Mother to Son free essay sample

Langston Hughes moving poem Mother to Son empowers not only the son, but also the reader with precious words of wisdom. Through the skillful use of literary devices such as informal language, symbolism, metaphors, repetition, as well as clever use of format, Hughes manages to assemble up the image of a mother lovingly, yet firmly, talking to her son about life. This poem is an advice from a mother to son about life that will be challenging and do not think about giving it up. The theme that this poet conveyed in the poem is determination to live without ever thinking giving up although the obstacles are harsh. Besides, it also emphasize regarding the struggle for life that the one will experience but still have the strength to face it day by day. It also shows about affection and as motivation of a mother to son that takes care of his son and gives advice so that the son will somehow be prepared to face the life. We will write a custom essay sample on Mother to Son or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Langston Hughes’ poem, â€Å"Mother to Son† resemble to the well-known expression â€Å"let’s have a father to son chat†. However, in this case, the saying is altered to â€Å"mother to son†. Poetic devices such as informal language, symbolisms, metaphors and repetition were used in this poem. This poem is written from the mother’s point of view in the advice form so the audience could feels the warmth and approachability of southern dialect. Readers will immediately have an impression of a middle-aged women battered by life’s struggles, with no formal education but plenty of life experiences to share with the son. Informal language is cleverly used to visually portray a truthful motherly figure that has valuable advice to offer. The persona of the poem is an African-American showed by the dialect used with the missing ‘g’ such as in â€Å"climbin’, turning’ † etceteras. It also use the word â€Å"ain’t† which is often used by the African-American. In addition, symbols like â€Å"tacks† is used to illustrate the sharpness and discomfort of life’s obstacle. Splinters represent the inflammatory pain and the difficulties in removing and overcoming this pain in life. Even the metaphor of life being compared to stairs symbolizes the exhaustive uphill climb in life. In contrast, the crystal stair represents clarity and perfection, a life that the mother makes obvious was not given to her. In this poem, Hughes develops a sort of negative extended metaphor by having the speaker compare her life to a staircase that â€Å"ain’t been no crystal clear†. In other words, she develops the metaphor b describing what it isn’t rather than what it is. Moreover, repetition adds to the imagery of the poem and helps support the theme. Even the repeated use of specific words adds to the effect of repetition. Using the word and repeatedly creates a constant feeling of never-ending continuation, consequently reinforcing the theme of courage and determination, both vital factors necessary to continue the stair climbing. In conclusion, Langston Hughes moving poem Mother to Son empowers not only the son, but also the reader with precious words of wisdom. Through the skillful use of literary devices such as informal language, symbolism, metaphors, and repetition, Hughes manages to create the image of a mother lovingly, yet firmly, talking to her son about life. The advice is simple but pertinent to the poetic theme: in order to overcome the hurdles of life, a person must possess courage and determination. Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, novelist, playwright, short story writer, and columnist. Hughes is known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance Robert Lee Frost, arguably the greatest American poet of the 20th century, was born in San Francisco, California, on March 26, 1874. Frost said his poem The Road Not Taken was tricky-very tricky. Three things make his poem tricky-the time frame, and the words sigh and difference. Robert Frost’s â€Å"The Road Not Taken† has been one of the most analyzed, quoted, anthologized poems in American poetry. A wide-spread interpretation claims that the speaker in the poem is promoting individualism and non-conformity. A Tricky Poem Frost claims that he wrote this poem about his friend Edward Thomas, with whom he had walked many times in the woods near London. Frost has said that while walking they would come to different paths and after choosing one, Thomas would always fret wondering what they might have missed by not taking the other path. About the poem, Frost asserted, You have to be careful of that one; its a tricky poem very tricky. And he is, of course, correct. The poem has been and continues to be used as an inspirational poem, one that to the undiscerning eye seems to be encouraging self-reliance, not following where others have led. But a close reading of the poem proves otherwise. It does not moralize about choice; it simply says that choice is inevitable, but you never know what your choice will mean until you have lived it. First Stanza – Describes Situation The poem consists of four stanzas. In the first stanza, the speaker describes his position. He has been out walking the woods and comes to two roads, and he stands looking as far down each one as he can see. He would like to try out both, but doubts he could to that, so therefore he continues to look down the roads for a long time trying to make his decision about which road to take. Second Stanza – Decides to Take Less-Traveled Road The speaker had looked down the first one â€Å"to where it bent in the undergrowth,† and in the second stanza, he reports that he decided to take the other path, because it seemed to have less traffic than the first. But then he goes on to say that they actually were very similarly worn. The second one that he took seems less traveled, but as he thinks about it, he realizes that they were â€Å"really about the same. † Not exactly the same but only â€Å"about the same. † Third Stanza – Continues Description of Roads The third stanza continues with the cogitation about the possible differences between the two roads. He had noticed that the leaves were fresh fallen on them both and had not been walked on, but then again claims that maybe he would come back and also walk the first one sometime, but he doubted he would be able to, because in life one thing leads to another and time is short. Fourth Stanza – Two Tricky Words The fourth stanza holds the key to the trickiness of the poem: I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Those who interpret this poem as suggesting non-conformity take the word â€Å"difference† to be a positive difference. But there is nothing in the poem that suggests that this difference signals a positive outcome. The speaker could not offer such information, because he has not lived the â€Å"difference† yet. The other word that leads readers astray is the word â€Å"sigh. † By taking â€Å"difference† to mean a positive difference, they think that the sigh is one of nostalgic relief; however, a sigh can also mean regret. There is the â€Å"oh, dear† kind of sigh, but also the â€Å"what a relief† kind of sigh. Which one is it? If it is the relief sigh, then the difference means the speaker is glad he took the road he did; if it is the regret sigh, then the difference would not be good, and the speaker would be sighing in regret. But the plain fact is that the poem does not identify the nature of that sigh. The speaker of the poem does not even know the nature of that sigh, because that sigh and his evaluation of the difference his choice will make are still in the future. It is a truism that any choice an individual makes is going to make â€Å"all the difference† in how ones future turns out. Careful Readers Won’t Be Tricked So Frost was absolutely correct; his poem is tricky—very tricky. In this poem, it is important to be careful with the time frame. When the speaker says he will be reporting sometime in the future how his road choice turned out, he clearly states that he cannot assign meaning to â€Å"sigh† and â€Å"difference† yet, because he cannot know how his choice will affect his future, until after he has lived it. I think this song is an expression of his dissatisfaction with the way he lives. He is tired of letting society, culture or the hive drive his life. Now, hes taking the wheel into his own hands. Even if it means not being accepted by the hive or sacrificing a comfortable lifestyle, he wants to be the one in control of his life. Lead singer Brandon Boyd: The lyric is basically about fear, about being driven all your life by it and making decisions from fear. Its about imagining what life would be like if you didnt live it that way.

