Buffalo Wings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Buffalo Wings - Essay Example Buffalo wings are â€Å"chicken wings that have been deep fat fried and coated with a signature spicy hot sauce, served with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks† (The History of Buffalo Wings, par. 1). Although it had nothing to do with buffalos, this American food got its name from the place where it originated, Buffalo, New York. It was first served in 1964 at Anchor Bar, a restaurant owned by Frank and Teressa Bellissimo (Suddath, par. 3). So, what makes Buffalo wings very popular not only in the United States but also all over the world? What makes this recipe a unique American tradition? Buffalo wings are chicken wings â€Å"deep fried without any coating or breading, after which they are slathered in that zesty bright orange sauce which is a combination of melted butter, hot sauce and red pepper† (Suddath, par. 4). The plump wings are cooked just right to make it crispy, even if it is not breaded. It is very juicy yet not too saucy. The sweet and salty taste of the wings is perfectly combined with the hot and spicy blends in the sauce. Its peppery taste does not over power the other flavors. It simply adds to the zestiness of the wings. This dish is truly mouth-watering and sumptuous. This delicious dish does not only boasts of its splendid taste. While the wings are being cooked, one cannot resist the aroma that it evokes. It has a very savory scent brought about by the mixture of the various spices and flavors infused in the wings.

Biometrics - Careers, Technology and Contribution to Business Competit Research Paper

Biometrics - Careers, Technology and Contribution to Business Competitive Advantage - Research Paper Example The acquisition device extracts a feature from the provided sample to produce a reference template which would undergo matching with a match- template to generate a score (Barcode.ro, 2014). There is always a predetermined threshold based on which the score of the biometric score gets measured to reach a decision; conclusion on the degree of match. Majors in the field of biometrics stand a chance of securing jobs in organizations such as police forces, government agencies and intelligence services, corporate investigation companies and forensic computing firms. Biometric specialists can be employed in these organizations for a range of job titles including cryptographers, who work towards hiding the kind of information that should be kept secret, for example, bank account PINs (Kent.ac.uk, 2014). Another job title in this profession is a software developer whose job description is to encrypt software and offer data compression services. Network software developers play the role of designing software for media companies. Biometrics as a technology is applied for different reasons that vary depending on the type of organization. The employability is however limited to verification of identification for either enterprise or document security (detection of fraud). Identification is essential to addressing loyalty and theft in a business environment (Opara, Rob & Etnyre, 2006). It is also widely applied in forensics, for instance, prison security and criminal identification. Many businesses are sluggish in the adoption of Biometric technologies into their operations. Reports show that the slow adoption is mainly attributed to the high financial costs associated with the installation and maintenance of biometric equipment. However, Biometrics is the most reliable option that any business will ever resolve. Its adoption is associated with plenty of competitive advantages in an increasingly competitive market.  Ã‚  

Should Parents Be Allowed To Choose Sex?

