The Most Damnable Invention Essay Example for Free

The Most Damnable Invention Essay Dynamite is a high explosive that derives its power from a chemical called nitroglycerin and which used diatomaceous earth as its absorbent. Dynamite was invented by Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in 1866 and was then patented in 1867. Dynamite has a wide range of uses; from building demolitions to warfare and death. It was that last characteristic of dynamite that worried Nobel the most. Initially, Nobel thought that the invention of dynamite would end the possibility of future wars and possible foes would see the destructive force of dynamite and it would serve as enough of a deterrent to the point that wars would be outlawed in favor of common sense. This would not be the reality of the invention as warring countries sought new and more effective ways in which to vanquish their enemies to such a degree that the destructive forces of dynamite would be forever linked to Alfred Nobel. Nobel sought to change his epitaph from the minister of death as one French newspaper put it when confusing the death of his brother with his own. Nobel formed the Nobel Peace Prize in order to encourage peaceful and useful contributions to the human race in a personal attempt to be able to say that he too, was a force for good, despite the misuse by society, of his invention. But to say that the invention and use of dynamite has affected history, there is no doubt. In contemporary society however dynamite is used in a much more productive and peaceful way. The inventor of dynamite, Alfred Nobel, was born on October 21, 1833 in Stockholm Sweden. Nobel gained his fortune, not only in the invention of dynamite but also through his income as a chemist, engineer as well as the owner of a major manufacturing plant. Nobel, devoted himself to the study of explosives and especially the sale and manufacturing of nitroglycerine which had incidentally, only been discovered a few years earlier in 1847 by Asanio Sobrero, a fellow attending student at the University of Torino. Nobel would continue to be fascinated by explosions and continued to learn everything that he could about the science that surrounded it. In 1865, Nobel built the Alfred Nobel Co. Factory near Hamburg, Germany. However, it was in this factory where dynamite claimed its first casualty. This fascination would lead to an explosion that would kill Nobel’s own brother Emil in 1864. But only two short years later, Nobel was credited with the invention of dynamite and was given a patent for it in 1867. Nobel would establish factories in the United States, France and Germany as well as continue to spread his influence into his home country of Sweden. But it would be his invention of dynamite that he would be remembered for, at least while he was alive, as a force of death and destruction, an impediment to a peaceful world. And it was an association that he did not find entirely flattering. But for the time being, Nobel and the rest of the world, was forced to confront the new and threatening power of destruction that dynamite had while in the possession of the wrong people. Nobel said of his invention: â€Å"My factories may make an end to war sooner than you congresses. The day when two armies corps can annihilate each other in one second, all civilized nations, it is to be hoped, will recoil from war and discharge their troops. † If only that prediction came to fruition, there would have been a lot less victims of man’s hate and desire for destruction which, for a time, was the primary use of dynamite. The use of dynamite, upon its inception, had a wide variety of uses as more and more people looked for ways in which it could benefit themselves. After the invention of dynamite in 1867, dynamite, or as it was originally marketed as : Nobel’s Blasting Powder, rapidly gained popularity. It was marketed as a safe alternative to the explosiveness of gun powder while still being just as lethal if not more. Very quickly, Nobel could see the destructive force of his invention and kept a tight lid on his invention. However, United States business men, who were able to alter the chemical formula just enough so that they could get around the restrictions that Nobel’s patent once provided. In America, the use of dynamite would be used in order top promote sinister motives that left the entire country suspicious of the invention and which helped to increase the backlash of public opinion towards Alfred Nobel. Dynamite consists of 75% nitroglycerin, 24% diatomaceous earth and a small mixture of sodium carbonate. These mixtures are formed into sticks and wrapped into paper. The fact that dynamite is by itself a very explosive substance as well as the fact that its chemical make up can be broken down very easily over time which compromises the stability of its form. Over time, the dynamite will back into nitroglycerine which will then pool at the bottom of a storage area, thus creating a potentially damaging situation. The transportation of dynamite is very dangerous and can cause intentional or unintentional harm to a large number of victims in a wide area of space surrounding the explosion of the dynamite. In American History, there are two famous events where the use of dynamite made it possible for anarchists to promote their twisted ideology. The first was the 1888 Haymarket Square in Chicago Illinois. During the 1870’s and 1880’s. Chicago was a leading center for union activism as workers tried to organize and pool their collected influence. In 1886, labor unions were calling for a one day strike and a demonstration in Chicago. Their demands were for better working conditions and an eight hour work day. On May 1st, at the McCormick Center, two shootings and one death occurred during a riot. Three days later, a mass demonstration was organized on Haymarket Square. The mayor of Chicago sent an extra number of police which used excessive force and another riot broke out. As a result, an explosion, packed with dynamite was thrown from somewhere in the crowd. The name of the offender was not known. What was known was the fact that seven police officers died and four offenders, self proclaimed anarchists, were tried and two were hung. The bigger picture that the use of dynamite produced a wider influence than first thought. The use of dynamite helped to bring the entire establishment against the ideas of the Progressives with regard to their desire to improve their working conditions. Deep rooted fears that the country had regarding sinister elements were now proved to be correct in the minds of many Americans. However, the Haymarket Square Riot did help to organize the call among labor leaders to continue to fight the employers. Even though many of the Progressive leaders did not condone the use of violence, and even though it was not known for sure who was responsible for the throwing of the dynamite bomb, it was assumed that it was almost certainly, a member of the pro labor union forces. â€Å"However, what was seen as excessive force by the police, seemed to almost condone the actions in the minds of the most radical labor leaders. † As a result, the labor movement in Chicago and in New York specifically, gained momentum and within the next few decades, the Progressive Movement would see a surge in their influence, not only on the streets and in the factories, but also in Congress as well. This was not entirely a result of the Haymarket Square but in Chicago, in 1894, the second largest labor strike occurred in the 19th century at the Pullman Car Company on the south side of Chicago. No dynamite was used in this demonstration but many of the workers used for their motivation, the events at Haymarket Square. The second is the 1920 bombing of the Wall Street Building in downtown Manhattan. There was a feeling of suspicion among the country at that time that was prompted by a unmistakable xenophobia. Socialists groups had gained in converts and influence yet there has been no show of force until one day, in a New York City Post office, sixteen packages, addressed to prominent Senators and Congressmen and which contained: â€Å" enough dynamite to blow a man’s head off† were discovered and which confirmed deeply suspicions feelings about the anarchists within the city and their desire for revolution, the same that had occurred in Russia only three years earlier. Neither events had the desired result of anarchy that the perpetrators had hoped for. Nevertheless, it would not be long until another attempt was made to create panic to the financial and districts of America On a warm May late morning in 1920, a horse drawn wagon pulled up to the corner of Wall Street. It was a few minutes before lunch and people were getting ready to head out onto the May afternoon to eat their lunch. A large explosion occurred and the wagon was full of dynamite as well as thousands of sash weights that dug into the stone of the Wall Street buildings; the financial capital of the country. Forty people were killed and the horse had become completely disintegrated. The stock market did not close that day however and the Dow continued to rise as one of the most exciting decades the stock market had ever seen to date was officially under way. But the destructive potential of dynamite has not been restricted only to the United States and only in the distant past. In Ireland, with bombings occurring almost weekly in the 1970’s and 1980’s the deathly potential of dynamite came to the front door of the United Kingdom. There has been civil unrest in Ireland for hundreds of years as Ireland fought to gain their independence from England. When Ireland gained her independence in 1921, twenty six out of a total of thirty two counties were made their own country, independent from England. The Protestant minority, which had centralized herself in the six most Northern counties of Ireland and not wanting to lose the little influence that they had by being outnumbered and overpowered by the Catholic majority, voted to keep their allegiance to England. And a Northern Ireland, with their own currency and independent from the lower twenty six counties, remained separate. This has been fought over since 1921 but came to a head in the 1970’s and 1980’s as increased pressure to unite Ireland was coming from the political wing of Ireland Sinn Fein and their