Hoc-est Corpus †This is My Body †Religious Studies Essay

Hoc-est Corpus – This is My Body – Religious Studies Essay Free Online Research Papers Hoc-est Corpus This is My Body Religious Studies Essay Ever wonder where the phrase hocus pocus came from? It is corrupted from the Latin, hoc-est corpus, meaning: This is my body. Throughout history transubstantiationalist beliefs abound, mostly in archaic cultures. Plants and animals involved in sacraments and rituals were believed to literally transform into the flesh of the gods. Cultures and religions all over the world have used entheogens (term to describe plants and chemicals that have religious import) in their spiritual practices, incorporating religious, medicinal, and psychotherapeutic dimensions, transcendence to communicate with the gods. From 1,000 to 500 B.C.E., in Central and South America, psilocybin was given the name Temamacatlth which means Gods flesh. Ayahuasca or DMT, called vine of the soul, is still used in these religious ceremonies spanning 70 different peoples also in Central and South America. Chemists have been baffled for years by the extensive knowledge of these indigenous people, and the plants they use for healing and spiritual purposes. The tribes claim that their knowledge came from the plants themselves, which they are able to communicate with while being intoxicated. Peyote, in North America, is viewed not as a plant, but as a god by the Huichol Indians of Mexico and is used as a spiritual medicine, a plant sacrament, and plant teacher, but is considered an entire way of life. According to Ralph Metzner, a professor of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, the use of hallucinogens as an adjunct to yogic practices is known to this day in India, among certain Shaivite sects in particular (Hallucinogens: A Reader p. 23). Marijuana has been called weed of wisdom and angels food, and is mentioned in the Bible several times. For example, in Exodus 30:23, God commands Moses to make a holy anointing oil of myrrh, sweet cinnamon, kassia and kaneh bosm. Kaneh bosm in Hebrew, literally means, kannabos or kannabus. Sometimes it is mistranslated into calamus. The root kan means reed or hemp, and bosm means aromatic. Other examples are found in Song of Solomon 4:14, Isaiah 43:24, Jeremiah 6:20, and Ezekiel 27:19. In the Jewish sect of Ess ene, every prophet had to go through an initiation, which consisted of a sacred meal where God was identified as being part of the consumed. Taoists refer to psilocybin as the divine mushroom of immortality. Gordon Wasson postulates in his book Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality, that â€Å"soma† in Vedic literature, a red fruit leading to spontaneous but impermanent enlightenment to those who ingest it, is actually the Fly Agaric, Amanita Muscaria Mushroom. It is thought by some that Aristotle, Plato and Sophocles all participated in ceremonies at a temple in Eluesis which honored Demeter, the earth goddess, in which a fungal concoction was served that some, including Albert Hoffmann, Carl Ruck and Gordon Wasson speculate, is an LSD-like, ergot-derived beverage. Let me provide just a spectrum of different religious uses people would use these substances for: opening of extrasensory channels of perception such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and astral projection, loss of the fear of death, profound personal transformation and rejuvenation, communion with natural forces, animals and plant life, rites of passage with themes of birth, sex and death, reclaiming ancestral heritage, connection with a totem animal, direct communication or even possession by deities or demons and other archetypal beings, healing mediated by spirit guides or animal helpers, and quite often used in combination with other spiritual practices such as yoga, meditation and prayer. Throughout human experience, entheogens have had a role in religious institutions. I will argue that in a country where religious freedom is granted, the use of these substances should be recognized for their religious value, and be protected under civil liberties. Furthermore, to deny this right is not only a contradiction of the constitution but an act of oppression and discrimination against the God-given right to control destinies as well as religious evolution. Not until the 16th century did political systems formally forbid these substances. Punishment for ingestion was often death. â€Å"Witches† persecuted during the inquisitions were accused of using hallucinogenic plants, specifically those of the nightshade family such as mandrake. For this many were tortured, murdered and burned. â€Å"The mandrake is the ‘Tree of Knowledge† and the burning love ignited by its pleasure is the origin of the human race (Hugo Rahner Greek Myths in Christian Meaning, 1957).† They also used the stereotypical amphibians in their witches’ brews, whose secretions are hallucinogenic much like the Colorado River Toad which secretes considerable amounts of DMT-like compounds. This attitude has been carried over into our current attitudes and laws regarding these substances. In the first amendment to the United States Constitution, all citizens are granted the right to religious freedom. But what constitutes religious freedom? Furthermore, what constitutes religious experience? The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy by Simon Blackburn defines religious experience as any experience carrying as its content the presence of something divine or transcendentas being able to comprehend a timeless and eternal divine order to the universe. Further, it defines freedom as a condition of liberation from social and cultural forces that are perceived as impeding self-realization.