Should Parents Be Allowed To Choose Sex? Sex-selection is the attempt to achieve a desired sex by controlling the gender of the offspring. The selection can be accomplished through pre- and post-implantation of an embryo, as well as at birth. Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) and Microsort technique are two new technological methods used to achieve the embryonic sex selection. Prenatal sex discernment, a blood test to test the fetal DNA after the seventh week of pregnancy, is performed after implantation. Microsoft technique is the process where the sperm is sorted to increase the chance the egg is fertilized by a sperm which carrying the desired chromosome. A more precise and accurate, but also more expensive and invasive technique is PGD, a method where the embryos are created and analysed outside the female body or in test tubes before implanted into the females womb. The genetic disorders at the embryonic stage are screened using PGD. Unfortunately, many American clinics offer PGD as a way to choose their babys ge nder by implanting only the fertilized eggs of desired gender into the mothers uterus. Unfortunately, sex selection is illegal in most parts of the world. Several countries like Canada, Australia and also the United Kingdom all have banned the use of PGD for sex selection for nonmedical purposes. In other words, PGD is only justified if a couple has the family history including any sex-linked genetic disorder. Sex selection has raised a lot of arguments whether parents should allow to choose the gender of their future child or not. Before that, what is the factors causing gender selection? Most of the parents are hoping and praying for a baby of a particular gender. First, Male offspring is desired due to the cultural factors. There are a variety of factors causing males more economically and socially valuable than females. For example the property inheritance and the family name of the male heirs, and the workforce can contribute more to the income of once family.1 Women, on the other hand, require the expensive dowries and leave the family upon marriage which are unproductive investment. Since there are many arguments in gender selection, there also rise up the controversy regarding to the abortion or the female infanticide. Although sex-selective infanticide and sex-selective child abandonment is illegal in most parts of the world, they still exist in some countries. The development of ultrasound scanners which can use to determine the sex of unborn children in womb led to the sex-selective abortion, especially in China and India.2 Due to the cultural factors and also the single-child policy in the 1980s and 1990s, male is the only child that ensured or determined by most of the families. In 2000, 120 boys were born in every 100 Chinese girls. 3 Similarly in India, the illegal ultrasound scanning and also the sex selective abortion of female fetus are widespread.4 The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) study indicated that there are 112 boys for every 100 girls born in Albania, while the figures stand at 110 and 109 boys per 100 girls in Kosovo and Montenegro, respectively.5 Besides, the president of 1 Miller, B.D. (1997). The Endangered se: Neglect of female children in rural North India. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2 Greenhalgh, S. (2008). Just one child: Science and policy in Dengs China. University of California Press. 3 The Economist (2011, April 7). Add sugar and spice. 4 Lakshimi, R. (2013). Study: Sex-selective Practises May Be Common in Families of Indian Doctors. The Washington Post. 5 United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) the population Research Institute, Steve Mosher also provided some important information on sex-selection abortions in the United States through an article at National Review.6 Dr. Sunita Puri who wanted to find the reason on why many immigrant Indian women in the United States were so eager to know the gender of unborn children and went through abortion if they found out it was not the gender they wanted. Surprisingly, 89% of the women conceiving girls wanted for abortion and nearly half had aborted girls before.7 Sex selection has raised a lot of arguments whether parents should allow to choose the gender of their future child. Another root problem led to the famous gender selection is from the couples with one or more particular gender of children, in which they has an intensified to have another gender of the child. There was a case of a Scottish couple, Mr and Mrs Masterton who had four sons and lost their only daughter in an accident. They were preparing to challenge the HFE Au thority in judicial review due to its refusal in granting the fertility clinic the licence to select the right gender on their embryo to have a girl.8 There are some points and its corresponding argument in whether the parents should allow to choose their future childs gender. First, the incidence of infanticide can be prevent through gender selection. Some of the cultural places still have high incidence although that it is important of having at least one of the particular gender of the child. So, we can prevent the trauma and stress of not having a desired gender of the child which might have negative cultural connotations. The advance of technology doesnt enable us to find which gender the child is. Thus, some couples will be disappointed, then, they abort it and