Putting Our Brains on Hold Essay Example for Free

Putting Our Brains on Hold Essay The reading â€Å" Putting Our Brains on Hold,† by Bob Herbert, indicates that the United States is twelve among countries with college degrees. Also, this reading indicates that the percentage of people with college degrees has fallen, and that Americas young people are moving in the wrong direction at a time when college education is needed. Herbert says that engagement in issues that happen in society can lead to creative ideas and would enrich the lives of Americans. Many people are to blame for the society not engaging in the issues that happen in society. The most significant idea in this reading is parents, students, the educational establishment, government leaders, and the news media having the blame for not letting the society engage in the issues that happen to the society. Many children do badly in school because of their parents. Children of middle and upper classes are more likely to get high grades. Traumatic events can affect a child by giving that child a poor grade.The more time a parent spends with a child the more likely a child is to get a better grade. Children can do baldy in the classroom because of their carelessness.Teacher preparation is important for a teacher to be effective in the classroom. Good teacher preparation can have an affect on a students academic achievement. A teachers confidence can affect a students performance. It is important that teachers believe in themselves and in their abilities. The media can also affect childrens performance in school in a negative way. Television watching can replace activities that can help a child do better in school such as reading and doing homework. Television can also replace reading. Reading requires more thinking than television watching. Reading development. This is how television can affect a persons performance in school. Many people are not learning about the issues that happen in society. Many people are to blame for the society not engaging in the issues that happen everyday. This engagement can lead to creative ideas.

Postponing Motherhood Essay -- Pregnancy Birth Children Short Stories

Postponing Motherhood As a senior in a small high school in Connecticut, Jane Swanson* was attending weekly volleyball team practices, planning for college, studying for tests, and spending time with her friends and her boyfriend. She was a typical teenager until, at 17, she learned that she was pregnant. Stunned by the news and unsure of what to do, she spoke to her friends about her options. She was especially surprised because she was using condoms and practicing safe sex. Sadly, half of the 1.3 million women having abortions each year used some form of contraception when they became pregnant. She quickly realized that with her friends being teens themselves, they couldn’t give the best advice, and decided to call the nearest Planned Parenthood in Connecticut. Planned Parenthood is one of the best-known resources for abortion services. About to celebrate is 75th year, it is well known for promoting sexual and reproductive health through â€Å"clinical services, education and advocacy.† "Caring professionals provide a wide range of services in our modern facilities. Our clients know they can trust us to provide confidential and comprehensive health care at a reasonable cost,† wrote Dianne Luby, President and CEO of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, in her public address published on the clinics’ web site. Swanson spoke to a receptionist who informed her of the different types of abortions, medical and surgical, and also urged her to come into the office as soon as possible. She added, however, that that particular clinic did not perform abortions and she would have to travel a significant distance, to Hartford, for the procedure. The National Abortion Federation, through its 350 member clinics and... ...ake the decision to abort,† said Brown. â€Å"They fear being cut off from their families, their education being interrupted, their finances, that their boyfriends would leave them. They’ve already made up their minds.† A branch of A Woman’s Concern includes â€Å"Healthy Choices,† a five-day program in middle schools and high schools aimed at educating young people on unhealthy behaviors, misconceptions in the media, and lesson in skill building, designed to teach the students that they have a voice. "Healthy Start† has visited eleven or twelve different schools in and around the Boston area so far this year, and has received a positive response. Two years after having an abortion, Swanson, is still confident that she made the right decision. "There is no shame in getting pregnant, or getting help,† Swanson said. â€Å"Looking back, I only wish I had told my mother.†