† To become free is therefore a challenge that is only met by personal transformation. There are common misconceptions regarding the definition of religion which have crept into our culture. The Webster’s Dictionary defines religion as 1) a belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe; 2) a set of beliefs, values, and pra ctices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader. It defines religious as having or showing belief and reverence for God or a deity. Buddhism, though, is non-theistic, not believing in a creator and governor of the universe. Still, it is recognized as a religion. According to definition number two, one can be part of a religion as long as one follows the teachings of a spiritual leader and thus be protected under the first amendment. Why then cant anyone follow the teaching of a Native American spiritual leader, under the protection under law? On the very first page of Aldous Huxleys The Doors of Perception, he says, In the words of one of the early Spanish visitors to the New World, they eat a root which they call peyote, and which they venerate as though it were a deity. Hallucinogens such as LSD, DMT, cannabis, mescaline, psilocybin (mushrooms) and peyote are all listed as Schedule One by our government. To be classified Schedule One means three things: that these substances have 1) a high potential for abuse, 2) no currently accepted medicinal use in treatment in the United States, and 3) a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision. There are many inherent problems with this law. Marijuana has been used and prescribed by doctors all over the U.S. for things such as glaucoma, depression, anorexia and for cancer patients going through chemotherapy. Yet the government says that there is no accepted medicinal use of marijuana. Why is this? The law says The listing of peyote as a controlled substance in Schedule One does not apply to the non-drug use of peyote in bona fide religious ceremonies of the Native American Church, and members of the Native American Church so using peyote are exempt from registration.† In states such as Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin, the use of peyote is only protected within Native American Church ceremonies. Idaho and Texas, however, require some Native American Heritage in order to be exempt. What does it mean when they use the term â€Å"non-drug use†? They’re saying that when you use a drug for religious reasons it is no longer a drug. When you take a drug for negative reasons then it is a drug. The Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines drug as â€Å"a substance used as a medication or in the preparation of medication. Dictionary.com defines drug as 1) â€Å" A substance used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a disease or as a component of a medication; and as 2) A chemical substance, such as a narcotic or hallucinogen, that affects the central nervous system, causing changes in behavior.† Peyote is a drug! No matter how you use it. In the Tao Te Ching it says, â€Å"Nature provides everythingfor all without discrimination Therefore let us present the same face to everyone and treat all men as equals. But notice how the law specifies that peyote may only be used by a religious organization. Therefore, one doesnt have religious freedom unless one is part of a particular organization. Jane English, who helped translate the Tao Te Ching into English along with Gia-Fu Feng, said in her introduction, The Taoist Way is not dependent on race, creed or any culture form. Native Americans are exempt from peyote law. Therefore, that freedom is only provided for a certain race. This is not religious freedom. It discriminates all other races. Ayahuasca is protected as a religious practice in Brazil. If a certain practice is considered religious by another country, culture or tradition, and our country is founded on the melting pot ideal, granting religious freedom; why is it that we do not recognize religious practices from other countries for our citizens? Research indicates that people who take ayahuasca show unusually large numbers of serotonin receptors (Stanislav Grof, Forgotten Truth). This is beginning to prove to western psychiatrists that this plant can be more effective in treating certain types of depression and other psychiatric conditions that exist in the current psychiatric paradigm. LSD, when first discovered, showed great promise for psychiatric use. However, as it hit the streets in the 60s, in conjunct with the Vietnam protests and the counter culture movement, it inevitably became illegal as a result of fear and gained a terrible reputation. Because of this it became unavailable to the medical field. This is a strange paradox: How is it that the dominant white culture succeeded in only making an entire field of study taboo and any use thereof punishable by imprisonment, where the same substances are the sacrament of a particular subculture within the larger society and is protected by law? Ralph Metzner postulates, T he fact that the serious use of hallucinogens continues despite severe social and legal sanctions suggests that this is a kind of individual freedom that is not easy to abolish. It also suggests that there is a strong need in certain people to reestablish their connections with ancient traditions of knowledge, in which visionary states of consciousness and exploration of other realities, with or without hallucinogens, were the main concern. In religions and cultures that have made use of hallucinogens, ceremonies express and reinforce the integration of mind, body and spirit; they are simultaneously religious, medicinal, and psychotherapeutic, such as peyote-use, healing-singing circles, sweat lodge and spirit dance among Native Americans. In dominant white societies, we have compartmentalized medicine, psychology and religious spirituality. When hit by the overflow of these drugs on the streets, which were under research at the time, each group approached these substances with fear of its unpredictable transformations of physical perception as well as worldviews. Thus the natural reaction was total prohibition (which hasnt seemed to be such a good idea in the past) not only for religious practices, but also from further research into medicinal and psychotherapeutic uses. These dominant groups didnt want consciousness expanding drugs, or anyone to use them of their own free will. This assumes that people are too ignoran t to make reasoned, informed choices of how to treat their own illnesses, psychological problems, and how to cultivate their own religious practice. The big difference is that in cultures that use these tools, the visions produced are not feared but accepted and respected. They assume that their people have the capacity and responsibility to attune themselves to higher spiritual sources of knowledge and healing. An Ayahuasca Song of the Shipibo sings â€Å"Ayahuasca, medicine, enrapture me fully! Help me by opening your beautiful world to me! You also are created by the god who created man! Reveal to me completely your medicine worlds. I shall heal the sick bodies: These sick children and this sick woman shall I heal by making everything good!