leader Gerry Adams and Martin McGinness. In the same way that Middle Eastern terrorists use violent means in order to further their cause, Sinn Fein did the same as well. It is estimated that since the Bloody Sunday Massacre on January 30, 1972 until present day, more than three thousand people, with the vast majority being innocent civilians, have been killed through bombings by the IRA and Sinn Fein and in response by the Ulster Unionists who are associated to Northern Ireland and the continuation of a separate Ireland. These terrorists would use as their weapon of choice for these bombings, dynamite. With much of it being illegally shipped by Omar Kadafe, who was sympathetic about Ireland’s plight of uniting their country and approved of its measures to achieve its goal, sent thousands of pounds of nitroglycerine as well as other materials that are used to make dynamite. Hundreds of sticks of dynamite along with a large arsenal of guns and other forms of weaponry accompanied each shipment. The targets for these bombings would usually be social settings: restaurants and pubs where it was assured that dozens of unsuspecting patrons would meet their deaths. However, the result of hundreds of these bombings throughout Ireland has actually resulted in the opposite desired effect. The IRA and Sinn Fein are considered to be on the fringe of society and the rightness of their cause, as seen through the hunger strike of Bobby Sands, an MP, has been lost. And even though Britain’s influence within Northern Ireland has decreased in the past years and peace agreement after peace agreement has been ignored by both sides, it becomes increasingly unlikely that there will ever be a united Ireland in the immediate or distant future. This is because it is now seen that recons illation by either side will, in effect, make the deaths of the thousands of victims on both sides, now be considered null and void. In this effect, the use of dynamite greatly decreased the likelihood that a true and lasting peace would ever come to Ireland. If dynamite has never been invented, there still would have been troubles in Ireland among the Catholics and Protestants and between Unionists and the IRA but the number of deaths, and therefore, the number of hurdles that would need to be overcome in order to obtain a lasting peace, would have been a mere shadow of the reality that is now facing Ireland’s peace process today. In this respect, every lover of peace and brotherhood, not only in Ireland but throughout the world, has come to regret the day that dynamite had been invented. It served as an unmistakable impediment for that portion of the world. However, there have been found some positive uses of dynamite. In the United States today, the uses of dynamite are as such: â€Å"Coal mining 67%, non metal mining 14% metal mining, 10% construction 7% and miscellaneous 3%. † At the end of the 19th century and into the 20th, coal was the country’s primary source for fuel. In order to get the coal out of the earth, dynamite blasting was required. As a result, more dynamite meant easier travel by way of ship and train which used as their chief form of fuel: coal. The shipping industry as well as the railroad which served as the number one form of cross country transportation and was second in use only to the mass transit system of the major cities, used coal as their use of fuel. Without dynamite, coal still could and was retrieved from the ground but at a snail’s pace compared to the rate that it extracted from the earth today. This has wide ranging implications and is one use of dynamite which was to the benefit of the masses. In this way, the correct and responsible use of dynamite was used to better the lives of millions of people over the decades. The importance of dynamite on the world stage has diminished from its zenith in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Dynamite has now been replaced by safer alternatives but is still used in coal mining. And with America’s push away from Middle eastern independence through their oil supply, many people are pointing to the abundance of American coal. In that respect, the importance of dynamite on the world stage might return. For the most part, contemporary societies have come to share the vision that Alfred Nobel had for his invention. However, as long as people seek to further their ideas in violent measures, dynamite still serves an attractive tool in that motive. Nuclear Weapons, bigger guns and other forms of chemical warfare have replaced the use dynamite in war. Nobel was too unrealistic about the depravity of man to think that dynamite’s destructive potential would be abandoned in favor of more peaceful measures. But with every invention that increases an army’s ability to kill, it is said that this will now outlaw war. But that has yet to happen. However, since dynamite is no longer seen as the most effective tool in warfare, its uses can now be concentrated more on its useful abilities and continue to aid in the welfare of man; Nobel’s original intent. WORKS CITED Birney, E. The Effectiveness of Dynamite. www. nchi. mlm. nih. gov. Sanger Centre Cambridge February 21, 2006 Burns, Ric The History of New York. New York: PBS Video. 1999 Bown, Stephen, The Most Damnable Invention. New York: St. Martin’s Press. 2005 Commanger, Henry Steele. Documents of American History. New York: Century Publishers. 1947 Perry, John. Endgame in Ireland. New York: PBS Video. 2001 Elistone, Mary. The Haymarket Square Riot. Chicago: University of Chicago Law Review. 1993 Marcazee, Joseph. The Use of Dynamite in History. New York: The American Journal of American History. 1999. nobelprize. org/Alfred_nobel

National Integration in Pakistan

National Integration in Pakistan To combine and bring together all the people of a country is known as national integration. It is a feeling which combines all the people irrespective of their colour, race, caste, region and religion etc. It is the only force with the help of which all types of people live together peacefully and considering themselves the members of single whole. 1 THE STATE OF NATIONAL INTEGRATION IN PAKISTAN Pakistan is facing the problem of national integration since its creation. The lack of national integration is a big problem. Owing to the absence of national integration Pakistan has been pushed to cruel circle. It has made Pakistan a sorry state of affairs, and has made Pakistan the centre of terrorist activities. Due to this problem Pakistan has become an instable and vulnerable state and a total breakdown of state machinery. This was not the problem at first. Pakistan was the result of integration on the basis of Islam. Unfortunately after the death of Quaid-e-Azam the country was isolated. National integration faced too many problems. At this rate, income inequalities, social injustice, political blow and other evils raised their heads. All of these made national integration weak and fragile. There is lack of consensus on important national issues in Pakistan. For that reason the provinces hate each other. The Punjab is being accused by the rest of three provinces i.e. Sindh, Kh yber Pukhtunkhwa and Baluchistan for exploiting their resources and not paying there just share. Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa are against the construction of Kala Bagh dame while Punjab wants to construct it. On the issue of NFC award the three provinces having the same reservation from Punjab. There are too much hurdles and difficulties in the way of national integration of Pakistan. It is necessary to vanish the sentiments of regionalism or provincialism languisticism or communalism etc. Some of the important reasons of the failure of national integration of Pakistan are as below: CRISIS OF LEADERSHIP After the death of Quaid-e-Azam there was hardly any leader upon whom the nation could be united. Every leader prefers his personal interest rather than national interest. They built up economic assets on illegal means. Thus they exploited the national purse on the coast of national interest and promoted personal interests. Therefore national integration remained weak and fragile.2 ECONOMIC DISPARITIES There is a big gap between rich and poor. The system of Pakistan has been structured such that the gulf between poor and rich become widen with the every passing day. Rich become richer and the poor become poorer and poorer. It strengthens the upper and privileged class of society. It never cares of the lower class of the society. Thus the economic inequalities led towards the weakness of the national integration.3 PROVINCIAL BIASES AND SOCIAL INJUSTICE Beside the lack of social justice and provincial biases are posing a threat to the basic existence of the country. It leads towards the destabilization of the state and shaking the basis of national integration of the country. The smaller provinces have developed the sense of deprivation. They think that they have been deprived of their just share in the national exchequer and of their just royalty. It has developed the age-old animosities among the provinces. Social justice is the only solution of national integration in Pakistan. The water dispute existed among the provinces. It has posed a major threat to national integration. The provinces have objections on the construction of Kala Bagh dam which has detracted the confidence and unity of the country. Likewise the dispute over NFC (National Finance Commission) award also posing serious threats to national integration. The provinces dont agree on the formula in which the resources are to be divided on the basis of population. This creates great hurdles in the way of national integration of Pakistan. The sense of regionalism has been fuelled by the lack of socio economic justice in the country. Regionalism has divided the whole nation into small and paltry classes. It has created fractions, groups, sects working for their vested interests. Jeye Sindh, Baluch Liberation Front and Baluch liberation army are struggling for the secession from federation. So the question of national integration remain unaddressed and at low priority. There is a trend of promoting personal interest, class interest, group interest and faction and regional interest instead national interests. Almost all parties are talking about Sindhies, Baluchies, Pukhtoons, and Punjabies and other small