try to conceive again. So, wouldnt it be perfect for the person to choose instead of aborting it until they get the right one? Furthermore, the abandon of children is the most common consequence of the gender selection.9 Some of the parents are willing to throw away their children or hating them because of the undesirable gender. In the past, infanticide was seen the o nly solution if the infants did not have the desired gender that the parents want. But, now, with the advanced medical technology, many parents are going to have an ultrasound scan to determine the sex of the baby. As the ultrasound test and abortion became more available, the trend toward more boys than girls accelerated steadily after 1986.10 A former medical director from the countrys largest abortion provider had mentioned that it was common for the women to decide to terminate their pregnancies because of the gender of the baby.11 Besides, the Dr Vincent Argent had a same opinion and he believed that some of the doctor felt it is reasonable and had arranged the terminations relating to the gender of the foetus.12 The performance of the abortions for the purpose of sex selection is widespread, especially those in South and East Asia like China and India. In India, parents are often willing to pay for an abortion if 6 Mosher, S.W. (2011). Sex-selective Abortions Come Home. National Review Online. 7 Puri, S., Adams, V., Ivey, S., and Nachtigall, R.D. (2011). There is such a thing as too many daughters. But not too many sons: A qualitative study of son preference and fetal sex selection among Indian immigrants in the United States. Social Science Medicine,72(7): 1169-1176. 8 London: HFEA, 2003; www.hfea.gov.uk/docs/final_sex_selection_main_report.pdf 9 Jha et al. (2006). Low female[corrected]-to-male [corrected] sex ratio of children born in India: national survey of 1.1 million households. Lancet, 367: 211-218. 10 Lafraniere, S. (2009). Chinese bias for baby boys creates a gap of 32 million. The New York Times. 11 Newell, C. and Watt, H. (2012). Sex-selection abortions are widespread. Telegraph. 12 Newell, C and Watt, H. (2012). Paragraph 2. it is a girl. Although sex selection test and abortion have been banned for 15 years in India, the figures still state that there are 750,000 girls are aborted each year.13 From an article, Harsh reality of Indias unwanted girls, some Indians believe it is much better that a girl is killed before born rather after.14 Although they know it is a sin to abort, they still turn themselves as a blind eye to let the growing incidence of gender selection. Well, the counterpoint of this is the population of course might become imbalanced if most people just choose a particular gender. These imbalances are harmful because it will interrupt or damage the gene population. The imbalance is expected to steadily worsen among people of childbearing age over the next two decades and could trigger a slew of social problemsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. If youve got highly sexed young men, there is a concern that they will all get together and, with high levels of testosterone, there may be a real risk, that they wi ll go out and commit crimes says coauthor Therese Hesketh.15 An investigative research published in the British Medical Journal, attributed the imbalance almost completely due to the decision of couples to terminate female fetuses. About a million female fetuses are terminated and 10 in thousands of girls are missing.16 Most of the Chinese families in China preferred sons which directly increased the rate of female fetus abortion due to the one-child policy. This policy not only increased the abortion rate, but it also led to a gender imbalance. A study has found that there are currently 32 million more boys than girls under the age 20.17 A similar situation is happening in India too.The data shown that 914 girls are aborted in every 1000 boys in India.18 The termination of female fetuses is not occurred because the parents do not want and love their daughters, but due to the social reasons making them prefer sons.19 Second, the parents should have their own freedom of choice. Why shouldnt the parents to decide their own childs gender, given that no harm is done to others in their decision? The article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that: Men and Women of full ageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ have the right to marry and to found a family. 20 With this right, it should understand and cover the right in making decision on how one family should be built up. Besides, why should a family having a large number of one gender be expropriated of the chance to have a different gender of a child if the technology exists? As the director of the Fertility Institute states: these are grown-up people expressing their reproductive choicesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are really happy when they get what they want. 21 13 Prasad, A. (2007). Harsh Reality of Indias unwanted girls. BBC News. 14 Prasad, A (2007). Part 2: Dowry burden. 15 Strickland, E. (2009). Sex-selective Abortions in China have produced 32 Million extra boys. The Discover. 16 Leung, M. (2011). A structural model of sex selective abortion: the effect of one-child policy on sex ratio imbalance in china. University of Minnesota and Washington University in St Louis, p.1-49. 