† This drug is the cornerstone of some cultures origin of all knowledge (as said in Jeremy Narby’s The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge) and medicine. If one were to move from this culture into the U.S. and continu e their religious practice, they would be arrested. We have limited religious freedom. Aldous Huxley proposes in The Doors of Perception that modern religions are no longer adequate for the sense of meaning and purpose we require. Religions have become merely words, abstract conceptualization. We need direct experience. It is becoming increasingly difficult for westerners and people in technological/industrial societies to feel the interconnectedness with nature and fellow humans. Many people, certainly many young people who take drugs, do not use hallucinogens as a means of escape, but for achieving the satisfaction of interconnectedness in a spiritual sense. There are many who argue that drugs cannot produce genuine mystical experiences and have no role in spiritual life. What is it then that makes an experience religious? As part of certain religions, people bless their meals through prayer before they eat, although most people dont consider it a sacred or ritualistic act. Intention is what makes a given experience authentically religious. The same drug, or method, can be used to attain nirvana, or religious vision, while in the case of others, such as Charles Manson, could lead to perverse and sadistic acts of violence. These drugs are merely tools to attain altered states, which state depends on the intention of the user. In Buddhism, there is an idea of â€Å"the finger pointing to the moon.† The significance of this metaphor is to simply point out that there are many different paths, many different methods, of getting to the same goal. There are many different sects in Buddhism, for example, with different methodologies, all geared toward achieving the same goal of enlightenment. One can have a religious experience through peyote, through meditation, through yoga, through the use of other psychedelics, or any integration or combination of various spiritual practices. According to the Moral Accounting Metaphor, proposed by Lakoff and Johnson, rights are viewed as entitlements to certain moral goods, meaning certain aspects of well-being. The problem is that few people decide what well-being is for its community, its nation, and all individuals therein. Our conceptions of well-being may or may not be universal among all cultures of the world. But all have a sense of what is right and what is wrong no matter how they come to those conclusions. Many of our metaphorical conceptualizations of morality are inconsistent with one another. Adam Smith proposed that if all citizens of a nation pursue their own self-interest that an invisible hand would operate to bring about the wealth of all. Combining this with the Moral Accounting Metaphor we get the Morality is the Pursuit of Self-Interest Metaphor. Adam Smith’s theory was one of the founding principles of this country and affected how we conduct our business as a nation throughout the world. In P hilosophy in the Flesh, Lakoff and Johnson discuss moral superiority in the moral order metaphor: â€Å"Western culture over non-Western culture; America over other countries; citizens over immigrants; Christians over non-Christians; straights over gays; the rich over the poor. Incidentally, the Moral Order metaphor gives us a better understanding of what fascism is: Fascism legitimizes such a moral order and seeks to enforce it through the power of the state (p. 304).† In our culture using drugs in viewed as wrong, immoral, dirty and repulsive. The prevailing although rarely acknowledged attitude in American courts is that almost any trial is too good for a person accused of a drug crime. That attitude was succinctly displayed in a remark made in 1987 by one of the most liberal Supreme Court Justices. The late Thurgood Marshall, a lifelong defender of the Bill of Rights, told Life Magazine, If its a dope case, I wont even read the petition. I aint giving no break to no dope dealer. That statement caught the attention of some in the legal profession, but it produced neither a bark of criticism nor a paragraph of protest. What would have happened if Justice Marshall had said the same thing about petitions from politicians convicted of bribery? Or those of securities dealers convicted of stock fraud? In stark contrast, when Judge Harold Baer ruled in favor of a drug defendant, Presidential candidate Bob Dole called for his impeachment and the White House said it would ask for his resignation if he didn’t change his ru ling. He changed it. Police may search an open field without warrant or cause, even if it has no trespassing signs and the police trespass is a criminal offense. They may also, as in Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four, conduct close helicopter surveillance of our homes and backyards. They may also search our garbage cans without cause. First class mail may be opened without a warrant on less than probable cause The exclusionary rule which forbids use of illegally-obtained evidence has been restricted to the point of absurdity. The rule does not apply to grand jury proceedings, to civil cases, or even to sentencing procedures. It does not apply even in a criminal trial if the defendant has the temerity to testify in his own defense, for the illegally-obtained evidence can then be used to impeach the defendant as a witness. The signers of the Declaration of Independence believed, with John Locke, that the right of property was fundamental and inalienable, an aspect of humanity. They regarded liberty as impossible without property, which was the guardian of every other right. These beliefs are reflected in constitutional text. The Fifth Amendment declares that No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. Under federal statutes, any property is subject to forfeiture if it is used, or intended to be used, in any manner or part, to commit or to facilitate the commission of a drug crime. No one need be convicted or even accused of a crime for forfeiture to occur. Indeed, in eighty percent or more of drug forfeitures, no one is ever charged with a crime. A person can have her motor home confiscated without any proceedings of any kind, if the confiscation is a drug forfeiture. Courts hold that illegally seized property need not be returned if the police can establish probable cause at the forfeiture proceeding itself. It doesnt matter that there was no cause for the seizure; it doesnt matter that the seizure was illegal, even unconstitutional. If the