groups. There is no talk about Pakistan. This politics of regionalism has widened the gulf between different sections of the society. It has shaken the basis of national integration of Pakistan.4 MILITARY INTERVENTION Military intervention has weakened the basis of national integration. During military rule the small provinces has been deprived of there just share. East Pakistan seceded during military rule. The military regime failed to promote the sense of ones in the two wings of Pakistan.5 Baluchistan issue also emerged during military rule. POLITICAL INSTABILITY Political stability is the most important prerequisite for strengthening the national integration. Unfortunately Pakistan is lacking this requirement since very long. The political instability has widened the gulf between the ruling class and the ruled class. It has distorted the picture of Pakistan and made it retrogressive in all spheres. Political instability has posed a big threat to national unity and integrity. Lack of unity and integration has pushed behind the objectives for which Pakistan was created. It has also rhythm of national progress. As a result the nation has become hallow from within in terms of national integration.6 LANGUAGE PROBLEM Pakistani is a plural society. There are living many linguistic groups which is problem. Some time it poses serious threats for the geographical integrity of the state. Pakistan lost its eastern wing owing to many problem of which the language problem was one of the important problem. In todays Pakistan the difference of language is still a problem in the way of national integration of state. It is very much important for Pakistan to have a language policy which is helpful for the promotion of all languages equally. The current policy has created a sense among the small linguistic groups that the government is only promoting Urdu at the coast of regional languages. All the provinces have been divided into more than one linguistic group which contributing to the instability of country.7 MEDIA Media is a source of information and education. It is the most effective mean of change and information. Media is expected to play a positive role in image building of the state. It is the responsibility of media to promote national interest and national integration. In a democratic society the role of media is to be of a watchdog. It is the need of the time that our media should strive for building of soft and positive image of the state.8 Media is the link between the people of a country which propagate the news throughout the country and world by means of electronic devices known as electronic media i.e. radio, TV, net etc and by the means of print media i.e. newspapers, journals, and magazines etc. Media is the most effective source of communication. It enriches the people knowledge about the right and wrong. On the one hand media is breaking false news without proper investigation, yet on the other hand it inform us about the realities.9 POWER OF MEDIA Media is a link between people and societies. Without media they would have been isolated. In the current century media has very much powerful. With the help of media we came to know about the happenings around the world. It unveils the truth and injustice done to people. It rules over the mind of the people. Media educate the people and moulds their opinion, making and toppling the governments makes a hero a villain and a villain a hero. It changes the life style, thinking, culture and tradition of a society. Power of media can be judged through its role as a source of information, education and entertainment. It has changed the world into a global village.10 ROLE OF MEDIA IN NATIONAL INTEGRATION Pakistani media is playing very irresponsible role. Talk shows and political debates dont consider themselves subject to limits. In debates the participants using abusive language against each other. The anchor persons are fuelling the arguments and counter arguments. They dont care for the fact that what type of image they are going to develop publically. What the people will think about them. This trend is conveying a very negative massage inside and outside of the country. Media as opinion maker models the opinion of the people. These talk shows are creating prejudice among the workers of different political parties. And in some cases they get violent against each other.11 In the name of freedom of press media, some time crossing the limits. There is a race among the different channels for breaking news which led to a fierce situation. They are using negative tools for increasing the number of viewership.12 Media has to play a positive and productive role in a society. Education is one of the important factors in promoting national integration. On the same lines media has a very affective role in educating the society. The use of media especially of internet has a lot of contribution in educating society. It is the responsibility of media to unveil the true picture of society. But unfortunately most of the press is prejudice. They are propagating the distorted picture of reality as they want. Media should show responsibility. They should show love and affection instead of hate. They should play a constructive role in providing education to the people and show them the real picture of the world as it is. They should not sensitize the issues. Honest coverage is the spirit of journalism. The media can led the society towards betterment if they start factual reporting. These are some of the major flaws in media if these could be addressed justly they can play an active role in national integration. Ibid media persons and press should be devoted and self reliable. They should show great social responsibilities that would. 13 THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN NATIONAL INTEGRATION Media is the reflection of any country. It shows the way of living and behaviour of the people of any country. The way of expressing news, the way the politicians talking, in talk shows and political debates, show the attitude of the people of that country. The media is bound to spread reality and should be careful of its responsibilities. Media should aware the public without influencing their mind negatively the mind of public and make them able to protest in true manner which could result oriented. Mc Combs and Shaw consider the media as, the mass media sets the agenda for political campaigns, influencing public attitudes toward desired issues. Pakistani media is more responsible than any other media of the other countries of the world because Pakistan needs a big change and the media is the powerful source of change. Now-a-days media is easily accessible to all walks of life through various means electronic means and press i.e. TV, radio, mobile, internet, newspapers, journals, m agazines etc. Media is a force which moulding the opinion of the people. Media changes the approach of the people towards different issues which perform very important role in highlighting certain attributes of issues. Guardians of the media, i.e. news editors, play fundamental role in determining the media outline which become public outline after some time.14 With the appearance of new century the press has become independent. There are TV channels which give coverage to the issues around the country in Pakistan. Media has a lot of contribution in educating the public about issues, but unfortunately media has badly failed in changing the behaviour of the people towards many issues. Media broadcast issues in a way that it boost people instantaneously just after the news report while the people dont know that what they should do in that particular scenario and who they can play a constructive role. Media has to discourage strongly such type of negative approach of the general mass. Demonstrations and protests are good to build up pressure towards solution of any problem but there should be in a right way to demonstrate which should result oriented. With every passing day the reputation of Pakistani media has corrupted owing to its failure in systematically comprehending affairs. Instead of spreading true root cause of issues, media is just adding wordings over the issue and crisis. The coverage of political issues by our media is heavily episodic rather than subjective. There is a number of political talk shows on different TV channels in Pakistan. No programme out of these having an ending or concluding words that could be helpful for people to understand that what will be the possible solution to the problems facing by them. Every program discusses the one and the same issue with different names. Somewhere it is Capital Talk, somewhere it is Aaj Kamran Khan ki sath, To the Point, Kal Tak, Ikhtilaf, Jarga, Likin, etc etc. But no programme has a fruit full ending. There is no difference of information and viewpoint of different political figures. There is no ray of hope regarding the solution of any problem. No politician can g ive remedy nor they coming to the point of solution.15 Constitution of Pakistan gives fundamental rights to citizens. But media does not give importance to it. Instead they are interested in sensitization of issues and news. They are broadcasting such news where they can found something where fundamental rights of citizens are violated.16 Being the powerful pillar of the state media has to save the country form sudden slippage. Media is independent for a long time but it could not show positive role in changing the rebellious attitude of the people. Pakistani media should represent this country with immense care because this country is not only important for Islamic world but for the peace of the world as well. Media should be very much careful while representing this country in the globe and guiding the people of this country to bring out this country form the problems surrounding it. It is the responsibility of media to show the real picture of Pakistani nation to the world, its thinking on the global issues. It represents the culture of Pakistan. Thus media is on the most responsible position. It has to tell the world about Islam and Pakistan and the implications of Islam on Pakistan. Majority of the channels are highly politicised while they should for Islamic norms and values. Some of the channels are religious w hile some are representing secular group. These are representing Pakistan from two different perspectives. This type of media, with two totally different angles widening cultural gap in Pakistan which ultimately results in creating two rival groups in Pakistan. Our media showing the world two different cultures and directing the people to divide into two groups, with one fundamental thoughts and other secular thoughts. 