U.S. energy policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

U.S. energy policy - Research Paper Example According to Bazerman, climatic changes and diminishing energy resources became a concern and various government offices were supposed to give a detailed explanation which was later termed as â€Å"a predictable surprise, or a failure to act in time.† This explanation is what formed the need for government to have control on future occurrences. In addition, other needs for energy and climatic control developed over the years. To begin with, climate change characterized by long warm periods necessitated implementation of Energy Policy in order to contain the situation. Bazerman notes that scientists and politicians had to come up with solutions to address the climatic changes and â€Å"other energy issues including oil, transportation, and electricity policies† (1). These were the initial concerns when the technological advancements were few and human population was little. Another reason for formulation of U.S Energy Policy was need for energy independence. Grossman (1) acknowledges the U.S government effort under the tenure of President Carter, whereby there was increased government funding to stimulate new technologies for alternative energy. In addition, the country also wanted to reduce the over dependence on fossil fuels such as cove reasons coal and oil whose amounts diminish with time. In addition to the above, other reasons include formation of sustainable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, creation of jobs, reduction of air pollution and energy cost (ACEE E 1). Many benefits are accrued from efficient energy sources and can be spread in various sectors of the economy and even at personal level. For example, efficient energy systems promote investments, which in turn provide employment opportunities to the citizens. For actualization of the above objectives, the government had to setup various institutions to oversee the implementation of various legislations passed through Acts of parliament. To

The Aims Of Education In The Islamic World Religion Essay

The Aims Of Education In The Islamic World Religion Essay In any society, education is a major vehicle for the transmission of ideas, attitudes, and beliefs. This means that control over educational content and access to classrooms can become valuable commodities in a conflict. Education, and especially the teaching of history, can perpetuate negative judgments about the other, engendering hostility and aggression among the young, and firing up the fever to go to war. But educational content and teaching approaches can also provide powerful means to change these attitudes, to promote tolerance and a willingness to settle conflicts without resort to violence. In order to increase the capacity of the educational sector to promote conflict prevention, peacemaking and post-conflict reconciliation it has to enhance the ability of teachers and scholars to incorporate peace education and conflict management into curriculum and classes many institutes, both Islamic and others, mostly under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO  [1]  , all work together with the main objective to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms. Under its current Education for All campaign, it conducts research and runs programs in countries in Africa, the Middle East, and South and Southeast Asia. The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) advocates and works for the protection of childrens rights to h elp the young meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. Among other programs, they have developed peace education programs in a number of countries, including Afghanistan and Indonesia. The mission of the Association of Arab Universities is to enhance cooperation among universities in the Arab world. It is associated with central governments through their respective ministries of education. (www.aaru.edu.jo). Islam has, from its inception, placed a high premium on education and has enjoyed a long and rich intellectual tradition. Knowledge (ilm) occupies a significant position within Islam, as evidenced by the more than 800 references to it in Islams most revered book, the Koran. The importance of education is repeatedly emphasized in the Koran with frequent injunctions, such as God will exalt those of you who believe and those who have knowledge to high degrees, O my Lord! Increase me in knowledge and As God has taught him, so let him write. Such verses provide a forceful stimulus for the Islamic community to strive for education and learning. Islamic education is uniquely different from other types of educational theory and practice largely because of the all-encompassing influence of the Koran. The Koran serves as a comprehensive blueprint for both the individual and society and as the primary source of knowledge. The advent of the Koran in the seventh century was quite revolutionary for the predominantly illiterate Arabian society. Arab society had enjoyed a rich oral tradition, but the Koran was considered the word of God and needed to be organically interacted with by means of reading and reciting its words. Hence, reading and writing for the purpose of accessing the full blessings of the Koran was an aspiration for most Muslims. Thus, education in Islam unequivocally derived its origins from a symbiotic relationship with religious instruction. HISTORY OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION This was the way, Islamic education began. Pious and learned Muslims (mu allim or mudarris), dedicated to making the teachings of the Koran more accessible to the Islamic community, taught the faithful in what came to be known as the kuttÄ b (plural, katÄ tÄ «b). The kuttÄ b could be located in a variety of venues: mosques, private homes, shops, tents, or even out in the open. Historians are uncertain as to when the katÄ tÄ «b were first established, but with the widespread desire of the faithful to study the Koran, katÄ tÄ «b could be found in virtually every part of the Islamic empire by the