researcher has decided to conduct a study on this matter to find out the reality of this phenomenon. The researcher wants to assess the morality of child labor in the Philippines and to see its moral im plications to other moral agents. Through the aid of Immanuel Kant’s ethical concept, the researcher may find philosophical and moral basis of child labor. The philosophy of Kant particularly his Categorical Imperative and it second formulation- Formula of end itself- will be applied in the subject matter.Library research, internet surfing, journals, and other sources related to the study will be used to achieve the main objectives. By this, the study is reliable and substantial in nature. The substantiality of the study focuses on the child labor in the Philippines. Body The Categorical Imperative Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative clearly states that â€Å"act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law† (Kant, 1964, p. 88).By this very definition of categorical imperative, Kant contends that morality involves universality and necessity. That is, morality should be applicable to all, and the action m ust and necessarily be done. Kant distinguishes between two imperatives- categorical and hypothetical. The latter for Kant cannot be the standard of morality since it only applies to some and thus cannot be universalized. It comes to man’s selfish inclination since it is only a â€Å"necessary as a means to the attainment of something else that one wills† (Kant, 1964, p. 2) and therefore this cannot be accepted. On the one hand, categorical imperative derive from rational inclination where in reason is that which makes the categorical imperative universal. For Kant, categorical imperative is based on human reason because it must be â€Å"entirely a priori, since here we do not enjoy the advantage of having its reality given in experience and so if being obliged merely to explain, and not to establish, its possibility† (Kant, 1964, p. 87).This, however, does not mean that Kant totally rejected the consequence of any action to determine whether the action is moral ly right or wrong but he only emphasize the rational faculty of man to act morally which is universal and necessary. Kant further expound his moral philosophy by presenting the four formulations derive from categorical imperative but only the second formulation shall be discussed in the succeeding section because it is the focal point which is needed in the study, formula of end itself. Formula of End ItselfThis second formula of Kant stresses the value of human person. It states that â€Å"act in such a way that you will always treat humanity whether in your own person or in the person of any other never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end† (Kant, 1964, p. 96). In this formula, Kant argues that any person should not be used as a mere tool or instrument for the attainment of something else. Every human person then has inherent value regardless of his/her culture, physical stature, nationality, and the like. Thus, every human person has dignity.He added, h uman person should not be used as a mean because of the person’s rationality. It is his/her rational faculty that which makes man a man and thus should be respected and developed further. Human person is always treated as end because his/her â€Å"rational nature exists as an end in itself† (Kant, 1964, p. 96). Kant explains his contention about man’s inherent dignity by distinguishing inherent value from instrumental value. The latter primarily are the things which do not have innate value such as money, food, and any material beings.Things such as those are really intended to the service for the human person. They are just the means and not the ends of themselves. â€Å"Beings whose existence depend, not on our will, but on nature, have nonetheless, if they are non-rational beings only a relative value as means and consequently called things† (Kant, 1964, p. 86) as Kant says. Thus, it cannot be that the things around us will be regarded as an end for th ey could only have value when they are being used but after they are being used, then their value is lost. So to say, things only have temporal value.In contrary, human persons are â€Å"persons because their nature already marks them out as an ends in themselves- that is, as something which ought not to be used merely as means- and consequently imposes to that extent a limit on all arbitrary treatment of them (and is an object of reverence)† (Kant, 1964, p. 96). Here, Kant firmly justifies his contention on human value by reiterating the nature of man, rationality, as the prime factor by which every man should be considered as the finality of all actions. Man, in virtue of his/her reason, is the end and not as a mean which leads to his/her dignity.Kant emphasizes more this second formulation by saying: Persons, therefore, are not merely subjective ends whose existence as an object of our actions has a value for us: they are objective ends- that is, things whose existence is in itself an end, and indeed an end such that in its place we can put no other end to which they should serve simply as means; for unless this is so, nothing at all of absolute value would be found anywhere. But if all value were conditioned- that is contingent- then no supreme principle could be ound for reason at all. (Kant, 1964, p. 96). Nevertheless, Kant presented in the second formulation of categorical imperative, formula of end itself, the value of man (man’s dignity) which is justified by man’s nature that is capable of reasoning. Thus, through and through, man regardless of anything has the absolute value of being as man higher than any other worldly beings. Child Labor The innocence of the child simply makes the child as a child. No other beings could have an equal innocence of the child except the child itself.Child’s innocence is very unique characteristic. It is self evident to every child that he/she possesses such quality. Since the child is born , innocence has already been inherited by the child. Innocence is not given to a child but it is already in every child without the influence from the outside. This innocence is equal among other children regardless of child’s parental background, physical appearance, or culture. This equality is evidently true for the fact that every child is born naked, dependent, and innocent. Thus, every child, indeed, is innocent.In the same way, this child’s innocence is not static which stagnates on that particular stage but child also develop