17 Zhu, P.W.X., Lu, P.L., and Hesketh, T. (2009). Chinas excess males, sex selective abortion, and one child policy from 2005 national intercensus survey. BMJ, 338. 18 Lakshimi, R. (2013) 19 The Economist. (2011) 20 U.N General Assembly. (1948, December 10). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Retrieves from United Nations. 21 Stein, R. (2004). A Boy for You, a Girl for Me: Technology Allows Choice. The Washington Post. Well, there is the argument where the freedom of choice is important but it should not be conferred at the unconditional love for ones children. According to the Georgetown professor, the sex selection is a threat to the main value of parenthood that usually expressed by the commitment to unconditional love.22 As Harvard professor Michael Sandel notes, consider the father who wants a boy in hopes of having as a son the athlete he had never been. Suppose the son isnt interested in sportsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ what sorts of expectations will burden a child who has designed with certain purposes in mind? 23 So, the children should be loved whoever they are, not because they are who we wanted. For that reason, parents should be encouraged to love their children equally regardless of gender, and the freedom of choice should not be allowed in this regard. Third, the other argument point regarding to the sex selection should be allowed is with sex-specific, the genetic diseases can be prevented. Some family are carriers of the known sex-specific diseases, it is obviously by gender determination can ensure that the disease will avoid from passing to the next generation or their child. Nearly most of the sex-linked diseases are either more serious among one gender or more common in one gender. For example, haemophilia, HIV, colour blindness, and muscular dystrophy are more common to a male suffering from one X chromosome.24 While, the disease of the immune system is most commonly affected by women.25 Therefore, the Microsoft technique used in sorting the sperm carrying the Y and double X chromosome to determine the gender as well as determining the genetic disorder is carried out. This technique is not harmful to the human genes. Statistical data has shown that over 1200 babies have been born using this advance technology.26 On the other hand, 100% accuracy is not happened for all technology in determining the genetic disease that carries on. Therefore, the medical costs should be considered together with medical benefits. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis involved the embryo development outside the womb and then tested for gender. Only the desired gender is implanted in the womb and how about those are not of the desired gender? All the undesired embryo is destroyed. Over a dozen of embryos or human life has been created with the purpose of destroyed, its also a kind of abortion. The data shown that by using the gender selection technologies, the accuracy rate for choosing a girl is 93% and 82% go to the boys which inevitably most of the selections go for males.27 Thus, most of the couples are so keen to have a child with particular gender and unwilling to take the risk of having one of other gender. Although the Microsort technique is harmless to the parents, some scientists like Lord Winston expressed the fear that the technique will damage the sperm and genetic mutation might be more likely to occur. 22 Stein, R (2004). Page 4. 23 Stein, R (2004). Page 4. 24 Macnair, D.T. (2010). Fragile X syndrome. BBC Health. 25 Doe, J. (2000). Immune System Disorders. Time. 26 Genetics and IVF Institute. (2008). Microsort. Genetics and IVF Institute. 27 Genetics and IVF Institute. (2008). However, one of the points against in sex selection is the pre-selection of sex uses costly medical care for frivolous purposes. The treatment required for gender pre-selection was initially designed to prevent the disease. But many of the patients using the treatment which is capable of conceiving healthy children. A director from the Genesis Genetics Institute said that 70% of patients would not have needed IVF, in other words healthy and fertile couples are choosing this higher risk, sometimes painful and also expensive treatment when they could conceive a baby naturally.28 But, it still depends on the individuals to make decisions whether this treatment is worth or not. There is an evidence from parents who has gone through the treatment. They said that the sex selection of their children was not a frivolous or ridiculous purpose. Sharla Allen replied They are. Theyre totally everything I could ever wantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but why arent having two daughters that will be just as wond erful as they are? when she was asked whether her three boys had still not been enough for her.29 So, no-one is harmed in this treatment; thus, it should be the parents choice to have the treatment since they know the risks beforehand. On the other hand, the abortion rate can be reduced with this expensive medical technology. The abortion, especially sex selection, is illegal in most of the country. Its same to India where most of the clinics doing illegal abortion were shut down. However, the reality is that sex-selective abortion is still happening behind the door. Thus, it is difficult to control and its not only restricted to the poor.30 There is an evidence that happened to Pooja who married to a multi-millionaire industrialist and had 10 years old twin girls. When she pregnanted another girl, his husband forced her to abort it even he was rich and afford to grow another daughter. She claimed that a girl would only take money with her to her-in-laws without bringing any wealth in.31 Due to the this negative mindset, sex-selective abortion becomes even worse from year to year. Another debate points against the gender selection is the children should not be designed or created to specifications. Children are not pets or toys. So, they are no meant to be designed to let their owner more convenient. Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel argued that it runs the risk of turning procreation and parenting into an extension of the consumer society and it is also one step forward in designing baby.32 The selection of eye colour, hairy ears or hair colour soon will be requested by the parents if the gender selection is allowed. That is only the beginning. This is because we are encouraging the false ideas of perfection if we allowing sex selection. Moreover, there has been no justification for supporting such indulgence at public expense. The gap will grow even bigger between poor and rich people, as the rich designer will want both their design and the appearance of their children to reflect their property or wealth. Let say, if a gay gene is discovered, would parent s be allowed to eliminate embryos containing it? We should follow the idea that we appreciate on everything what we are given. Otherwise, the people will reject their own child more likely when they did not get whatever they want. 28 Gajilan, C. (2005). Gender selection a reality, but is it ethical? CNN Health. 29 Gajilan, C. (2005). 30 Lakshimi, R. (2013) 31 Prasad, A. (2007), Part 3: Tolerated Abortion. 32 Stein,R (2004). Page 1. In contrast, parents have their own right to choose the gender to build up of their family if the technology is available. This can improve the chances of the child to fit into the dream of their family and they are more likely to get loved. Every individual can choose their own partners, and also have their freedom to choose the time of getting pregnant according to their age, wealth or prosperity.33 Parents sacrifice so much for their children. They invest a huge mount of their wealth and years of their lives in growing up their children. So, Isnt fair that in return, they get to choose their child with the gender that they want? This is also an extension of the rights of reproductive field. But, according to the report of Nuffield Council on Bioethnics, an attitude of natural humility, where the parents accept their children is an important feature of parental love. The love the parents owe their children and not dependent on the characteristics of a child.34 Besides, it is a wonder or surprise process in having a child. So, the childbirth should not interfere with human motives. Some people have an opinion that the time of conception is decided by God and do not attempt to play with God. Dr. Mark Hughes, who helped in pioneering the procedure, intended it in preventing the disease of the gender, unfortunately, is not a kind of disease which has no illness and no suffering.35 Furthermore, many people view that there is no morally difference between the new technologies and the abortion where a potential life is taken away. In 2011, there are 196,082 abortions in England and wales.36 How many cases is the consequence of gender selection? The recent news or articles published that the illegal abortion on the grounds of gender might take place in Britain within immigrant communities by analysing the birth statistics.37 As we know, the termination of pregnancy based on the gender is illegal in the UK. But, the abortions of fetuses up to 24 we eks are allowed if the pregnancy was on ground of physical and caused psychological risk to the mother, or in cases the child was severely physically or mentally abnormal.38 According to the recent article by Elena Ralli, there are also evidence shown that the sex-selective abortion is spreading in Europe and the U.S. too.39 If the sex selection is legalized, it will cause the selective abortion became more common and parents will simply kill a human life legally because they want to choose the desired gender of their child. While, there are some arguments stating that the mystery of childbirth is not easy to shatter. Sharla Miller, who go for gender selection, denies the suggestion that it is like playing God. She believed that it is just like every procedure that medical can do for us.40 For example, when the elder child suffers from spina bifida, they fixed it out. Were they playing with God? Moreover, the gender selection is important and helpful for parents to plan their childs future like choosing the clothes, naming etc. The sex selection happened in many countries and cultured by abandonment of unwanted babies or selection abortion. Everyone felt that this is a cruel and terrible waste of human life and also very dangerous for the mother. Obviously, many people strongly object the abortion on moral grounds. The development of new technologies in determining the gender in the early stage of pregnancy will definitely reduce and eventually stop the use of selective abortion. 33 Meek, J. (2001). Baby Blues. The Guardian. 34 Nuffield Council on Bioethics, Genetics and Human Behaviour (2002). The ethical context, Para13.78 35 Leung, R. (2004). Choose the sex of Your Baby. CBS News. 36 Harker, R. (2012) Statistics on Abortions. Page 2. 