middle of the eighth century. The kuttÄ b served a vital social function as the only vehicle for formal public instruction for primary-age children and continued so until Western models of education were introduced in the modern period. Even at present, it has exhibited remarkable durability and continues to be an important means of re ligious instruction in many Islamic countries. The curriculum of the kuttÄ b was primarily directed to young male children, beginning as early as age four, and was centered on Koranic studies and on religious obligations such as ritual ablutions, fasting, and prayer. The focus during the early history of Islam on the education of youth reflected the belief that raising children with correct principles was a holy obligation for parents and society. As Abdul Tibawi wrote in 1972, the mind of the child was believed to be like a white clean paper, once anything is written on it, right or wrong, it will be difficult to erase it or superimpose new writing upon it. The approach to teaching children was strict, and the conditions in which young students learned could be quite harsh. Corporal punishment was often used to correct laziness or imprecision. Memorization of the Koran was central to the curriculum of the kuttÄ b, but little or no attempt was made to analyze and discuss the meaning of the text. Once students had me morized the greater part of the Koran, they could advance to higher stages of education, with increased complexity of instruction. Western analysts of the kuttÄ b system usually criticize two areas of its pedagogy: the limited range of subjects taught and the exclusive reliance on memorization. The contemporary kuttÄ b system still emphasizes memorization and recitation as important means of learning. The value placed on memorization during students early religious training directly influences their approaches to learning when they enter formal education offered by the modern state. A common frustration of modern educators in the Islamic world is that while their students can memorize copious volumes of notes and textbook pages, they often lack competence in critical analysis and independent thinking. During the golden age of the Islamic empire (usually defined as a period between the tenth and thirteenth centuries), when western Europe was intellectually backward and stagnant, Islamic scholarship flourished with an impressive openness to the rational sciences, art, and even literature. It was during this period that the Islamic world made most of its contributions to the scientific and artistic world. Ironically, Islamic scholars preserved much of the knowledge of the Greeks that had been prohibited by the Christian world. Other outstanding contributions were made in areas of chemistry, botany, physics, mineralogy, mathematics, and astronomy, as many Muslim thinkers regarded scientific truths as tools for accessing religious truth. Gradually the open and vigorous spirit of enquiry and individual judgment (ijtihad) that characterized the golden age gave way to a more insular, unquestioning acceptance (taqlid) of the traditional corpus of authoritative knowledge. By the thirteenth century, according to Aziz Talbani, the ulama (religious scholars) had become self-appointed interpreters and guardians of religious knowledge.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ learning was confined to the transmission of traditions and dogma, and [was] hostile to research and scientific inquiry. The mentality of taqlid reigned supreme in all matters, and religious scholars condemned all other forms of inquiry and research. Exemplifying the taqlid mentality, Burhà ¤n al-Din al-Zarnà ¼ji wrote during the thirteenth century, Stick to ancient things while avoiding new things and Beware of becoming engrossed in those disputes which come about after one has cut loose from the ancient authorities. Much of what was written after the thirteenth century lacked originality, and it consisted mostly of commentaries on existing canonical works without adding any substantive new ideas. The lethal combination of taqlid and foreign invasion beginning in the thirteenth century served to dim Islams preeminence in both the artistic and scientific worlds. Despite its glorious legacy of earlier periods, the Islamic world seemed unable to respond either culturally or educationally to the onslaught of Western advancement by the eighteenth century. One of the most damaging aspects of European colonialism was the deterioration of indigenous cultural norms through secularism. With its veneration of human reason over divine revelation and its insistence on separation of religion and state, secularism considered by many as anathema to Islam, in which all aspects of life, spiritual or temporal, are interrelated as a harmonious whole. At the same time, Western institutions of education, with their pronounced secular/religious dichotomy, were infused into Islamic countries in order to produce functionaries to feed the bureaucratic and administrative needs of the state. The early modernizers did not fully realize the extent to which secularized education fundamentally conflicted with Islamic thought and traditional lifestyle. Religious education was to remain a separate and personal responsibility, having no place in public education. If Muslim students desired religious training, they could supplement their existing education with moral instruction in traditional religious schools-the kuttab. As a consequence, the two differing education systems evolved independently with little or no official interface. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION 3.1. Problems in Islamic Schools Before proceeding further, and in order to have a better understanding of the Aims Islamic Education it is better to first examine the problems facing the contemporary Islamic schools in the Western World. Generally these are: No Adaab or Islamic etiquette or behaviour Parents want teachers to be lenient Some girls and boys meet secretly in the basement. They have girl-friends and boy-friends. They do smoke. Profanity is written on the walls, desks, blackboards, etc. Behave roughly: laughing, talking, screaming, rip off their Hijab on the buses. Discipline: Behaviour is no different from the Public Schools. Teachers are not fair. Spoiled kids as their parents are rich or important. Less school activities for girls. Little opportunity to interact with other students. Islamic schools are running without an Islamic curriculum, often without a syllabus. No textbooks. No qualified and trained teachers or certified teachers. (Quality in education is not possible without good teachers.) Those who attend Muslim high schools do not fare better in college. Non-Muslim teachers who are qualified and certified. (Live-in boyfriend rejects institution of marriage. Wear tight and revealing outfit. Promote gay agenda, anti-religion agenda, or insensitive to Islamic values and events) Qualified and certified Muslim teachers work in Public schools. As Islamic schools do not offer viable salaries, benefits (pension health benefits, etc.) When they leave Islamic schools and graduate from colleges, some of them, they do marry non-Muslims as the Muslim community and their parents have exerted zero influence on them. Chronic shortage of space, science labs, auditoriums, gyms, playgrounds, libraries, bathrooms. High turnover rate (30 to 40 percent annually) of teachers. Parents fear Islamic schools trade off academics for Islamic environment. Organization, planning and discipline -suffer most in Islamic schools. Governance is the big reason why most Islamic schools suffer Do not develop an autonomous and unique decision-making (governance) structure School Boards require training in how to run a school School Boards rarely include women Parents do not play a part in Governance structure No qualified administrators Some parents worry Islamic schools offer an inferior quality of education. Children are not prepared to face competitiveness and the challenges of the modern world. Seriously lacking in Muslim literature and culture. For many Muslim families, Islamic schools are not affordable. In sparse Muslim population areas, Islamic schools are not financially viable. Very few trained Muslim teachers in special education or none The Arabic language has three terms for education, representing the various dimensions of the educational process as perceived by Islam. The most widely used word for education in a formal sense is talim, from the root alima (to know, to be aware, to perceive, to learn), which is used to denote knowledge being sought or imparted through instruction and teaching. Tarbiyah, from the root raba (to increase, to grow, to rear), implies a state of spiritual and ethical nurturing in accordance with the will of God. Tadib, from the root aduba (to be cultured, refined, well-mannered), suggests a persons development of sound social behavior. What is meant by sound requires a deeper understanding of the Islamic conception of the human being. Education in the context of Islam is regarded as a process that involves the complete person, including the rational, spiritual, and social dimensions. As noted by Syed Muhammad al-Naquib al-Attas in 1979, the comprehensive and integrated approach to education in Islam is directed toward the balanced growth of the total personalityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦through training Mans spirit, intellect, rational self, feelings and bodily sensesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦such that faith is infused into the whole of his personality. In Islamic educational theory knowledge is gained in order to actualize and perfect all dimensions of the human being. From an Islamic perspective the highest and most useful model of perfection is the prophet Muhammad, and the goal of Islamic education is that people be able to live as he lived. Seyyed Hossein Nasr wrote in 1984 that while education does prepare humankind for happiness in this life, its ultimate goal is the abode of permanence and all education points to the permanent world of eternity. To ascertain truth by reason alone is restrictive, according to Islam, because spiritual and temporal reality are two sides of the same sphere. Many Muslim educationists argue that favoring reason at the expense of spirituality interferes with balanced growth. Exclusive training of the intellect, for example, is inadequate in developing and refining elements of love, kindness, compassion, and selflessness, which have an altogether spiritual ambiance and can be engaged only by processes of spiritual training. Therefore Education in Islam is twofold: acquiring intellectual knowledge (through the application of reason and logic) and developing spiritual knowledge (derived from divine revelation and spiritual experience). According to the worldview of Islam, provision in education must be made equally for both. Acquiring knowledge in Islam is not intended as an end but as a means to stimulate a more elevated moral and spiritual consciousness, leading to faith and righ teous action. EDUCATION OF MUSLIM CHILDREN CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Education is the birth right of every Muslim and Muslimah. Islam puts considerable emphasis on its followers to acquire knowledge. Investment in education is the best investment one can make, because it eventually leads to intellectual property. Intellectual property is the intangible property, which no one can steal or destroy. This is the property on which no Government can levy a tax. It was as a result of application of knowledge that Muslims were the superpower of the world for twelve centuries.   Today, globally Muslims have the lowest literacy rate. Education of Muslim children in the west has both opportunities and challenges.   