Affirmative Action: the Sensitive and Controversial Essay

Affirmative action has been a sensitive and controversial topic in the workplace since its existence. People on both sides of this controversial topic have been at each other’s throats for years and it does not seem to be going away anytime soon. A plan created to ease the hiring process of a group of people has in fact created more division in this country more than any other topic. What is affirmative action after all? It is a policy designed to redress past discrimination against women and minority groups through measures to improve their economic and educational opportunities. (Wordnetweb.com, 2010) In this paper, the writer will describe the elements of affirmative action as it applies to public and private sector employers and how it interacts with Title VII requirements of Employment Opportunity. The paper will also determine what employers are subject to affirmative action plans and why, what do the plans require employers to do and what happens if employers do not mee t the goals of the affirmative action plan. This country has been dealing with the issue of discrimination for a long time. Affirmative action was created in order to reduce discrimination in the workplace and in school. As it applies to the public sector, affirmative action prevents businesses with fifteen or more employees from discriminating on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin and physical capability in practices relating to hiring, compensating, promoting, training and firing employees. (uslegal.com, 2010) It also it allows the state and federal governments to favor women-owned and minority-owned businesses when awarding contracts, and to reject bids from businesses that do not make good faith efforts to include minority-owned businesses among their subcontractors. (uslegal.com, 2010) When it comes to federal contractors and subcontractors, affirmative action must be taken by covered employers to recruit and advance qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. (uslegal.com) this proves that affirmative action affect both private and public emplo yers. The difference between Title VII and affirmative action is simple. As defined by authors Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander and Laura P Hartman, â€Å"affirmative action is the intentional inclusion of women and minorities in the workplace based on finding of their previous exclusion.†(Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007); Whereas Title VII under the Civil Right Act of 1964 simply banned discrimination in employment. In other words, affirmative action requires employers both public and private to hire minorities and women in their establishments or face some consequences but under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it would be considered a crime to discriminate against a certain group based on race, color, religion and so on. â€Å"Title VII prohibits discrimination in employment but it does not impose affirmative duties on the employer. However, as a part of a remedies provided under Title VII, courts may order affirmative action. (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007) Based on the research conducted, it does not seem that affirmation action was part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Not every employer is subject to affirmative action. For example, a private company like Wal-Mart does not have to comply with affirmative action regulations. However this does not mean that they will not be fined for blatantly discriminating against any one person. Affirmative action plans only apply to pubic employers and contracts. According to Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander and Laura P Hartman, â€Å"employers who contract with the federal government to provide goods and services of $10,000 or more must agree must agree to comply with the executive order.† (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007). Affirmative action plan is defined as a government contractor’s plan containing placement goals for inclusion for women and minorities in the workplace and timetables for accomplishing the goals. (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007) In other words, the employer set some goals for hiring women and minorities and these goals must be met in a timely manner. In addition, the plan requires employer post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants, notices provided by the contracting officer setting forth the provisions of the nondiscrimination clause, include all the contractors’ solicitations or advertisements for employees a statement that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, or national origin. (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007) The plan also requires employers to include a statement of these obligations in all subcontracts or purchase orders. (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007) Although the requirements under the affirmative action plan seems very strict, it is clear and the government does require full and detail explanation on how the plan is being implemented. As with everything else that the government is involved in, there are many consequences an employer can suffer if the plan is not followed properly. If an employer does not meet its target goals, in other words, is not in compliance with the action plan, there are several penalties which the federal government apply. According to Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, these penalties include publishing the names of nonconforming contractors or labor unions, recommending to the EEOC or the department of justice that proceedings be instituted under Title VII, cancelling, terminating, or suspending the contract or any portion thereof, for failure of the contractor or subcontractor to comply with the discrimination provisions of the contract. In addition, the government may debar the noncom plying contractor from entering into further contracts until the contractor has satisfied the secretary that it will abide by the provisions of the order. (Bennett-Alexander and Hartman, 2007 The question which remain debatable even in today’s society, is is affirmation action necessary? There is no real answer for this question because affirmative action has been such a divisive subjects that no one will really agree on it. There will always be those who are against it and think that it is reverse discrimination against white males and there will always be those who support it because they feel it has not done fully what it was meant to do. Either way, as controversial as it is, affirmative action will not go away any time soon until something else comes along. References Affirmative Action. 2010 Retrieved on June 27, 2010 from http://www.wordnetweb.princeton.edu Affirmative Action Law and Legal Definition. 2010 Retrieved on June 28, 2010 from http://www.uslegal.com Alexande-Bennett D. D. and Hartman P. L 2007 5th ed. The Mcgraw Hills company