17 For promoting a peaceful and balanced society it is important for all media channels to represent the real culture neither of Pakistan which is neither extremist nor vice versa. Francis Fukuyama, (1995) says that, A thriving civil society depends on a peoples habits, customs, and ethics- attributes that can be shaped only indirectly through conscious political action and must otherwise be nourished through the increased awareness and respect for culture. Unfortunately in Pakistan we are lacking a free and transparent political system, but we have an independent media. Media is more powerful than political parties. Hence media can play an important role in moulding the fate of society towards betterment. Pakistani culture is one and the same and that is Islamic. By dividing it into two divergent cultures creates democratic problems for our society. Media can bridge both the gulf which has been created by one way or other since the creation of Pakistan by playing positive and sensitive role. Some of the already existing groups are distorting the picture of Pakistan by developing false picture of Pakistan and Islam. To minimize the influence of such groups all Pakistani media should represent the true picture of Islam and Pakistan. The entire news and drama channels should adopt national dress symbols of Pakistan which at the same time is Pakistani and Islamic. Unfortunately models, actors, reporter and anchors of media channels follow such a way of speaking, negotiating and apparels which are not true picture of Pakistan and Islam. In a nutshell we can say that media should enhance its role in educating the people that they may be able to participate sensibly to influence the mess. Furthermore media have to build up its status among the society by touching the hidden bonds of society i.e. its culture. Though there are varieties of cultures in our society but all of them surrender to a common culture of Islam. Media has to communicate with the people of society as its part. Tariq Alvi says, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..Stress the importance of culture, which may vary even within a country, in negotiating any complex deal you need to understand the values of the people you are dealing with, even if you do not accept their values yourselfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦... Therefore media should be very much carful about the culture of Pakistan to integrate the people of Pakistan towards prosperity and development while living within Islamic boundaries.18 Media is being considered as the fourth pillar of the state. In this regard it is expected that it may play a very active role in promoting national integration especially our plural and heterogeneous and divergent society. But unfortunately it has been observed the so called independent media has created violence and hatred on many occasions. Recently Muttahidda Quami Movements leader Altaf Hussain and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Zulfiqar Mirzas speeches has been widely reported in our media which resulted in hundreds of mass killing in Karachi. Likewise medias strong campaign for Lal Masjid operation in 2007 had promoted extremist to kill thousands of soldiers and civilians in target killing and suicide attacks.19 Our media provides us entertainment in forms of Dramas, songs and movies and some funny programmes as hum sub umeed se hain etc. All these are surrounded by romance, love affairs, violence, glamour, big cars, big houses and a clash of poor and rich. All these in no way reflect our culture or represent our culture and civilization. Hardly we can see a programme with a positive and moral result in the democratization of our young generation.20 All these provided to us by media, are responsible for disaster and anarchy in our society. Media has badly failed in providing us role models that could unite our divergent society.21 Medias interest is market drivers and for the sake of rating. It can even compromise on national integration. The supporters of this media argues that media is beating the triumphant Aman ke Asha, which will stop the flow of water towards Pakistan. They projecting the marriage ceremony of Shoib and Sania Mirza, telecasting Altaf Hussains singing, the hatred remarks of Zulfiqar Mirza are breaking news for them for increasing rating and number of viewership. In this scenario how one can expect from media that they will promote national integration rather they are causing disintegration.22 The most recent example of rating is Malalas issue which have been given undue coverage. tens of children die almost every day in drone attacks no channel roused voice for any one of them. It makes the people to think who are being suffered that are they not been given that much projection and thus finally they came on violence against state and all other players of the game. This trend finally led towards destruction of national integration. Before the attack on Malala the media gave very unfair projection to Sharmin Obaid Channaoye. She has made a movie with the name of, Face Saving. In this she had highlighted an issue in which the husbands threw acid on the faces of females. In this issue she has given very negative picture of Pakistani society. She has represented the people brutal, merciless and cruel. She had used the innocent women for her movie. According to print media reports the women who was used for this purpose was not given her wage and neither was given medical treat ment. For her this alleged movie she was prised in Europe and USA and awarded with Oscar Award because she presented a highly exaggeratedly negative picture of Pakistan. Pakistani media given that lady very high projection and presented her as heroin of Pakistan. This kind of reporting and projection is very negatively impacting the image of Pakistan abroad. Media is selling negative news hypes. Media will never make breaking news of a positive development in the violence turned tribal area. Professor Inam Ullah of department of Journalism university of Peshawar says, If you tell any channel that 20 girls got admission in a school in Mohmand Agency no channel will broad cast this news because there is no sensitization in this news and channels dont take interest in such news. On the other hand if you told them that a school has been blown up in the same place or any other area then switch on your TV and tune any channel you will see that all channels are broad casting that news with any investigation and conformation. This is the interest of media. They are sensitizing the issues creating thrill. They are in race and competition. They dont care for national integration or any other positive activity. They just want to break the news before any other news channel breaks it.23 By promoting news with hype is just for the increase of viewers and earn maximum money by commercial advertisement. The people are also responsible for this trend of media. Media is selling what the people want to buy. It is now a business not a source of education or information. People like Indian movies, songs and programmes. TV channels broadcasting these things for increasing the number of viewership. If a channel even tries to telecast a debate on national integration the people dont like to watch it. According to this school of thought if media does not broad caste the hatred of the politician they have in their hearts they wont be able to do justice to themselves.24 Another irony is that media does not give equal coverage to each political party. They are broad casting a five hours press conference of Altaf Hussain directly from England while the next day they dont give 5 minutes time to another political party. They dont publish the manifesto some parties while giving coverage to the minute things of other political party. (amir jamati Islami sayed munawar Hassan interview with Wajahat Saeed Khan, Ajj TV talk show Ikhtilaf on Nov 2, 2012). This trend of media is damaging for national integration of our country. TV channels have no concern to play positive role to bridge the gap which has been created the absence of good governance in different section of society. They are just interested in sensitive news and want to break such news which can attract more and more viewers.25 Almost all TV shows are made for urban consumerist population a soft victim for advertisers. These shows are full of sumptuous cooking; ingredients are the product so of huge companies and plays in which families Banarasi Saris, gold jewellery, and full makeup in their daily lives at houses.26 When the working class are the lower and poor class of a society who are hardly living their lives, watch all these things a desire came in their heart for such lavish life. But their pocket does not allow them to afford. They get frustrated and thus a feeling of hate emerges inside them. they turned severely against the upper and privileged class of society and thus against the whole system. This finally poses many threats to national integration. This mindset is responsible for so many social evils. TV commercials also playing the same role. They ate are showing the products of big companies which are practically out of the range of the society at large. In these commercials the life is imaginary which can be seen only on TV screen but not possible in practical life. The culture is being represented neither in dramas and movies nor in TV commercials.27 With so much social estrangement between haves and have-not, can they identify with the country our media depicts? How we can expect them to have patriotic feeling or the right values? the writer of the article wrote her personal experience in such words, I remember a child show in which actress was asked if she would give a massage to children, enthusiastically she replied, khao, peyo aur maze karo,.28 this is the massage normally given by TV anchors and shows. When a child of poor parents receive such massage and then they demanding for such a life where ones concentrate is just