government can later establish probable cause (through investigation of the seized property itself after the seizure), that is sufficient to uphold a forfeiture. A court recently held that a home was forfeitable because the owner, when he applied for a home equity loan, intended to use the proceeds to buy drugs. By the time the loan actually came through, he had used other funds for that purpose, but that didnt matter, the court said, because he had intended to use the home to secure a loan, the proceeds of which he intended to use for drugs. The home was therefore no longer his. Any activities within a home that relate to drugs are sufficient for forfeiture of the home. A phone call to or from a source, the possession of chemicals, wrappers, paraphernalia of any kind; the storing or reading of any how to books on the cultivation or production of drugs, which I own. The operative question is whether any of these activities was intended to facilitate a drug offense. If a car is driven to or from a place where drugs are bought or sold and is then parked in a garage attached to a home, the home has then been used to store the car, which facilitated the transaction, and is probably forfeitable along with the car. If the home is located on a 120 acre farm, the entire farm goes as well. When drug proceeds were deposited in a bank account that contained several hundred thousand dollars in clean funds, the entire account was declared forfeit on the theory that the clean funds facilitated the laundering of the tainted funds. Where a drug dealer owned and operated a ranch, his quarter horses all 27 of them were forfeited on the theory that as part of a legitimate business, the livestock were part of a front for the owners illegal activities. On this theory, the more innocent ones use of property is, the more effective it is as a front or cover and therefore the more clearly forfeitable. Dozens of people have lost their homes for growing a few marijuana plants for personal use, including James Burton, a glaucoma sufferer who needed the marijuana to keep from going blind. Burton lost not only his home but his 90 acre Kentucky farm. Thousands of car owners have forfeited their cars because they, or someone else to whom they lent the car, used the car to buy or attempt to buy a small quantity of drugs for personal consumption. Boats and airplanes worth millions of dollars have been forfeited because minute quantities of marijuana were found on board. Yachts and fishing vessels worth millions were seized merely because a crew member may have possessed a small amount of marijuana. The sheriff of Volusia County, Florida routinely stops cars and searches them. If substantial sums of money are found, the money is confiscated, whether or not any drugs are found. The theory is that the money is probably drug related. Police commonly use trained dogs to sniff in and around cars. The dogs usually react positively to cash and therefore suggest the presence of cocaine. This produces a full search and, often, discovery of cash, which is confiscated. But who prosecutes the confiscators, especially if the prosecutor gets part of the proceeds? The Supreme Court said in 1974, the innocence of the owner is irrelevant. After the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, owners of any property seized under civil forfeiture proceedings can defeat forfeiture if they can prove either that offending use occurred or that the offending use occurred without the knowledge or consent of [the] owner. In a Milwaukee case, the owner of a 36-unit apartment building plagued by dope dealing evicted 10 tenants suspected of drug use, gave a master key to the police, forwarded tips to the police and even hired two security firms. The city seized the building anyway. Already, federal forfeiture statutes apply to pornography, gambling, and several other offenses, as well as drugs. Many state statutes apply to property used in any felony. The forfeiture of cars used in sex offenses is commonplace. Some cities confiscate the cars of johns who cruise neighborhoods looking for prostitutes. Other states take ones car for drunk driving. It is clear that the drug war cannot succeed in ending the consumption of illicit substances but if the unwinnable war continues, it can deprive us all of precious liberties. It has already done so. Terrence McKenna said, Psychedelics are a red-hot, social/ethical issue precisely because they are de-conditioning agents. They will raise doubts in you if you are a Hassidic rabbi, a Marxist anthropologist, or an altar boy because their business is to dissolve belief systems. In the Buddhist idea of samsara, it is thought that the human mind will do all it can to attach itself to its own ego or idea of the self. Meditation in this tradition is also known as a de-conditioning agent where self-created ideas of self and reality disappear to reveal ones true Buddha-nature. McKenna felt we have a moral obligation to examine and think clearly about our notions of self and other. Psychedelics have played a role in this process all throughout history. Why are they not valued, recognized and included today in our culture/political system? Ralph Metzner said, Our materialist-technological societycan ill afford to ignore any potential aids to greater knowledge of the human mind. Approaching th ese substances with fear and disbelief will only harm us. We must protect these substances for religious, medicinal and psychotherapeutic purposes. One could achieve exploration of unconscious or â€Å"unmapped† areas of the mind, as Huxley puts it, through a wide variety of spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, yoga, martial arts, extreme exercise, or even intense moments of emotion, positive or negative. It is within our power to fully awaken to our innate Buddha-Nature at any time as the Zen tradition believes but it relies on the intention of the user at any given moment. In The Doors of Perception Huxley asks â€Å"What is the Dharma-Body of the Buddha? the Master answers ‘the hedge at the bottom of the garden.’† And Huxley replies â€Å"†¦of course the Dharma-Body was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously, it was anything that I or rather the blessed Not-I, released for a moment from my throttling embrace cared to look at (p.19).† Huxley explains, taking a theory of Dr. C. D. Broad, a Cambridge philosopher, that â€Å"the function of the brain and nervous system and sense organs is in the main eliminative and not productive (p. 22).