37 Mason, R. (2013). The abortion of unwanted girls taking place in the UK. Telegraph. 38 HFE Act 1990, Schedule 2, para 1ZB. 39 Ralli, E. (2013). Alarming rise in abortion of female fetuses in Europe. New Europe Online. 40 Leung, R. (2004). After stating the arguments arising in whether the sex selection should be permitted and the most serious effect- abortion because of gender selection. So, what is your opinion on sex-selection? Should the parents be permitted to pre-determine their future childs gender? In my opinion, sex selection should not be permitted to the parents to choose the gender of their future child. From my perspectives, gender selection is extremely bad for women. In other words, girls are discriminated by the social. As mentioned above, the cultural preferences for boys led to the male children are more likely to be educated and employed in good jobs which can earn enough income to support a family. Besides, boys are also expected by the families to contribute to the familys well-being and take care of aging parents. Unfortunately, the girls were not only treated as liabilities rather than assets, they also did not have the same treatment in education and employment.41 But, these ideas were no longer establish in 21st century global culture. We know, of course, that women can also success in education and workplace if there is no sex discrimination and they are given the same opportunities as men. Furthermore, women can be the one to help in raising their families and communities out of poverty. Therefore, we should not offer the sex-selection services that support false and outdated aristocracy system. Next, again sex-selection is not fair to women and even to the baby girl. We know, of course, conceiving a baby need man and woman to work together. It is actually known that the male plays an important role to determine whether the baby conceive is boy or girl. In other words, man is the one who produces heterogametic sperm which containing either X chromosome or a Y chromosome to decide the gender of their child. Why I argued that it is not fair to women? This is because a huge number of husbands keep blaming his wife for not conceiving a boy. Whats wrong with the women? Women only provide an immotile egg to let sperms (which decide the sex) to fertilise. Unfortunately, many husbands still push this responsibility to women and give pressure to their wife. The reason why the women felt that they were unable to save their daughter because many women became the victims of family violence when they were carrying girls. Some had been slapped, bumped and shoved around by aggressive husba nds and in-laws, or even kicked in the stomach in an effort to let them miscarry.42 While, some denied food and water in order to coerce them to abort their unwanted girl babies.43 Most women, who come to the fertility clinic to ask for help in conceiving a boy, are likely under pressure from her husband or her husbands families to avoid from any mishap happened to them. It is not fair to let a woman to undertake this heavy responsibility. Although the reproductive technology today is able to help women free from coercion or pressure, it is actually bringing to the severe problem later on. It will turn to the continuous controversial if gender selection services are allowed. After helping in relieving the pressure of women from their husband, it comes to other problems where the imbalance sex population occurs. Due to this imbalance population, again more and more problems happened. 41 Pande, R., and Malbotra, A. (2006). Son preference and daughter neglect in India: What happened to living girls? Washington, D.C.: International Center for Research on Women. 42 Raj et al. (2011). Abuse from in-laws during pregnancy and post-patrum: qualitative and quantitative findings from low=icome mothers of Infants in Mumbai, India. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 15(6):700-712. 43 Puri et al. (2011). Pg. 1174 If gender selection is permitted, it will bring to the social and economic consequences. Although not every family prefers son over daughter, but it sure will lead to the imbalance of population. For example, the one-child policy which has a limitation on the number of children in each couple, causing the couples with strong son preference.44 Consequently, the shortage of women in China has disastrous and serious social effect. . For example, in China and India, many young men are unable to find a partner, resulting in the rising of sexual violence, prostitution, kidnapping and forced marriage.45, 46 In addition, due to the selfishness of the parents to have a male heir and abort the girl fetuses, it may increase the mental health problems and severely abnormal social behaviour among men as well as leaving some men unable to get married and having their own family.47 The sex-selection problem might lead to the marriage squeeze problem which is happening now in China. This problem has commonly happened between the uneducated male in rural area. A study indicated that 15% of uneducated men at age 40 were still single, whereas there are only 0.5% among those were university-educated men in the early 1980s.48 The percentage keeps increasing from year to year. The Chinese officials predict that after 2030 some 30 million young men will be unable to find a marriage age.49 Besides, the sex-ratio imbalance in one country not only increases the crime, but also