upon eating, drinking and enjoyment, and his/her parents could not afford this both parents and child get frustrated and turned against the system. They will try to snatch this luxurious life form those who living it irrespective of the fact that he can live such life or not but at least the upper class should not live it. Instead of a massage could be given to care about the less fortunate, do study better, to be respectful towards their elders, to be honest in their dealing or not to litter and through garbage all over the place. Insight and aspiration for nation building could have been given. But do media persons care? 29 RELIGIOUS PROGRAMMES AND NATIONAL INTEGRATION There are so many so called religious programmes in which religious scholars appear who came on different TV channels and interpret Islam from their own perspective and point of view. They are crazy of popularity, money and modernity. There is a huge gap between the interpretation of modern ulama and the orthodox ulama. There are people who cannot bear either of the opponent group. They turned against each other and especially the followers of orthodox ulama even came on aggression which causes too many problems in our society. Dr Javed Ahmad Ghamdi, Dr Faroop (late) Dr Aamir Laiqat Hussain is among the modern ulam. Orthodox ulama have issued fatwas against them. The death of Dr Farooq is being connected with this opposition of ideas among orthodox and modernists. He was given threats to take his modern ideas back or then get ready for drastic consequences. CONCLUSION Without media neither we can formulate an opinion nor can resolve any problem. Media has the potential of projecting any culture and give a sense of belonging to people belonging to different backgrounds. But unfortunately there are many examples where media could not come up with the expectations of the people. From the above discourse it reveals that media in Pakistan does not deliver according to the needs of the nation. Their more concentration remains on market. How to increase the number of viewership, how to attract advertisers and how to break fresh news before any other do it. In this race and competition they often broadcast false and sensitive news. Media is the most responsible institution of any state. In a state like Pakistan its responsibilities are more sensitive than any other country. Today Pakistan is the focal point of the world. All the countries have interest in Pakistan and thus they analyzing the situation every minute. Being a responsible institution media in Pakistan should avoid sensitizing the news. All those news should not be telecasted which can rise the communal or ethnic crisis. Every day we observe that someone has committed suicide, someone has been killed for being shia or Sunni, a school has blown up in so and so area, target killing are going on in Karachi, a shrine of some famous personality has blown up by terrorists etc, etc. After careful analysis all this type of news are poison for national integration. It weakens the roots of national unity and feeling of oneness. A feeling of hatred emerges in the hearts of people against each other which led towards communal crisis, ethnic crisis, provincialism and regionalism. The media should avoid such type of news and reports. They should give very little coverage to such news and concentrate on positive news that the people may get hopeful for better prospects in future. Different talk shows on different TV channels are creating illusion among the people. The politicians who are supposed to guide the people in difficult times are talking in a highly uncivilized manner in TV programs which does not suite their status. Media should work as a beacon and candle. It can do anything to make hero a villain and a villain a hero. It should lead the nation in a right direction. They should not work as the agent of western media and organization as puppet in their hands as it has been working. It is the need of the day that the intellectuals should discuss this problem seriously. Media is a tool which can be used for positive purposes very fruitfully.

The Values And Ethics Of The Profession Social Work Essay

The Values And Ethics Of The Profession Social Work Essay Social workers are put into difficult situations on a regular basis. The Health and care professions council (HCPC) set guidelines to aid the challenges social workers face. To remain registered, a social worker needs to abide by the HCPC code of ethics to ensure delivery of the best possible service for users. Working within the guidelines set can be challenging as it may cause conflict with the service users values or potentially the social workers own values. For the purpose of this essay, ethics will be defined as professional obligations and rules of conduct (Meacham, 2007). Social work values will be defined as a range of beliefs about what is regarded as worthy or valuable in a social work context (BASW, 2012 p17). This essay focuses on two areas of the personalisation agenda that can cause challenges for social workers; accommodation and personal budgets. The target service user group for the purposes of this essay is people with disabilities. Using the definition stated in t he Equality Act, (2010) A person is considered disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities. Legislation and requirements to support adults with disabilities is increasing for the over eleven million people with a limiting long term illness, impairment or disability in Great Britain (office for disability issues, 2012). However, disabled people report mixed feelings and reactions to the legislations and rules put in place regarding their care and allowances (Dalley, 1991). The social philosophical approaches to social work will be used to deal with the challenges and conflicts social workers face. This essay touches upon Kants deontology; Benthams and Mills utilitarianism and Biesteks 7 principles approach. Immanuel Kant (1785) developed the theory of deontology. This means that social workers need to be promoting good actions and the correct motive, however the consequence is not important and the idea of an acceptable motive is subject to judgement (Adapted by Hartsell, 2006; Banks, 2001; Reiman, 2009; Meacham, 2008). Subsequently, Kant introduced the idea of a categorical imperative (CI). A CI maintains a persons motives for their actions and they therefore should be acceptable as a universal law. Â  Thus people should act on motives that can be used by everyone in a moral society and lead to respect for people (Darwell, 2002 cited in Reiman, 2009). From this it is seen that people should be treated as an end, for example a choice or desire, rather than a means (object) to our own ends. He believed that everyone should be treated with respect regardless of their characteristics or behaviour (Banks, 2001). Kant talks about respect for the individual person and promoting self determination. Biestek (1961) produced 7 principles that over time have become highly influential to social workers looking at values and ethics within their practice. 5 main principles have been used: Individualisation; Recognition that each service user has unique qualities, good and bad. Purposeful expression of feeling; Recognition that service users need to express their feelings (especially negative ones) freely. Acceptance; The social worker should be able to work with a service user without passing judgement and accepting Individuals for who they are, including their strengths and their weaknesses. Non judgemental attitude; Social workers should be able to not pass judgement or assign guilt to the service user. It is about judging the service users behaviour User self determination; the social worker should be able to guide the service user, depending on their on their capacity, to have freedom in making their own decisions and choices (Adapted by Banks, 2001). Utilitarianism focuses on a consequentialist approach as it focuses on the consequences of the action, rather than the actions themselves. (Scheffler, 1994 cited in Reiman, 2009). Decisions should be made on the results and consequences it could have on society rather than on a personal and individual basis, and to promote maximum good within society. The right action produces the greatest balance of good over evil the principle of utility. (Banks, 2001). Utilitarianism is based on a theory developed by Bentham and Mills who looked into two branches of utilitarianism; hedonistic and ideal utilitarianism. Bentham explored hedonistic utilitarianism, where good was matched with happiness. Mills explored the idea of ideal utilitarianism. This focused on good being about virtues, truth and knowledge, not just happiness. (Banks, 2001). The theory promotes the greatest good for the greatest number of people. When making a decision it is imperative that the consequence is considered. Theref ore as a social worker, it would be beneficial to look at the consequences of the forthcoming action and evaluate what would be most beneficial and least harmful to the service user. In the late 1980s, the Government recognised that an improvement in access to community services was required. The Government were committed to providing more support for people with long term needs by assisting and supporting individuals to manage their conditions and providing services they require in the community rather than in long-stay hospitals.