† Again referring to Buddhist philosophy he says that everyone is capable at each moment of being aware of all that is occurring in the universe and remembering all that has happened in the universe. Thus the function of the brain is protection from the overwhelming and confusing infinite knowledge of the universe which is largely useless and irrelevant at given moments. We only use what is necessary in the present moment for fulfilling basic desires such as survival and sustenance. Thus, â€Å"Mind at Large† is filtered through our brain and nervous system and all that comes out is a â€Å"trickle† of consciousness. Most people, most of the time only know what is brought through their own reducing valve. These spiritual exercises, hypnosis, and chemicals create by-passes into â€Å"Mind at Large.† Huxley explains: â€Å"The great change was in the realm of objective fact. What had happened to my subjective universe was relatively unimportant†¦Space [and time] were still there; but it had lost its predominance. The mind was primarily concerned, not with measures and locations, but with being and meaning (p. 16, 20).† Mescaline can do this by lowering the efficiency of the mind, in the sense that by regulating the enzyme system in cerebral functioning it draws attention away from mental events normally excluded because they possess no survival imperative. This also can explain how fasting can induce visionary experiences; by sinking the amount of sugar to the brain reducing the biological efficiency. Furthermore, vitamin deficiency removes nicotinic acid from the blood, a known inhibitor of visions. Our normal perceptual lives can also act as an inhibitor of visionary experiences. Psychologists have found that if you put someone in an â€Å"isolation tank†, or restricted environment where there is no sound, smell, light, or perceivable things and place them in a tepid bath with only one thing to perceive, one will begin to start â€Å"see things,† â€Å"hear things,† and have strange tactile sensations. In such traditions involving extreme asceticism and meditation in both wes tern and eastern traditions, there are similar effects. As Huxley says, â€Å"Their self-inflicted punishment may be the door to paradise (p. 88).† I am not arguing that these substances are safe and should be used by everyone. It is well known that these â€Å"drugs† have harmed many people, caused psychotic episodes; people commit suicide while on them etc. This is another important reason why they are approached with fear. However many people are able to take these tools responsibly and under religious ritual. We are being oppressed by these embodied attitudes and laws. These drugs have religious import and they should be recognized and protected by the state. Research Papers on "Hoc-est Corpus - This is My Body" - Religious Studies EssayCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionGenetic EngineeringArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Comparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceTwilight of the UAWRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andCapital PunishmentMind Travel

A Midwifery Community Profile Health And Social Care Essay

A Midwifery Community Profile Health And Social Care Essay This community profile is based on an area in the outskirts of Glasgow and the objective is to identify the current provisions of maternity care and other health care services, which cater for the needs of the local population in the physical, emotional, intellectual and social needs for groups in the community, additionally, commenting on any deficits in care. Health promotions have been identified as resources that will enhance the health of this specific community’s health and are included in the profile. Also, the role and contribution of the midwifery services is explored, along with other primary healthcare providers and how they use teamwork to deliver healthcare to the community. Professional and ethical issues have been discussed throughout the profile and as all aspects of health are unrelated and interdependent, (Ewles & Simnett, 1992: Ch1 p7), a holistic and professional view has been taken to evaluate the needs, and health services of this community. The RCM beli eves that truly woman-centered care must encompass midwifery-led care of normal pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period and services that are planned and delivered close to women and the communities in which they live or work, (NHS Evidence, 2008). This statement shows the importance of a community midwife, as their role is to not only provide the clinical skills, but also be accessible for support and advice at the time of much adjustment for a woman. If the midwife can become a part of the woman’s community, getting to know the woman and her family more personally, learning to understand their lives and the nature of the life around them, she will be able to be more responsive and understanding to them as individuals, and move away from the depersonalization of the institution. Individual societies each have their own specific needs and characteristics, and it is vital for a midwife to know her area well in order to respond appropriately, along with poverty levels and rac ial mixes (Fraser and Cooper 2009, p. 43). Community-based care can be in the home or in community hospitals and centers, but is a process that emphasizes consultation, collaboration, and referral to the professionals who are most appropriately prepared to meet the women ¹s needs (Walsh, 2001). It is also vital that women are educated and â€Å"women should be given appropriate, accurate and unbiased information based on research that would allow and encourage them to make informed choices in relation to their care† (Baston & Green, 2002). Women from different backgrounds, and areas can often have very contrasting education levels and as a midwife, it is essential to know your neighborhood well in order to take these into consideration when communicating with a woman. The area chosen for this community profile is in the south west of Glasgow, which will now be referred to as area X, with a population of 10,024 (RDC – Registrar General’s Census, 2001). Table 1: Age Distribution – Area X Indicator Number Percentage Population aged 0-15 2,400 23.9% Population ages 16-64 6,463 64.5% Population aged 65+ 1161 11.6% The majority of the population is in the age range 16-64 years and the relevant health care services in the community for this group are the antenatal clinics, family planning and screening clinics.