In the Western World the purpose of education is to provide for the economic prosperity of a nation. At a personal level the purpose of education is to acquire academic and professional skills that enable one to earn a respectable living with riches and fame, and also a luxurious and comfortable life. For a Muslim providing economic prosperity of a nation does not contradict his/her Islamic beliefs, however focusing the goals of education solely for the purpose of money making is unpalatable. Muslims want to impart Islamic education. The vast majority of Muslims think that Islamic education means acquiring Islamic religious knowledge-study of Quran, Arabic, Hadith, Sunnah, Seerah, Fiqh, Islamic history, and allied subjects. As a matter of fact, in the present world broadly speaking we have two types of Muslims: a) those who have followed the Western type of education, or secular education, and b) those who have acquired Deeni or Islamic education. In the twentieth century, due to colonialism and Western influence, Muslim parents concentrated on imparting only Secular education to their children. The weak or not so bright students were sent to Deeni (religious) Madrasas (schools) in their own countries or to one of the Middle Eastern countries. The Muslims who immigrated to Western countries became aware of their religious identity and wanted to impart both Islamic and Secular education, what is now known as Integrated Education. When they lacked the numbers and resources, they sent their children to public schools during the week and to the Islamic schools in the Mosque or Islamic Centre during the weekends. As their numbers grew and acquired sufficient resources, they have opened full-time Islamic Schools from kindergarten to 12th grade (senior or final year) in High School.  [2]  It takes about two to three years of full-time study to become a Hafeez. During this time the student takes an equivalent to sabbatical leave from his or her public or parochial school.   The greatest objective of education is to prepare the young generation for leadership. Islamic education is of course has the highest objective, and more than that can hardly be imagined. The aim of Islamic education is Character building. Growth and development of an Islamic personality should be the final goal of any Islamic School. Islamic values are the foundation of the Islamic personality. For Muslims the educational aim is to develop the personalities of children to the end that they will be conscious of their responsibility to God (the Creator) and to fellow humans. The aims and objectives of Islamic education have been defined in the Recommendation of the Committee of the First World Conference on Muslim Education as: Education should aim at the balanced growth of the total personality of man through training of the human spirit, intellect, rational self, feelings and senses. The training imparted to a Muslim must be such that faith is infused into the whole of his/her personality and creates in him/her an emotional attachment to Islam and enables him to follow the Quran and Sunnah and be governed by Islamic system of values willingly and joyfully so that he/she may proceed to the realization of his/her status as Khalifatullah to whom God has promised the authority of the universe. There is a need to prepare the younger generation having leadership quality and not to be the followers of alien ideologies but to play the role of torchbearer by their excellence in knowledge, character, and positive action. Some scholars believe that this quality can be developed in Muslim youth by a direct study of the Quran with a view to solve the problems of life in its light. A program of action to bring up the younger generation for leadership has not yet been formulated.   

Comparison of Supply Chain Management Practices Essays -- Wal-Mart and

This report provides a comparison of the supply chain management practices of Wal-Mart and Toyota. Comparison was done after researching, examining, and analysing each company’s supply chain management practices, in relation to each company’s values and philosophy. Comparison was done in five sections, by examining strategic alliances, procurement and outsourcing, challenges and risks, sustainable strategies, and efficient supply chains in relation to technology. Additional figures and references used can be found in the appendix and reference list. Comparison of the two supply chain management practices showed that despite being from different industries, with different company philosophies, Wal-Mart and Toyota both have similarities in their supply chain management practices. In particular, the two companies are similar in their responses to challenges and risks faced, as well as the incorporation of sustainable strategies in their supply chain practices, and their usage of technology to increase the efficiency of their supply chains. In conclusion, a number of recommendations are presented for each firm. Wal-Mart is advised to foster a more collaborative supplier relationship, especially with local entities in unfamiliar markets, as well as encouraging suppliers to build more sustainable operations through the research of efficient packaging designs. Recommendations for Toyota include revising contracts and risk management with Toyota’s current and future suppliers for stricter quality control along their supply chain, so as to ensure delivered materials are standardised. Moreover, Toyota could also enter new geographic markets though a strategic alliance with existing companies. By doing so, Toyota is able maintain thei... ..._philosophy/toyota_global_vision_2020.html. Toyota Global. (2013, September). Sustainability Report 2013. Retrieved from http://www.toyota-global.com/sustainability/report/sr/pdf/sustainability_report13_fe.pdf. Trudell, C., & Hagiwara, Y. (2014, April 10). Toyota Recalls More Than 6 Million Vehicles Worldwide. Bloomberg. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-09/toyota-recalls-6-76-million-vehicles-worldwide-including-rav4.html. Useem, J., Schlosser, J., & Kim, H. (2003). One Nation Under Wal-Mart. Vitousek, P. M. (1994). Beyond global warming: ecology and global change. Ecology, 75(7), 1861-1876. Waller, M., Johnson, M. E., & Davis, T. (2001). Vendor-managed inventory in the retail supply chain. Journal of business logistics, 20, 183-204. Want, R. (2004). RFID: A key to automating everything. Scientific American,290(1), 56-65.