(Oliver, 1996) Morris (1993) conducted a study that looked into disabled individuals who needed day to day services. He found that disabled individuals were starting to feel a sense of hopelessness and helplessness when trying to access statutory services. Historically, social workers assessed and told service users what services they needed. Through the personalisation agenda, and the introduction of direct payments, service users told the social worker their needs. For the first time, the social worker had to accept the service users self-assessment and then use the assessment to see if the highlighted issues were eligible under Fair Access to Care (2003) legislation. Direct payments were introduced in 1997 and social workers had to translate service user needs into a monetary value to enable them to purchase their own service. The aim was to give individuals control over their care and their lives. Direct payments evolved into personalised budgets and have further evolved into a more individualised budget / service plan. The need for change and equality of service provision has been recognised as more views are being voiced by people with disabilities. In line with Beisteks theory, service users are using purposeful expression of feeling and self-determination to enable the social workers to know their wants and needs. This has resulted in changes which could reduce the potential for conflict in the future. A further challenge is budgetary control. Service users often want services that are financially unavailable to them. Although ethics state that service users should be encouraged to have self- determination, be treated as a whole and the social worker should promote and provide information regarding their care (BASW, 2012), the service users choice cannot always be guaranteed. Utilitarianism would suggest that this is because if service users always received the services they wanted, the social worker would not be promoting the greatest good for the greatest number, instead would be taking a more Kantian approach of promoting moral good. These two philosophical approaches cause conflict within themselves. The Mental Capacity Act (2005) says a person lacks capacity in relation to a matter if at the material time he is unable to make a decision for himself in relation to the matter because of an impairment of, or a disturbance in the functioning of, the mind or brain. (s2). This leads to challenges and conflicts for social workers. If the service user had capacity, there could be conflict over the way they spend their budget which could lead to the social worker treating that individual without respect. Following the BASW code of ethics (2012), it states that social workers should respect the right to self-determination. Kant would support this view as, by the social worker supporting the individual to meet their own self-defined needs, the social worker is promoting good actions that will in turn produce good outcomes for the individual. The social worker needs to recognise that the individual has human rights and freedom to voice their views. Burton (1996) showed that there was a fail ure to recognise the unequal power relations between the social worker in control of provision of services and the service user who relies on the services. This therefore would undermine Beisteks principles of self-determination as, although the service user is voicing their opinion, the social worker is not listening and this could be seen as jeopardising the principles of personalisation and the code of ethics that are imperative. The implementation of The Mental Capacity Act needs to be reviewed to ensure workers are following legislation and ethics. It should not be assumed someone lacks capacity because they have a disability. On the other hand, if the service user didnt have capacity, it could cause conflict between the social worker and the paid carer and/or unpaid carers. If the service user lacks capacity, how would the social worker or the carers be able to assess what was best for the individual? A social worker would have to uphold and promote human dignity and well-being as well as empowering the individual. (BASW, 2012). These ethics and values are supported by Beisteks theory. Workers need to treat the service user with respect, be non -judgemental and accept the situation the service user may be in. The social worker therefore would only be able to act upon their assessment which should include the carers views on what is best for the service user. Utilitarianism, an alternative argument, would argue whats the greatest good for the greatest number? What would benefit the service user more? The social workers views or the carers views? The outcomes need to ensure that the maximum people are happy . The social worker could reach the maximum happiness and reduce conflict by using empowerment. The social worker would respect the needs and preferences of the service user, via the carers and family members as well as recognising their own prejudices to ensure the correct services are offered. The Community Care Act (1990) promotes care in the community and people staying within their own home, allowing the individual to use their personal budget and have carers to promote independence. There is evidence to suggest for example, individuals who have fractured a limb, fare better when they recuperate in their own homes. (Pignolo, Keenan and Hebela, 2011). Accommodation is a major concern for many service users (Davis and Wainwright, 1996). One aspect that could cause conflict is the practice of placing young people in young disability units, properties that are specifically designed for people with learning disabilities. Although this could be seen as a solution for people to interact and have support, there is a potential conflict as the individual cannot choose where they want to live and may live a distance from family/friends. If placed in a purpose built establishment, the individuals are classed as being housed by the local authority and therefore do not get to choose alternative locations (Oliver, 1996). The dilemma for the social worker is the need to take the individuals views into account whilst balancing their needs and wants, particularly if the service user lacks the capacity to make the decision. It is unlawful for anyone to sign a tenancy agreement on behalf of an individual who lacks capacity. A capacity assessment needs to be undertaken to ensure the service user understands how to maintain that tenancy. In order to proceed, an application needs to be made to The Court of Protection. This could lead to conflict as the social worker and housing department need to uphold the law, however many families feel they have the right to sign a tenancy for their disabled family member and find it difficult to accept that this is not the case. According to BASW (2012), the social worker needs to develop professional relationships with the service user and the family, uphold the reputation and values of the profession as well as recognising diversity and treating the individual as a whole. Utilitarianism would recommend looking at what benefits the whole family, rather than just the service user. Challenges arise when the service user lacks capacity. Using the utilitarian approach, it could be said that the service user shouldnt be given a tenancy as it doesnt promote the greatest good for the greatest number. This view is in conflict with BASW codes of ethics. It could be seen as unethical practice and lead to further conflict. Beistek would support the view of BASW in using the specific value base that service users should be allowed to freely express their feelings, both positive and negative, and the social worker should listen and make a decision in an accepting and non-judgemental way. However, Kant would say that although the consequence of not getting a choice in where the service user lives is a negative outcome, the intention of placing them in a home, with other people to socialise is a good moral judgement that is solely benefitting the individual. Another potential conflict could be older disabled individuals being forced into care. The Sutherland Report (1999) claimed that older disabled people were being forced into institutional care too early due to the lack of alternative care at home. Sixsmith and Sixsmith (2008) provided evidence that by 2008 there had been a shift in care provision and that the Personalisation Agenda meant that people were remaining in their home for longer and receiving appropriate services. However there is a further potential for conflict when accommodating people, with disabilities, to stay in their homes. Individuals may want to grow old at home but is this possible for people with significantly reduced mobility? Many homes are inaccessible to wheelchair users and those with significant mobility impairments (Burns, 2004). There is a Government scheme whereby disabled people can apply for a disabled facility grant to have their homes adapted, and certain individuals have to re-pay the Government, t herefore the Government is not financing expensive care packages. The role of the social worker would be to negotiate, support and empower the service user to have their needs met in the most appropriate, desired way. According to Kants theory, having a loan is the moral good as people will be able to remain at home for longer, promoting happiness and community care. This would be supported by the values of BASW which states social workers need to treat the service user as a whole and respect their right to self-determination. In contrast to Kants theory, Utilitarianism would consider weighing up the consequences of removing the service user from their house and into an adapted and safe environment. I.e. a care home could be seen as an easier option for disabled people to receive care. This view could cause conflict because the social worker is going against the wishes and desires of the service user. Utilitarianism looks at the best outcome for society rather than on an individual level. Therefore, by moving individuals out of the house into the care home may provide maximum happiness for society, although it disregards the individuals views and opinions. This is a criticism of the model as many service users could potentially not have their needs met in a manner that is acceptable to them due to the focus being on the benefit to society. This could be particularly true e.g. for people with English as a second language or who follow a religious faith. However, Beistek would agree with Kant in promoting self-determination. A key theme running throughout this essay is respect for the individual person as a self determining being. Both Kant and Beistek promote this and therefore appear to be the social philosophical models best tailored towards social work values and ethics. There are clear conflicts between traditional social work and the personalisation agenda for people with disabilities. These conflicts have been reduced with the introduction of HCPC ethics. If the social worker consistently uses these theories whilst working with conflict and challenging service users then the BASW ethics will be maintained and the service users will receive the best appropriate service available within Fair access to care criteria.