Research Methods Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research Methods - Coursework Example Organizations have therefore continued to struggle with the challenges that impact on the performance of managers and employees, which contributes greatly to dealing with competition within the various industries. Managers and employee performance is a theory of management within organizations that takes on various perspectives and purposes with the traditional purposes being the organization having good planning systems which serve as a means of meeting up the work expectations for managers and employees. An organization should have effective ways in which they are able to monitor performance and have ways in which an organization is able to develop the capacity of employees in performance and putting in place appropriate reward systems which motivate employees, thus resulting to good performance (Baldwin, 2008). Research question My project answers and reviews the extent to which performance of employers and employees in an organization is limited by relevant factors. Aim The proje ct seeks at ascertaining the factors that limit employees and employers within an organization’s environment. Research paradigm The paper will make use of realistic research paradigm especially because of its ability to take in the aspects of positivism and constructivism. Through the realistic research paradigm, it will be possible for me to hold on the notion that real structures exist and bring in knowledge and consciousness as aspects that look at human knowledge differently. According to the realistic paradigm, social and natural science are differentiated, while social reality is reinterpreted. Use of the realistic research paradigm was chosen because of its ability to take on a wider perspective, by bringing together the assumptions of positivism paradigm and the constructivism paradigm (John, 2005). Methodology/Research strategy My project will make use of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. First-hand information method will include the use of persona l interviews and well structured questionnaires with well-organized questions, which will be administered to employers and employees within organizations in different industries. I will use secondary data sources such as books and journals that look at the limitations of employees and employers performance in organizations, through analysis of theories and previous research on performance. Literature Review Basically, organizational performance takes into account actual results of a particular organization as measured against the intended goals and expectations within a specified period of time. Performance is therefore the end result of an organization while organizational performance at large refers to the accumulated results of an organization’s work processes and activities. Organizational aspects therefore take in activities within an organization that are concerned with the activities, goals and their monitoring and adjustment, to ensure they contribute effectively towa rds an organization (Kirkpatrick, 2010). Employers and employees have been appreciated and recognized as the major aspects of organizational performance in any industry. Good managers and employees’ performance contributes to the ability of an organization to fulfill its mission and visions, which is complemented by sound management, strong governance and persistence towards the results. Employee performance also takes in perspective employee performance

Chronicle of the Council Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chronicle of the Council - Term Paper Example In addition, the precursors to activism intended to redeem the image of God’s church and teachings are examined in this study. It is imperative to note that, this study is confined to specific period attributed to the occurrence of the event. The vivid picture given out by Pope Urban II on the situation brings out the true inspiration of a person who loves his country and its environs. The Chronicles of the Council of Clermont dates back the year 1095 when Catholic faith was most respected. It formed the basis of unity and harmony. A people that fears God and is deeds characterizes this period. This nation believes an alienated tribe from the Persians society should not mix with God’s clean people. The speech is culturally upright because it upholds the key principles of a united nation that can only come together when intruded. It is evident from the speech that the alienated tribe had no cultural principles that guided their moral conduct. This is seen when the aliena ted tribe is reportedly raping women. However, the cultural beliefs of the Greek nation depict its people as mature and respectable to human rights and dignity. The narrator depicts the natives as blessed by God and believes in the word of God, and this makes their culture to revolve in the Biblical teachings. This is evidenced by the numerous verse quoted and referred from the Bible by the narrator Pope Urban II. A remark by Pope in the speech, that the ancestor’s deeds inspire the natives to rise up and achieve the concerted war indicates a cultural inclination towards the invincible powers of the ancestors; particularly those lived up to good things when alive. For instance, the reference made to King Charles the Great and Louis is son. These two men represented the strength and attributed success for their nation. The speech examines an alienated tribe fro m the Persian community that as forcefully invaded the native’s land and nation with the aim of performing ala rming and shameful acts which are against the human rights. For instance, the alienated tribe extends acts of rape and killing to the native people. This sends a wake up call to both the religion and political leaders who raises their voices high in a bid to condemn the intruders. It is evidenced by the speech that the alienated tribe invaded the Christians land and began to depopulate them through massive killings in form of sword, fire and pillage. In addition, the enemy tribe succeeds to take way the natives as captives. More devastating is the alienated tribe that has continually destroyed God’s church, defiles altars and initiates their ungodly rites and religion. Pope Urban II in his speech expresses fear of loosing considerable number of the Christians through circumcision and base death where navels were perforated and the extremity of intestines dragged out. Indeed this marked the climax of inhumane. Similar acts of torture prompted Pope Urban to encourage the native s in the strongest terms possible to redeem themselves form the bondage of the alienated tribe. It is imperative to note that, Urban’s speech intended to send a strong signal to the minds of the natives that, time for liberation was ripe and it is all systems go to redeem tier nation from the yoke of an alienated tribe. Urban, keeps reminding them that God remained firm on His promises upon them, however, the sole responsibility of

Bmw Films Essay Example for Free