Euthanasia Essay

Thesis: Euthanasia, and a common form of euthanasia, assisted suicide, should be legal processes through which aterminally ill individual may voluntarily end his or her own life. Summary: As of 2009, assisted suicide was legal in only three states: Oregon, Washington, and Montana. Since itsinception in those states, assisted suicide has proven to be an effective, but rarely employed means of allowing a terminallyill person to end his or her life in a dignified manner. Though the United States federal government has opposed measures toenact federal legislation that would legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide, the time has come for the federal governmentand the remainder of the states to recognize that, inherent in the right to live freely is the right to decide when to humanelyend one’s life. Introduction To understand the debate surrounding euthanasia, one must first understand euthanasia and its related variations. Theterm euthanasia, taken from the Greek word for â€Å"easy death,† refers to the process by which a physician prescribes andadministers a fatal dose of drugs to a terminally ill individual in a controlled medical environment, thus causing their death ina quick and painless manner. Euthanasia is commonly referred to as physician-assisted suicide. Assisted suicide, a relatedform of euthanasia, describes the process by which a physician or pharmacist only prescribes the fatal drugs, leaving theterminally ill individual to ingest the drugs on their own, at a time of their choosing. As of 2009, physician-assisted suicidewas not legal in any state in America, while assisted suicide was legal in three states. The Federal Government & the Courts A quartet of United States Supreme Court cases (Washington v. Glucksberg, Vacco v. Quill, Gonzales v. Oregon, and Cruzanv. Director, Missouri Department of Health) have helped to shape the legal landscape in the debate over euthanasia and anindividual’s right to refuse medical treatment. In Glucksberg and Vacco, companion cases decided in 1997, the SupremeCourt ruled that states have the authority to prohibit assisted suicide and against the notion that the right to die isguaranteed in the Constitution. More recently, in the 2006 Gonzales case, the Court held in a 6-3 opinion that the UnitedStates attorney general could not enforce a drug law, the Controlled Substances Act, against physicians   and pharmacists as ameans of punishing them for prescribing fatal doses of drugs to terminally ill patients. Finally, in the Cruzan case, theSupreme Court upheld the right of competent persons to refuse medical treatment, but ruled that clear and convincingevidence must exist of that person’s desire to limit the life-saving measures to be performed on them. The practical impact of these rulings is that, because the federal government cannot prosecute physicians and pharmacistswho prescribe drugs to terminally ill patients, the debate over euthanasia and assisted suicide in the US has primarily takenplace on the state level. Furthermore, while individuals have the constitutional right to prevent physicians from taking life-saving measures in the event of their incapacitation, they must make clear their desire, usually through a living will or a donot resuscitate order. Success at the State Level In 1994, Oregon became the first state to pass an assisted suicide law. The Oregon Death with Dignity Act has served as amodel statute in other states’ attempts to pass assisted suicide legislation. The act has several important provisions that, readtogether, provide safeguards for the terminally ill, the physicians that diagnose their terminal illnesses, and the pharmaciststhat prescribe lethal drugs. The act requires first, that a patient be diagnosed by a physician as having a terminal illness thatwill end the patient’s life within six months. Then, upon the patient’s request, a physician or pharmacist that has no moral orprofessional objection to assisted suicide will prescribe a lethal dose of drugs that the patient can ingest at a time of theirchoosing. Notably, the act has several safeguards, among them a requirement that the patient’s initial request for aprescription be witnessed by two people; that a second physician concur in the initial diagnos is of a terminal illness givingthe patient no more than six months to live; a conclusion that the patient is of sound mind; and a waiting period underwhich the patient must wait fifteen days before making a second, and final, oral request for the lethal prescription. These rules and safeguards ensure that only those who are both terminally ill and of a sound mind are able to obtain a lethaldose of drugs after having made a voluntary and informed decision. Additionally, and importantly, the act does not requirethose physicians or pharmacists opposed to assisted suicide to participate in, sanction, or play any role in bringing about thedeath of a term  inally ill person. The Washington Initiative 1000, passed by voters in 2008, was based on the Oregon act and, consequently, wassubstantially similar in its provisions and safeguards. Most recently, in December, 2008, a Montana trial court judge ruled thatcompetent, terminally ill patients have the right to self-administer lethal doses of drugs prescribed by a physician, thoughthat decision has been appealed to the Montana Supreme Court. Because assisted suicide in Washington and Montana is relatively new, Oregon is the only state in which data concerning theuse of lethal drugs by the terminally ill has been compiled. In the eight-year period from 1998 to 2006, 455 lethalprescriptions were written for terminally ill individuals, and 292 of those individuals used that prescription to commit suicide. Analysis of this data indicates that only around thirty-five terminally ill individuals die each year in Oregon as a result of theassisted suicide law. This data further suggests that physicians are carefully screening applicants, issuing on average onlyfifty-seven prescriptions per year. Finally, it is also clear that applicants carefully weigh the decision to use the prescription,judging by the fact that 35 percent of prescriptions issued to terminally ill patients—who have satisfied the numerousrequirements under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act—went unused. International Law Oregon, Washington, and Montana are not the only jurisdictions in the world in which forms of euthanasia are legal.Notably, assisted suicide, in some form, is legal