Choosing between Family and Individuality in Kate Chopins The Awakenin

Choosing between Family and Individuality in Kate Chopin's The Awakening      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kate Chopin's The Awakening focuses on a woman's struggle to become an individual while still being a mother and wife. In the process of this journey, the female heroine discovers that establishing her own identity means losing a mother's identity. Edna looks to be the "brave soul," a "soul that dares and defies" (Chopin 61). Edna's society looked down upon females who seek anything other than attending to their children and husband's needs. Therefore, she is seen as an outcast and must turn inward as well as outward towards nature for satisfaction and approval.   Ã‚  Ã‚   At the beginning of The Awakening, Mr. Pontellier poses the question, "If it was not a mother's place to look after children, whose on earth was it?" (Chopin 7). He reflects the general belief of his time that women should be mothers who give up themselves for the more important needs of their children. He believes that women should be self-sacrificing beings who never take and always give. He thinks, just as other men believed during this time period, that she should be the "angel of the house," catering to his every need. Mr. Pontellier wants her to be one of the "ministering angels" (Chopin 9) who "idolized their children" (Chopin 9) and "worshipped their husbands" (Chopin 9). Mrs. Pontellier shows little interest in taking care of her husband and children, hinting that she seeks more than a life lived for others. She begins to "recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her" (Chopin 14) which inevitably becomes a curse in disguise. It crea tes a complicated inner conflict. Mrs. Pontellier ponders whether she should be defined as a mother and ... ...nature for acceptance and to her soothing childhood memories for forgotten innocence.    Works Cited and Consulted Chopin, Kate. "The Awakening." 1899. The Complete Works of Kate Chopin. Ed. Per Seyersted. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1989. Culley, Margo, ed. A Norton Critical Edition:   Kate Chopin:   The Awakening.   New York:   W.W. Norton, 1994.  Ã‚   Edwards, Lee.   "Sexuality, Maternity, and Selfhood."   A Norton Critical Edition:   Kate Chopin:   The Awakening.   Ed. Margo Culley.   New York:   W.W. Norton, 1994.   282-285.   Walker, Nancy.   "Feminist or Naturalist."   A Norton Critical Edition:   Kate Chopin:   The   Awakening.   Ed. Margo Culley.   New York:   W.W. Norton, 1994.   252-257. Wolff, Cynthia.   "Thanatos and Eros."   A Norton Critical Edition:   Kate Chopin:   The   Awakening.   Ed. Margo Culley.   New York:   W.W. Norton, 1994.   231-241.

Virus, Worms and Hackers :: Computers Technology Essays

Virus, Worms and Hackers Computer viruses were first widely seen in the late 1980s. They were caused due to several reasons. The first factor was rapid growth of personal computers. Before this decade personal computers were not seen in many houses. They only computers used were expert computers which were locked in laboratories around the world. During the 1980’s Computers started to sell to several smaller business’s and homes after the release of the IBM PC in 1982 [1]. After its launch, personal computers slowly started spreading to businesses, homes and universities around the world. The second reason was bulletin boards where users could dial up a bulletin board with a modem and download different programs [2]. The most popular programs were games. Users also downloaded simple word processors and spreadsheets. Bulletin boards led to the precursor of the virus which is know today as the Trojan horse. Trojan horse is a program which can trick the user in to downloading it. This can be done very easily changing the name of the file. When a Trojan program is downloaded on a local computer it can do a lot of harm to it. It can potentially erase all the contents of the hard disk on the computer. Trojan horses hit a small number of people because they are discovered easily. Either the bulletin board would erase the file from the system or the people would send out messages to warn one another. The third reason was growth of floppy disks. Many programs could fit into a single floppy disk. Most computers did have hard disks so computers would just load everything off the floppy when switched on including the operating system. Computer viruses can be very mysterious and grab our attention. Viruses can show us how vulnerable we are to attacks. A well engineered virus can have a very harmful effect on the internet. An example of this is the worms we have seen in the last few years. MyDoom worm which infected a quarter million computers in a single shook the whole internet community. In March 1999 the Mellisa virus was so powerful, it forced many large companies including Microsoft to completely turn off their email systems until the virus could be contained. The ILOVEYOU worm in 2000 had a similar effect. The most astonishing thing is that these worms were very simple in their implementation. Worms usually exploit some sort of security hole in a piece of software or operating system.

Aids in the African American Community

In the mind of the public, the AIDS problem is undoubtedly linked to sexual behaviors and possibly perceived to be a result of promiscuity, nonmonogamous sexual activity, and a well-deserved problem that should affect gay and homosexual people.To a certain extent, efforts to combat AIDS in the African-American communities have also been hindered by the fact that we know very little, beyond stereotypes and myths, about the sexuality of African-Americans. These perceptions have provided much of the confusion about what we should do about HIV/AIDS, or for that matter any of the health problems that are at epidemic levels in the African American communities throughout the United States.It has also been the case that several of the important sources of leadership in the African-American communities have utilized the AIDS epidemic to develop and promote extremely conservative religious and moral agendas and punitive responses toward persons who are already considered to be unfit members of the community.For example, during the first wave of the AIDS epidemic there were several stories within the African-American communities across the United States about ministers who were preaching to their congregations about how AIDS is â€Å"God's punishment for homosexual people who sin.†While there is no way to determine the extent of this attitude among African-American ministers and preachers, approximately one-fourth of the sample (28 percent) of African-American college students was in agreement with this belief.â€Å"There is a long history in the United States of African-Americans and other minority groups being devalued and of having their behavior labeled deviant. In the case of AIDS, the victims are further socially ostracized.A prime example is the fact that Haitians were at one time considered a risk group. Because of this, many Haitians lost their jobs and experienced extreme levels of racial discrimination, not because they had AIDS, but because they were H aitians and therefore linked to AIDS† (Moore and LeBaron, 1986).So, it appears that efforts to combat HIV/AIDS have been hindered by (1) our lack of knowledge about the sexuality of African-Americans, (2) research that has not seriously examined the variability of behavior and attitudes within African-American groups, (3) community and religious leaders who view the AIDS problems as punishment from God, (4) our intolerance of gays and bisexuals within the African American community, and (5) the lack of attention directed at the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases prior to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.If one accepts these observations, then what are we to do in order to develop effective and culturally sensitive AIDS-prevention messages that will reach African-Americans, who are not monogamous, are not abstinent, and who do not use IV-drugs.One solution is to make sure that African-Americans have an adequate understanding of the factors associated with the transmission of HIV/ AIDS. Overall, the pattern of the results indicates that African Americans are very knowledgeable about AIDS, but there appears to be a gap between knowledge and risky sexual behaviors.The development of culturally sensitive AIDS-prevention programs for African-American college age adults may be facilitated by considering some of the insights gained from the study.For example, data suggest the gap between knowledge and risky sexual behavior is likely to be filled with different attitudes and beliefs for males versus females, or individuals with multiple versus non-multiple sexual partners, or individuals with or without a history