Essay on The Crucible and the West Memphis Three - 1175 Words

Revenge, the abuse of authority and the desire for power are all present in both Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible and the case regarding the West Memphis Three. To understand the connection you need to know something about the case. Three young boys were murdered on May 5, 1993 (Leveritt 5). They were stripped of their clothing, their hands were bound and they were forced underwater in the nearby creek where they stayed until they were found the next day. Little evidence was collected the day of their discovery, what was recovered was mislabeled and handled incorrectly. The boys were laying in the open elements for 3 hours before they saw any kind of medical examiner (Leveritt 23). Later, three teenagers (Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin†¦show more content†¦(117 book) Numerous celebrities sought the freedom of the â€Å"West Memphis Three† as they came to be called after their imprisonment (Robertson 1). These celebrities were putting their face out there by atta ching it to a cause. This is advertisement for them. This exploitation of events to gain power was also present in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible. Taking place in 1692, a time when religion was everything and the town preacher was authority, people were forced into the mundane, agricultural centered lives that had been handed to them by the previous generation (Miller 3). Children were â€Å"young adults† and seen as â€Å"thankful for being permitted to walk straight† (Miller 4). It was a small town they lived in and very few people were literate. Any information they came across was given to them by gossiping townsfolk or the preacher, Reverend Parris. Revered Parris uses the power that was handed to him to give himself a better name in politics. The witch craze provided the perfect moment to do so. He helped head the committee that determined the innocence of those convicted. By doing so he hopes to create a reputation for himself in politics. He also sup ports anything the judge Danforth says, calling him â€Å"sir† and â€Å"Your Excellency† (Miller 88). This brown nosing and condemnation of others, â€Å"Beware this man... this man is mischief† (to Proctor), is to keep the searchlight off himself and sustain hisShow MoreRelatedThe Crucible Research Paper : West Memphis Three1480 Words   |  6 PagesCrucible Research Paper : West Memphis Three The West Memphis Three terminology was birthed when three troubled, teenage boys were accused of brutally torturing and murdering three young, innocent boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, in May of 1993. Authorities had mounting pressure to find the culprits responsible for the unspeakable crime. In a very short time, the three teens were accused, arrested and then charged with the brutal crime. It was not Salem, Massachusetts, but a witch-hunt wasRead MoreHysteria In The Crucible Analysis827 Words   |  4 Pageshistory. The crucible, by Arthur Miller depicts how hysteria, political injustice and prejudice began the historical ‘witch hunt’ which resulted 19 innocents killed. Two centuries later hysteria, political injustice and prejudice have again affected the lives of three innocent teenagers, Damien Echols (18), Jessie Misskelly (17), and Jason Baldwin (16), who were wrongly accused, convicted and sentenced for the homicide of three 8-year-old boy; this case wa s dubbed the West Memphis Three (WM3). WithinRead MoreThe Memphis Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878 Essay2107 Words   |  9 PagesThe 1878 yellow fever epidemic in Memphis proved to be fatal, killing almost all who got infected. The disease traveled up from New Orleans infecting and killing many on its way. Memphis was going through reconstruction and was becoming the center for merchants and travelers. Furthermore, Memphis began to become overly populated only increasing the devastation that would be caused by the yellow fever. This was a confusing period were even medical professionals did not know where the disease cameRead MoreLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 PagesLawrence, Kansas. Grandmother Mary Langston, an American citizen of French, Cherokee, and African descent, was nineteen in 1855 when men tried to kidnap her and sell her as a slave. Her first husband, Lewis Leary, was killed in 1859 at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, during John Browns raid on the federal arsenal. Throughout Mary Langstons life, she treasured Lewiss bullet-riddled shawl, an emblem of his martyrdom. She often covered young Langston with it as he slept on her daybed. Mary Langstons