towards maturity. Every child has innate potentials and capacities to become adult. The child does not remain as a child forever but he/she is always going towards adulthood. However, most of the children especially in developing countries are being exploited and abused. Children at very young age have already engaged to dangerous and oppressive labor. In the Philippines, it is prevalent that most of the children are working to earn money. Children in such case could be seen in the streets, factories, or agricultural heavy activities. Definitely, children of those cases have bet their lives into death. Summing up these kinds of oppression of children, it water down to child labor. Child labor is a perennial societal problem not only of the other countries but also of this country- Philippines. Basically, children are expected to enjoy their childhood and should be in the school so as to develop their selves and discover their identity and skills.Childhood is a complex stage of personhood where the child is starting to grow up with dependency to other persons especially of the children’s parents. Children should be protected and nurtured because most of the children are exploited in many ways. This exploitation has become real because of child labor. Child labor is so rampant in the Philippines. Child labor prevents the natural and proper development of children. Thus, child labor has become a threat to every ch ild’ innocence. The Child Child, according to the law, is defined as person below eighteen (18) years of age.Anyone who haven’t yet attain the age of eighteen may considered as a child or youth. Nevertheless, that person below eighteen years has no civil obligation in the state. But when a person has attained the age of eighteen, â€Å"he/she is no longer considered a child and becomes automatically entitled to do all acts of civil life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Diokno, 1998). By this, a person then has the duty to follow the civil law and become responsible for any misconduct. Moreover, the child has been defined in a broader sense in conformity to R. A. 610 (Child Protection Law) which states that, â€Å"persons who below eighteen (18) years of age or those over but are unable to fully take care of themselves or protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, or discrimination because of physical or mental disability or condition† (Diokno, 1998). It shoul d be noted that the term child in this Child Protection Law is in wider perspective because child refers not only to physical aspect of a person which could be seen empirically but it includes the inner dimension of the person.The law states that a child is primarily be classified as incapable or less capable to protect itself because of disabilities from any harmful influence or oppression. Thus, it does not only imply that person over eighteen years of age may consider as adult or not anymore a child. This law is trying to emphasize the innocence and dependency of a person to persons outside itself. In addition, every child is endowed with rights of the society. Child at his/her young age must enjoy his/her childhood by giving to the utmost his/her needs as a child.The child must be provided with his/her basic needs such as food, shelter, clothes, care, and education. Because the child is really dependent on others, it is imperative to care, protect, feed, and educate such child. These are important in the child’s development towards maturity. Thus, â€Å"parents [should] go into all sorts of sacrifice to provide the highest educational opportunities for their children† (Andres & Ilada-Andres, 2005, p. 34). Child Work vs. Child Labor To understand the oppression happening in most of the children in the Philippines, it is better to distinguish and clarify these terms- child work and child labor.Child labor, as defined by the ILO-IPEC, is work situations where children are compelled to work on regular basis to earn a living for themselves and their families, and as a result are disadvantaged educationally and socially; where children work in conditions that are exploitative and damaging to their health and to their physical and mental development; where children are separated from their families, often deprived of educational and training opportunities; where children are forced to lead prematurely adult lives. Diokno, 1998). This definition impl ies then that any work which could harm and will destroy the development of a child, either physically or mentally or both, including his/her social and emotional aspects is regarded as child labor. In addition, work that which could hinder the child’s education and his/her better future. Child labor is really an illness of the society which annihilates the child familial growth and that which really â€Å"deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (About Child Labor, 2002).Child labor, nevertheless, is a form of injustice in the society which needs to be responded by the authority and most especially â€Å"for those willing to stake their time and efforts to save the country’s children† (Diokno, 1998). Child work, on the one hand, is very much different to child labor. Although, both of them have similarity because they are both engaging with work, child work deals with any activities which do not hinder the well-deve lopment of a child. Work that does not maltreat and exploit the child is classified as just.Generally, if the work does not affect the development of a child’s body and holistic dimensions, and also his/her education then that work could help the child and contributes positively (About child labor, 2002). Why Child Labor? There are certain reasons on why child labor is continually happening in the Philippines. Child labor does not emerge out of the blue but it has come into reality brought by various problems. Thus, child labor is not the only problem in the Philippines but it becomes the result of combining societal problems. Basically, there are four prime reasons which cause this problem according to Jose W.Diokno (1998) and these are poverty, tradition and culture, educational opportunity, and economy. The Philippines is one of the poorest countries in the world. Poverty has been regarded as the root-cause of many social problems in the country including child labor. Beca use of poverty, a big number of Filipino families are living in slums areas with limited food. Their hunger, which is needed to be satisfied, is pushing the families to work in any ways including their children. Thus, children cannot