of STDs, or individuals with or without HIV/AIDS. (Nikitta Foston, 2002).Information uncovered by this investigation revealed that males are less knowledgeable about several factors involved in the transmission of AIDS than females. On the other hand, individuals with multiple partners were more likely to believe that AIDS is caused by bacteria or the same virus that causes VD.Knowledge about the factors associated with the transmission of HIV/AIDS was essentially identical for subjects who practiced unprotected anal intercourse and those subjects who did not. Individuals with HIV/AIDS correctly answered only 55 percent of the questions concerning the transmission of AIDS while those not exposed correctly answered 85 percent of the AIDS knowledge questions.These data suggest that educational information and self-assessment instruments may need to be created for and targeted at specific African-American groups rather than rely on a wide-scale mass media campaign to reach all individuals. One way to accomplish this aim may be to create materials that enable African-Americans to actively question and evaluate their own risk.Perhaps one of the problems that has to be overcome in order to implement such a plan is to identify the explicitness needed in the HIV/AIDS prevention messages for African-Americans who are not monogamous and engagin g in risky sexual behaviors (e.g., anal intercourse).The possible means of how to minimize the gap between knowledge and risky behaviors could go on and on, but the one way that is likely to result in a more favorable outcome is to simply ask the people involved to provide solutions. Seldom have we taken this position around a major public health problem, but what can we lose by asking African-Americans to generate solutions to problems that are the focus of so much human suffering.One of the barriers to effective HIV/AIDS education programs in African-American communities is the fact that the people and organizations have not been encouraged to believe that HIV/AIDS prevention would be more effective when planned, executed, and propagated by members of their own community.In other words, African-American community members are not involved in the empowerment process which stresses both individual determinations over one's own life and strong democratic participation in the life of o ne's community. The notion of empowerment presupposes that African-American community members have the competency to intervene on their own behalf but lack the necessary resources.

Jesus the Son of God: Gospel of Luke Essay

According to the book of Luke, Jesus is presented as the savior of both Israel and the whole human race. The birth of Jesus was foretold by Angel Gabriel when he appeared to Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26 – 38). He announced that Mary would give birth to a child whose name would be â€Å"the Son of the Most High†. Since Mary was a virgin she wondered how this would be but the angel told her â€Å"the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you† (Luke 1: 35). Indeed this would be a special birth. Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph who was in the linage of King David. This had to be, in the fulfillment of the Old Testament prediction that Jesus was to be born in the lineage of David. Jesus’ birth happened in Bethlehem, in manger and a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God (Luke 1: 13) Shepherds came to see the baby at Bethlehem. At a very young age of 12 years Jesus already knew who he was and everyone was amazed at his â€Å"understanding and his answers†. Jesus knew he was the Son of God because after 3 days of search by his parents at Jerusalem they found him at the temple. Upon asking him where he had been, he wondered why they were searching for him yet he was in his Father’s house. (Luke 2:49) Jesus dramatic baptism also went further to prove that Jesus was not an ordinary person. As John the Baptist was baptizing Him, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove and a voice came from heaven declaring â€Å"You are my son whom I love, with you I am well pleased† (Luke 3: 22). Jesus’ lineage revealed that he was in the lineage of Adam who was the Son of God. Satan also was fully aware of the Sonship of Jesus while he was tempting him in the desert. He wanted Jesus if he was the Son of God to turn stones into bread. (Luke 4: 3) It is worth noting that while it took a long time for the people including his disciples to notice that Jesus was the Son of God, the demons or evil spirits could immediately recognize he was indeed the Son of God. (Luke 4: 34, Luke 8: 28). In such instances, the demons identified him as the â€Å"Son of the Holy one of God†. Being the Son of God, Jesus had the power and authority to give orders to evil spirits he was able to perform various miracles including raising some people upon the dead. Simon was the first person to come very close in identifying whom Jesus was, this could be seen when Jesus performed the miraculous catch of fish. Peter was so amazed that he became afraid, realizing who Jesus was. (Luke 5: 8). Jesus also had the authority to forgive sins. It is worth noting that this was very symbolic because no one else could forgive sin apart from the person sinned against, who was God. Throughout his teachings Jesus constantly used parables to teach, no other parable came close to describe him as the Son of God than the parable of the tenants. In this parable, Jesus describes how the owner of the vineyard (God) would send his Son (Jesus) because the people might respect him but they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. This was also a prediction of his death. While Jesus was passing through Jericho, we also see the blind beggar adding another tag to Jesus, Son of David (Luke 19: 38 – 39). This how the people then understood who Jesus was, the son of David. From this account, it seems people only knew him as the son of David. However, Jesus clarified further, who he was. Although he did not say directly, he cleared the air on the issue of whose son he was. He quoted Psalm 110: 11 to indicate that David called the Christ Lord thus Jesus could not be David’s son. During the last supper, Jesus continued to predict his betrayal and death. He intimidated to his disciples that he was conferring the Kingdom to them just as God; his Father had conferred it to him. At the Mount of Olives just before his arrest, Jesus was in anguish and beseeched God his father to take the cup (death on the cross) from him. The cup could not be taken away because his mission had not been accomplished yet. Jesus in most cases also identified himself as the â€Å"Son of Man† (Luke 5: 24, Luke 6: 5, Luke 7: 34). This was another way of saying the son of God. Peter later exactly defined who Jesus was. When Jesus asked his disciples who he was, Peter pointed out that he was â€Å"The Christ of God† to which Jesus retorted that this should strictly not be told to anyone. Jesus in this case perhaps did not want to receive undue attention especially from the establishment because he would turn out to be a threat to the authorities and his mission of seeking and saving those who were lost would not have succeeded. It was after Jesus had sent out the seventy-two who he sent out two by two and they came back full of joy because of their accomplishment, that Jesus for the first addresses God directly as his Father (Luke 10: 21 – 22). Jesus here acknowledges that his Father has committed everything to him, and he reiterates that no one else knows who the Son is except the Father. We learn from here that for anyone to know whom the Son is it has to be revealed to him by the father- God. This is the reason why despite how obvious it was, many people of Jesus’ time including his disciples could not understand who he was. While Jesus could not reveal himself to the people while he was running his ministry, this was to change when he was to come the second time. The ‘Son of Man’ after facing many sufferings will have ‘his day’ which will be ‘like the lightening’ (Luke 17: 22 – 37). After Jesus’ arrest, he was then taken before Pilate and Herod, but before that, the teachers of the law and the chief priests interrogated him to find something to accuse him with. When they asked Jesus who he was, he affirmed indeed he was the Son of god and they found grounds of Blasphemy to pin Jesus with (Luke 22: 66 – 70). By declaring, he was the son of God it meant he was equating himself with God, which was blasphemy. The solders also used this basis to mock him, challenging him if he was the Son of God the ‘Chosen one’ to save himself. After he resurrected a proof that indeed he was the Son of God he ascended to heaven but promised the Holy Spirit who the Father had promised. REFERENCE Scriptures have been taken from the Holy Bible (NIV). 1984 International Bible Society.