in both Belgium and the Netherlands, the latter of which has also legalizedphysician assisted suicide. Additionally, Germany has no law legalizing assisted suicide, but has not traditionally penalizedthose who have helped to end the life of a terminally ill person. As researchers have noted, however, death and suicide havedifferent stigmas attached to them depending on, among other factors, where one lives and the culture in which one wasraised. Consequently, it is not surprising that assisted suicide has been legalized in certain parts of the world, while it remainsa crime elsewhere. In the United States, however, where an individual has always in been control of their mind, body, souland destiny, death and suicide do not have as negative a cultural connotation as they may have in other parts of the world. The Social, Et hical, Medical & Economic Reasons Assisted suicide places the individual in control of his or her future, allowing the individual to decide how, when, and wherethey die. While an issue of self-determination, there are practical concerns that face the dying. Often, a terminally ill personwatches their savings account plummet while his or her medical costs and insurance premiums—assuming they are fortunateenough to have medical insurance—skyrocket. If they do not have insurance, it is unlikely they are able to afford even the most basic medications to controltheir pain or reduce their symptoms. Though their disease is incurable, in the later stages of their illness, they often take up a hospital bed and medicalresources, as well as the time of doctors, nurses and other hospital staff—time and health care dollars that could be expended on a person who can successfullybe treated and released. Friends and relatives watch their loved one suffer without remedy, knowing that the illness is fatal, but unable to do anything besideswait. Assisted suicide provides a quick and painless death, in contrast to the expected months of suffering a terminally ill patient must endure under normalcircumstances. The decision to end life on their own terms saves precious medical resources, ensures that the patient’s family will not financially sufferunnecessarily as a result of the illness, and allows the patient, and their family and friends, to say goodbye on their own terms in a quick and painless way.Notably, these arguments apply with equal force to physician-assisted suicide, wherein a physician not only monitors the patient to be sure they remaincompetent, but also administers the drugs at a time of the patient’s choosing, thus helping to ensure that the patient’s death is quick and painless. Opposition to Euthanasia Opposition to euthanasia comes in part from religious and social organizations that generally oppose measures that result in the death of an individual. Suchfeelings are indeed understandable, and it is difficult to change a person’s moral convictions. These organizations are free to petition their elected officials andto champion their causes—that right is fundamental to a democratic system. They also must, however, recognize the decisions made through a democraticprocess, as those initiatives in Oregon and Washington, where the majority of voters approved assisted suicide. (It is worth noting that some of these sameorganizations support the imposition of the death penalty for certain crimes,  citing the biblical passage â€Å"an eye for an eye.† In other words, some of thesegroups support the death of an individual when society has deemed it acceptable, but not when the individual himself seeks to end his life.) Other opponents include some doctors and physic ians, who have, as a condition of their license to practice medicine or dispense prescription medication, takena Hippocratic Oath requiring that they do no harm to patients. Importantly, however, the assisted suicide laws that have passed in Washington and Oregon donot by any means require the participation of physicians or pharmacists. Consequently, those physicians or pharmacists with a moral, professional, or religiousopposition to assisted suicide need not participate in any way in the assisted suicide of a patient. The same holds true for physician-assisted suicide which, inthe countries where it is legal, is practiced voluntarily. Finally, some in the medical field express concern over whether the terminally ill are of sound mind whenconsenting to suicide. While this is a valid and serious concern, the laws passed in Oregon and Washington, requiring multiple examinations, medicallyconsistent diagnoses, a waiting period, and a conclusion that the patient is of sound mind, serve to dramatically lessen any possibility that an incompetentpatient could be prescribed a fatal dose of drugs. Choosing for Others, but not for Oneself The death penalty is an authorized form of punishment in the federal criminal justice system, and also exists in well over half of the states. Through participationin the jury system and by electing officials into office who are charged with enforcing the death penalty, citizens have a role in determining which individualsare eligible for the death penalty and, more fundamentally, whether the death penalty as a form of punishment should persist, or should be repealed. Similarly,the United States Supreme Court has ruled that pregnant women have the right to choose—in many circumstances—whether to terminate their pregnancy. These examples demonstrate the contradiction that exists in forty-seven of the United States, under which average citizens are capable of playing a vital role indeciding whether other individuals live or die. These same citizens, though, are not entrusted with the same authority to make that decision when it comes totheir own lives in the extreme case of an incurable, terminal illness. Such a contradiction cannot stand. To preserve the dignity of human life, it is imperativethat the remaining states and the federal government legalize   euthanasia, whether in the form of physician-assisted suicide or assisted suicide, to provide asafe and dignified way for terminally individuals to end their suffering. With the advent of drugs that can both prolong and terminate life, as well as medical technology that can keep patients technically alive even in comatose or vegetative states, many questions have been raised about the quality of life each person deserves and identifying the fine line that demarcates the end of life. In addition, in the United States—a country marked from its inception by the hallmarks of