refuse to do so but â€Å"to satisfy basic requirements† (Diokno, 1998).Although parents should work and earn a living for their children, their money is insufficient to sustain their needs and thus the parents has to decide that their children â€Å"must work to help in their family’s struggle for survival† (Diokno, 1998) otherwise, the whole family will suffer from hunger. In Filipino cultural context, children are expected to work at their young age because it has been practiced by the people in the past. It has been a â€Å"centuries-old tradition that the child must work through solidarity with the family† (Diokno, 1998) as a sign of respect and obedience to the Filipino culture.Filipinos have the kind of mentality that a child must work â€Å"to compensate†¦ the economic burden that he/she represents and to share in the maintenance of his/her family† (Diokno, 1998). So to say, children have become the burden in the family. Moreover, every child at his/her young age has the responsibility to take share with the family’s needs especially of its financial matters. Thus, Filipino culture has regarded the children’s work â€Å"as a phase of socialization where future roles are learned and working to share in the family is seen as training† (Diokno, 1998).Lack of educational opportunity is one of the reasons of child labor it deprives children to learn and develop their skills as persons. Parents usually prefer not to send their children in school because of family’s home far distance to the school, opportunity to earn more money through children’s labor, or to the expensive cost of schooling. Nevertheless, family could not take this kind of education syste m because â€Å"poor schooling has little credibility†¦ since it does not promote economic improvement† (Diokno, 1998) in the family. Education is important yet the ind of education in the Philippines most of the time does not give learning quality to them and thus cannot contribute to be competitive individuals. Finally, the economy of the country has influenced child labor. The fact that the country is mostly composed of young people, the economy demands young workers. The economic sectors look for more profit and thus they employed children to work so as to pay minimally. Employers prefer to hire children because â€Å"they represent docile work face, which could be hired and replaced at a fraction of adult wages† (Diokno, 1998) that which is an advantage for the employer.Children could easily be exploited because they cannot refuse the opportunity to help their family through labor. The economy does not only give good opportunities for progress but it also det eriorates the potentials and personhood of every child engages in â€Å"hazardous work† (About Child Labor, 2002). Exploitation of Children Nevertheless, child labor is a perennial issue in the Philippines which slowly destroy the humanness of every child. This ethical issue is continually growing as the local government and international organizations are trying to eliminate this problem.The United Nations (2008, p. 241) has recognized the value of children in particular as it issued the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that all human beings are born equal in dignity and rights. By this, it recognizes the inherent value of human persons including the children. Despite the attempts of the public and private organizations to terminate this societal problem, child labor is still do exist at the present. Some of these forms of child labor in the Philippines have been identified by the International Labor Organization (ILO).It has been reported that children are abused in agricultural works such as the â€Å"sakada,† domestic work where children are victims of child trafficking and physically, verbally, and/or sexual abuse. Manufacture where children work as adult employees with heavy labor, scavenger and street children because of extreme poverty, mining and quarrying where children work dangerously as they unravel minerals inside the mountains. Unconditional worst forms where children are very much exploited by recruiting them as to become child soldiers training them to fight in the battle field and young girls are said to be sex slaves which contribute to rostitution minors (What kind of work children do? , 2012). Analysis Human person in virtue of hi/her reason has innate dignity. This is a basic truth which man holds as he/she exists in the world. To live in the world without dignity is futile. Man cannot live having without value to himself/herself and to others. His/her dignity gives man the right to be respected and protect ed. Man is quite different to other beings such as the material objects, plants, and animals precisely because man has a rational nature. Without it, man is perhaps the valueless being. So, man in nature is a dignified being.Because the term man is used in this in general sense, it encompasses any human person including the children. Children are also human persons and thus they have rational faculty which in return causes their dignity. Every child, therefore, has inherent dignity. Child is, nonetheless, a mature rational individual but it does not compel the dignity of the child because the child even in that stage of childhood has the mind which continually develops as the child is going toward maturity. Reasoning of a child may differ to one another but it remains the dignity to the child because of the child’s innate capacity of reasoning and rationalizing.Thus, child is always endowed with reason which makes the child a dignified person. The dignity of a child must be r espected, protected, and preserved. However, child labor makes the child undignified being. It is said that labor is different from work although both of them have similarity because the former pertains to involvement in economy while the latter is a general notion of any human activities. Human labor in a sense is not bad in itself because â€Å"through labor, man realizes and humanizes himself; †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Timbreza, 2008, p. 94). By this, labor also makes man a man because it distinguishes man to other beings.Although reason primarily causes the distinction of man to other beings, labor has also become a factor which causes man to realize his/her humanness. Thus, labor does not only give negative implication but also good realization. However, child labor, although labor in form, is not the same with the true meaning of the word labor. In this context, child labor does not humanize children but it certainly