Bmw Films Essay The primary issue faced by Jim McDowell is what to do for his next marketing campaign. He will need to decide what direction BMW will take in order to stay current in the target market and position the brand as the leader in the luxury car industry. A sub issue that Jim is facing is that in order for BMW to stand out compare to the competition, it must be at the forefront of the marketing trend. There is always pressure on innovative marketing campaigns as a bad campaign can lead to severe damage in the company image and reputation. Decision Alternatives. There are a number of alternatives that Jim faces when deciding in what direction to move with the BMW marketing campaign. Develop more short films and build a big series out of it. Develop a full length movie for the theatres Do nothing to the existing campaign and move on to develop a new campaign To continue to use the existing BMW films plus developing a new campaign Creating new films on the heels of the original films plus developing a new campaign Develop a full length movie plus developing a new campaign In order to decide the best alternative it is important to look at some key decision criteria. In this case the important factors would be: delivery time, risk, cost, competitive advantage, ease of implementation. Analysis of Industry In the luxury car segment, BMW and Mercedes have stand strong against the strong competition from Japan like Acura, Lexus, Infiniti. In year 2001, BMW is second best luxury car seller, just behind Lexus amount the other ten major luxury brands. However, BMW only ranked 8th in media expenditures, which again proved the great success on their innovative campaign. In terms of customer loyalty, luxury brand customers do tend to stay among the top brands and are very loyal. There are always customers who switch from BMW to Mercedes or the other way around. Since BMW has the competitive advantage of a younger clientele, it is very important for BMW to create marketing campaign to young adult so they can look forward to own a BMW when they can afford one. Analysis of Company Evaluation of Alternatives Alternative #1, 2, and 3 should only be considered as a short term alternative that can achieve quick beneficial results with no long term prospects because all the alternatives evolve around the same film concept, which eventually will wear out and target audience will not be interested in it anymore. Alternative #4 takes into account with BMW’s long term goal, to be the leader in the industry with innovative campaigns. However, developing a new concept takes time and research before implementation, therefore some immediate alternatives needs to be done before the new campaign kicks in. Alternative #5, 6, or 7 will achieve that goal. Alternative #5 Introduce the BMW films to new markets that may have missed the online films during the campaign period will enable BMW to entice an entirely new segment. By showing the films throughother mediums, BMW will be able to reach a wider audience plus raising the brand awareness. Since this campaign is so successful and unique, BMW can also produce DVD and make itas a collectible item. This alternative is easy to implement, low cost to run, low risk as the campaign is already running with huge success with good reputation. However, other companies may copy the idea and there is a chance that BMW will lose its competitive advantage as the films are getting overly exposed to the original audiences that BMW targeted during the initial campaign period. Therefore, developing another campaign while this is running is necessary in order to achieve BMW’s long term marketing goal. Alternative #6 The other option would be to follow up with another series of films on the heels of the original films. BMW would want to keep the number of films low to try and blend them into the successful original films and not to market them as another series of short films. This alternative will require some time to prepare, and the cost will be much higher in comparison to Alternative #5, which will make it harder as BMW will need more resources in creating a new campaign at the same time. It is easy to implement as all the ground works are in place from the previous films. However, this alternative will have a higher risk than other options due to the high anticipation of BMW to produce high quality films. If any of the film receives negative feedbacks, BMW will risk losing out on the campaign inwhole, plus the reputation of the series. BMW will still keep its competitive advantage with this alternative as they are still the one who leads the marketing trend. Alternative #7 Creating a full length movie can be the next big campaignfor BMW. It is a new approach and will make the brand stand out of all others. The target audience is also much wider in comparison to the initial campaign. It will take a long time to implement, and not as easy as short films because a full length film is more complicated in terms of plot and production. The cost will also go veryhigh that may use up all of BMW’s resources in marketing. It is a two sided sword because if BMW is not placed enough in the film there is no difference in doing product placement in the James Bond movie series; meanwhile if BMW is overly exposed in the film it may create negative feedbacks as it will look like an hour long commercial. The interest level of audience will also be much lower in watching a long commercial than a short film. Decision Criteria Chart Here is the chart for the best 3 alternatives: (X? low score, XXX? high score) Recommendation Based on the analysis above it is evident that the appropriate course of action is to utilize the existing movies in the short term while developing a new full scale marketing plan in the background. By utilizing the existing films BMW will be able to quickly get to market films that they have already completed. They will ride the coat tails of the internet marketing, however by introducing the films to another target markets, BMW will hopefully build on the impact created by the original films. There is relatively low risk to this model because BMW has already invested in the films and by using different mediums to convey their message it is likely that an entirely new market segment will appreciate the films as the original audience did. Although the potential payback may not as great as some off the wall innovative idea, the concept behind releasing the films to a different audience should allow more time and resources to develop another new campaign. If there are enough resources, BMW can also consider creating 1 or 2 more films to avoid losing the competitive advantage toward the target audience.

Mans Relationship with Nature in Hughes and Wordsworths Poetry Essay

Man's Relationship with Nature in Hughes and Wordsworth's Poetry Concentrating on one Poem by each Poet, Compare and Contrast the ways in which Hughes and Wordsworth Present Man’s Relationship with Nature Both Hughes and Wordsworth have beliefs about man’s relationship with nature, but I feel that they see the relationship between the two in different ways. Hughes has a more pessimistic and negative approach, feeling that nature must protect herself from man’s destructive nature, while Wordsworth believes that nature is a teacher and nurtures you. Wordsworth uses a more optimistic and positive approach in his poetry. Wordsworth sees nature in a romantic and spiritual sense that protects and is constantly feeding and inspiring man’s mind and helping it to grow. On the other hand Hughes sees man as interfering and destructive towards nature and is excluded from its harmony. Hughes personality is much more complicated and hard to deal with, so to speak, than Wordsworth’s; this is reflected in his attitude towards nature because he thinks that nature is a violent and brutal enemy towards man and even itself. From this you can tell that he is quite a brooding and depressive man. I have chosen to compare ‘Work and Play’ by Hughes and by Wordsworth I have chosen ‘Expostulation and Reply’ and ‘The Tables Turned’ which are poems on the same subject but ‘The Tables Turned’ is set later on in the day and is the ‘Companion-Piece’ to ‘Expostulation and Reply’. I chose to study these two poems because I think that it is very interesting how the beliefs of Hughes and Wordsworth are presented, showing that they both have an admiration for the beauty of nature and its power, and how Hughes believes that in comparison m... ... the relationship between man and nature. This is because Wordsworth lived in a period in time that was called the romantic era, this is reflected in his views and the ways he writes as a poet. Whereas Hughes who lived in the 20th century, had quite different views about man’s relationship with nature. I think that this is because the period of time that you live in influences you very heavily in the way you write or express anything. This is because public attitudes change along with what is accepted and what is not, or what the public will find most popular. I think that if Hughes had lived in Wordsworth’s time his style of writing would not have been as popular as it is today, this is because Hughes style of writing has a more dramatic and dark edge to it whilst Wordsworth’s poetry is more romantic so to speak and has a gentler way of putting things.