individuality and personal responsibility—citizens and lawmakers alike are wrestling with issues regarding the degree to which an individual or family member should be empowered to make personal, private decisions about whether to continue medical care or choose the time, place and manner of death. Activists on both sides of the euthanasia debate have lobbied lawmakers to enact legislation in support of their views. The right to die movement is gaining support as a humane alternative to a poor quality of life maintained solely through continuous medical intervention. U nderstanding the Discussion Euthanasia: The practice of ending a person’s life either through an intentional act or by withholding medical care. The action is performed without malice, but with the intention of alleviating suffering or ending the pain of a terminal illness or poor quality of life. Hospice: An alternative program of care for patients in the final stages of life, in which efforts are not designed to treat the patient’s underlying illness but rather to provide pain management, symptom control, and family support. Informed consent: A patient’s expression of knowledge and acceptance of the risks, benefits, and alternative treatment options of a medical procedure and subsequent permission to a physician to perform the procedure. Physician-assisted suicide: A procedure in which a physician deliberately and knowingly provides lethal drugs at the individual’s request for the purpose of self-administration. Right to die: A belief that individuals should have the authority to c hoose the time, place and manner of their death. Terminal illness: A medical condition that is so advanced that treatment options are no longer available. History Although modern medical advancements and increased patient autonomy have renewed public interest in the right to die, the practice of euthanasia has been in existence for centuries. Numerous Greek and Roman writings have revealed a belief that death, even if initiated by self or another person, was preferable to prolonged suffering. However, this belief was not universal. The Hippocratic Oath, which medical practitioners in the United States have traditionally recited or agreed to uphold as a basic tenet of their practice, is believed to have been penned about 400 BCE by the Greek physician Hippocrates, known as the â€Å"Father of Medicine.† The oath includes promises not to provide deadly medicine to any one if asked or even suggest such a course of action, and to never cause any patient harm. In the US, prohibitions against intentionally aiding in the death of another date back to the country’s formation. Early American statutes outlawed both suicide and assisted sui cide. In the early 1900s, a physician’s grim decision brought euthanasia to the forefront of public debate. On November 12, 1915, a badly deformed child was born to Anna Bollinger. Her doctor conferred with the hospital’s chief of staff, Dr. Harry J. Haiselden, who advised against performing surgery to save the child. Five days later, the baby girl died, and the case and Dr. Haiselden’s decision were widely debated. During the 1930s, widespread distress caused by the Great Depression and its accompanying economic turbulence led to a spike in suicide rates and discussions of euthanasia and a right to self-determination over end-of-life matters. Public opinion polls revealed a growing belief that euthanasia was acceptable under certain circumstances. While it seemed that public support for legalizing euthanasia was coalescing, World War II broke out and the world recoiled in horror as news of Nazi death camps and the calculated mass extermination of vulnerable members of society made international headlines. Such atrocities dampened support for any form of legalized assistance in initiating another’s death. For several decades, discussions of euthanasia simmered largely in the background. In 1976, the tragic case of twenty-one year old Karen Ann Quinlan once again moved the euthanasia debate to national headlines. After consuming alcohol and prescription drugs at a party, Quinlan lost consciousness and ceased breathing. Quinlan was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared that she was in a â€Å"persistent  vegetative state,† with full recovery unlikely. Her adoptive parents fought a year-long legal battle for rights to make the final decision to remove her respirator, thereby likely ensuring the end of her life. Although the New Jersey Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the Quinlan family, Karen continued breathing naturally after her respirator was removed for nearly a decade, until she finally succumbed to complications from pneumonia. In 1980, right to die advocate Derek Humphry formed the Hemlock Society, a grassroots organization that has worked to advance euthanasia legislation. In addition, growing consensus for patients’ rights, including the right to refuse medical care—and even life-sustaining care—refocused attention on the right to die m ovement. Over the next several decades, public support for autonomy in end of life decision making has increased, with several states enacting legislation that recognizes living wills, or a legal document in which a person expresses his or her wishes regarding life prolonging medical treatments, including the withdrawal or refusal of life-sustaining medical treatment. Euthanasia Today The history of euthanasia in the US has been marked by several significant cases. The Quinlan case, although decided by a state supreme court, led to the advent of formal ethics committees in hospitals, nursing homes and hospices that provide support in complying with a patient’s advanced health care directives, or written instructions to family members and health care professionals about end of life care. In 1990, the US Supreme Court first ruled on the right to die movement in Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health. A car accident left Nancy Cruzan permanently unconscious and her parents requested that her feeding tube be withdrawn. After years of continuous care, most of the costs for Cruzan’s hospitalization were being paid by the State of Missouri. Although a Missouri district court granted the Cruzan family’s request to remove the tube, the director of the Missouri Department of Health took the case on appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court, arguin g for clear proof of Nancy Cruzan’s end of life wishes. The case went before the US Supreme Court, which ruled that a competent person has a constitutionally protected right to refuse any medical treatment, although states have a right to insist on clear and convincing evidence as to a patient’s wishes. In this case, there