dehumanizes every child. Child labor exploits and abuses the child in terms of heavy work which greatly affects the child’s natural development.Child labor is a form of oppression and it does not give any value to the child. Thus, child’s dignity has been taken away because of child labor. In Kant’s perspective, child’s dignity is justified through his second formulation of categorical imperative- formula of end itself. His contention is that any human person in virtue of his rationality must be regarded as the end of all actions. Man should not be used as a mean to acquire something else. All action should be done by considering man as an end. Similarly, every child, regardless of anything except of his/her reason, must be regarded as an end in itself.Reason will tell us that child’s dignity is important. It is morally right, universal, and necessary that the child’s dignity must be promoted. And any inhuman activity which destroys the dignity of the child must be eradicated especially child labor. Child lab or, nevertheless, promotes oppressions and exploitations in which make the child a valueless human being. Such reasons of child labor like poverty, culture, educational opportunity, and demand of economy are nonetheless insufficient and unjustifiable reasons for the dignity of every child does not depend on these.Poverty is a perennial societal problem in the Philippines and this issue is not new to everybody. By extreme poverty, the family members, including the child, are push to bare labor even though it is not yet proper to the child to do so. A child engaging in hard labor is not yet proper because the child is supposed to be in the home or in the school so as to develop himself/herself and eventually realizes his/her meaningful existence. It cannot be that the child labor is morally right because of poverty which gives way to a child earning money for the family.Child here is not the end of labor precisely because labor is intended to get away from poverty but not for the sake of child’s benefit. It uses the child to overcome poverty rather than dignifying the child without poverty. In the midst of poverty, a child must be dignified as a human person. The parents should sustain the needs of the family and the community should protect the dignity of every child. Culture and tradition, on the one hand, must not dehumanize the child. Every child must not be enslaved by the culture.Culture also involves a matter of choice and thus anything which destroys the dignity of a child must be avoided and stopped. People are the makers of certain culture, and then people also have the capacity to change culture through man’s rationality. Human person’s rational faculty could obliterate such acquired and practiced culture and tradition. Nevertheless, culture in a way makes use of the child as a mean in order to continue such culture and not for the dignity of the child. This cannot be morally right that the child’s dignity be destroyed beca use of culture. It is irrational to follow certain culture which dehumanizes a child.Lack of educational opportunities and the demand of the economy, in the same way, make the child undignified human person in a way that they affect the natural development of a child. Lack of educational opportunities compels the right of the child to learn and to know his/her identity and demand of economy, in the same way, exploits the innocence of every child. They are both factors which give nevertheless worthless value to every child. In the end, children’s dignity has been destroyed because of child labor. Child labor does not respect, protect, and nurture the humanness of every child.Children in a sense have become mere objects to attain certain goal. They became instruments to alleviate poverty, maintain culture and tradition, victims of poor educational system, and exploited by economic interest. Child labor treated every child in a subjective end by which inclined by selfish interes t. Objective end then must be realized and should be done so as to give dignity to every child. Summary and Conclusion The subject matter of this research study is about the morality of child labor. Through the second formulation of categorical imperative by Immanuel Kant, child labor has been assessed.The definition and meaning of the term â€Å"child† also has been presented that which aging below eighteen (18) years and above yet holistically incapable to protect and dependent to other people because of mental or physical disabilities. The distinction between child labor and child work has been discussed also. After which, child labor then has been evaluated that which hinders the natural development of a child. The reasons of child labor have been discussed in this study such as poverty, culture and tradition, lack of educational opportunity, and the demand of economy.Kant’s ethical ideas have been presented and discussed particularly the categorical imperative and its second formulation formula of end itself. Finally, the combining of facts and theory has been discussed in the analysis. In conclusion, child labor through evaluation using the second formulation of categorical imperative- end itself- of Kant is certainly unethical because it humiliate the dignity of every child. Child labor is the result of other societal problems and thus it should be answered. Certainly, child labor in effect gives an unethical implication in every child.It is morally wrong that the dignity of every child should be taken away because of child labor. Child, in virtue of being a human person, is always endowed with gift of rationality by which makes every child unique and higher than any other temporal beings. Rationality gives the child to have the right to be respected. Child’s dignity is innate in him/her thus it should be protected. Indeed, child labor is morally wrong because it primarily dehumanizes every child by destroying his/her dignity. Bibli ography Primary: Kant, I. (1948). Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals (H. J. Paton, Trans. ). New York:Harper and Row Publishers, Inc. Kant, I. (1993). Grounding for the metaphysics of moral: On supposed right to lie because of philanthropic concerns. In J. W. Ellington (3rd ed. and Trans. ). Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hacket Publishing Company, Inc. Secondary: Andres, T. D. & Ilada-Andres, P. L. B. (2005). Understanding the Filipino (8th ed. ). Quezon City: New Day Publishing. Timbreza, F. T. (2008). Filipino philosophy today. 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