Poetry and Writers Different Ways

‘Casehistory: Alison (head injury)’ Learning Objectives: – AO1: Respond to texts critically and imaginatively, select and evaluate textual detail to illustrate and support interpretations. – AO2: Explain how language, structure and form contribute to writers’ presentation of ideas, themes and settings. ( Pre-reading activity Here is a riddle for you†¦ Who do you think would be ‘†¦my husband’s wife’? ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ What about ‘†¦my mother’s only daughter’? _____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ The title of the poem is ‘Casehistory: Alison (head injury)’. What do you think this poem is going to be about? ( Make a note of your ideas. ___________________________________________________________ ___ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Why might you talk about yourself in the third person? What is the effect? ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ( Take 2 minutes to discuss the effect with your partner.Swap and develop your ideas. Feed back your ideas to the rest of the class. First impressions ( Read the poem. ______________________ ________________________ _________ _________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ ________________________ _____________________ What do you think has happened to Alison? The opening line above has a play-like feel.Imagine how this scene might look on stage. ( In the box below, sketch out the scene you imagine. In the notes box below, summarise your ‘vision’ of the action. How might you describe the attitude of the speaker of the poem? ( Choose the word or phrase that gives you this impression and write it in the box below. The first one has been done for you. Alison seems†¦ Wistful ____________ ____________ What does the younger Alison have that the Alison of the present does not? ( Fill in the table below. Alison of the past |Alison of the present | | | | |‘Autocratic knee / Like a Degas dancer’s’ |Knees that now ‘lug’ her ‘up stairs / Hardly’ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Let’s take a closer look ( Answer the following questions by providing quotes and analysis. Think PEA – point, example, analysis. 1. The poem is arranged in even, regular three line stanzas. What is the effect on the reader? _____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Where does this regular pattern come to an END, and what is the effect of this? ______________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 3. There are two lines in the poem that begin with a single word followed by a full stop. What are they, and what is the effect on the reader? _____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Poetry detective Spot the following linguistic and structural devices at work in the poem. What is their PURPOSE and EFFECT? |techniques |examples and analysis of their effect | |Parenthesis |‘(She looks at her photograph)’ – | |( ) | | |Ambiguity | |(the puzzle / riddle o f the first stanza)| | |Mid-line full stops | | |Repetition | | |Powerful adjectives | | |Enjambment | | |Use of the third person | | Get creative – AO2: Explain how language, structure and form contribute to writers’ presentation of ideas, themes and settings. ( Using ‘Casehistory: Alison (head injury)’ as a guide, you are going to write a poem of your own, using pictures of historical figures as inspiration. You are going to bring the long-dead subject of the painting to life in the form of a dramatic monologue! ( Take an online stroll through the 30 ‘must-see’ paintings hanging in The National Gallery: www. nationalgallery. org. uk/paintings/explore-the-paintings/30-highlight-paintings/ ( Which character did you choose? _____________________________ Writer’s toolbox ( With your choice of speaker in mind, tick the techniques you think would be useful in creating an accurate voice for your poem. Think about the intended effect of your selected techniques. If necessary, you can add additional techniques at the bottom. Poetic techniques: |Use: | | | | |Intended effect: | |Rhyme | | | |Non-standard English | | | |Mid-line full stops | | | |Enjambment | | | |Assonance | | | |Repetition | | | |Alliteration | | | |Metaphors | | | |Similes | | | |Onomatopoeia | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Get writing! _________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ _____________________________________ _________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ __________________________ ____________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ | |My Itchy Toes Smell Loads | | |( Complete the table below with what you consider to be the most important quotes and poetic devices | | |within each category. | | | |meaning | | | | | | | | |imagery | | | | | | | | |tone | | | | | |Structure and Form | | | | | | | | |language | | Comparing poems – AO3: Make comparisons and explain links between texts, evaluating writers’ different ways of expressing meaning and achieving effects Use the Venn diagram to find the differences and similarities between the two poems. Sample exam question and ‘Medusa’. Comparing poems – AO3: Make comparisons and explain links between texts, evaluating writers’ different ways of expressing meaning and achieving effects ( Use the Venn diagram to find the differences and similarities between the two poems. Sample exam question Planning an essay ( Using MITSL as a guide, create an essay plan or spider diagram for your essay question. You must include 3 – 5 points of comparison. Number each point in the order you would write about them in your exam. When you write your essay, remember to analyse structural and poetic devices for their effect and meaning. Don’t just list. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ | |Casehistory: Alison (head injury) | | | | | |(She looks at her photograph) | | | | | |I would like to have known | | |My husband’s wife, my mother’s only daughter. | | |A bright girl she was. | | | | | |Enmeshed in comforting | |5 |Fat, I wonder at her delicate angles. | |Her autocratic knee | | | | | |Like a Degas dancer’s | | |Adjusts to the observer with airy poise, | | |That now lugs me upstairs | | | | |10 |Hardly. Her face, broken | | |By nothing sharper than smiles, holds in its smiles | | |What I