the number of sex workers with HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. There is evidence that young single men with HIV positive are more likely to pay for sex.50 There are many negative consequences of sex selection which we can clearly know from some of the country like China and India. So, should the gender selection permitted because of ones individuality? Moreover, gender selection reinforces in oppressing and false gender roles. This problem is most probably happened to the population which utilizes gender selection technology after having one or more same gender of children. An evidence from the Slate article How to Buy a Daughter, profiled a woman named Megan Simpson who was grown up in a family of four sisters and like to sew, bake, make up and so on and she wished to share these interests with her girl who can dress in pink. 51 The problem, of course not every little girl like sewing, baking or even dressing up in pink. Thats same go to the boys, not every little boy like sports, blue colour shirt. So, the relationship between the gender of children and their preferences is unpredictable, changeable and not exactly like what we think. Why we need to have a thought that which things are suitable for girls and which one is for boys? Is that good to allow parents to engineer their children based on their interests or the purpose of achieving the cultural norms? The sex-selection should not be allowed due to this reason. The child will be the one to suffer if their interests are entirely opposite with their parents wish or cultural norms. In this situation, obviously either the child or the parents will disappoint with each other. 44 Leung, M. (2011). Pg 12. 45 Christakis, E. (2013). Rape in India: A Result of Sec Selection? Time. 46 Dagar, R. (2001). Life enhancing mechanisms, life depriving outcomes: case of female foeticide. Chandigard: Institute for Development and Communication. 47 Leung, M. (2011). Pg 12. 48 Wang, F. (2005). Asia Pacific Issues. East West Centre. 49 Vermeer, E.B. (2006). Demographic Dimensions of Chinas Development, Population and Development Review, 32: 115-144. 50 South, S.J., and Trent, K. (2010). Imbalanced Sex Ratios, Mens Sexual Behaviour, and Risk of Sexually Transmitted Infection in China. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour, 51 (4): 376-390. 51 Sidhu, J. (2012). How to Buy a Daughter. Slate. In conclusion, so far we have discussed the use of sex selection in a reproductive field, where it is practiced for the purpose of preventing hereditary sex-linked disorders. We see no reason why, if a method to determine the sex of a child before fertilization is developed, this technology should not offer to a couple who have good medical reasons and purposely want to choose the gender of their child. But, if an easy and efficient technique of ensuring the conception of the particular sex of the child became available, some couples would obviously hope to make use of it for the purpose of social reasons.51 Such decision will affect the family and the children involved and somehow would bring the implications to society. It is actually hard to predict, either in the short or long term, this practice effect on the ratio of the males to females within society. Studies have shown that the majority of couples would choose the boy as their first child. If this happened, it again raises t he controversy where there is considerable evidence that the first child may enjoy more advantages over the younger siblings. Since there are difficult to predict the outcome of any such practice, we have not found it possible to amend the laws and regulation in the sex selection. 52 Cmnd 9314, London: HMSO, 1984.

Now and Then :: Technology Media Essays

Now and Then Once upon a time, there were friendly places near and far... Boy is that an understatement in today's society! Today's society depends upon fighting for you and you alone. Not caring what the other person wants, needs or deserves. Fifteen years ago a small community, such as the one Jen's grandmother lives in today, was very friendly. Small communities pulled together in times of need. If your neighbor ran out of sugar, she didnt care to come knocking on your door with a measuring cup, instead of going all the way to the store to get more, simply because you were her friend. In todays society, if you run out of sugar, you hop in your car and drive 25 minutes to get 5lb of sugar in order to drive 25 minutes back home. You dont know your neighbors, and your neighbors dont know you. There is no hope in wanting to know them and vice versa. Our society has changed drastically over the past twenty years. We have become an information society. Relying on our televisions, radios, and computers to obtain information that was once obtained by going to the local beauty parlor or stopping for a cup of coffee and chatting with the judge executive of your town. Cell phones have also become a major source of information. Instead of going out and having a nice serene sit on your front porch in the afternoon of a warm day, people would rather sit in front of their television and watch Oprah, Judge Judy, and The John Walsh Show. Could the reason that we dont leave our homes as much as we used to, be because of all the violence that today's society has brought with it? The local news on television has publicized roughly five murders in the past week. All these murders have been in the state. Is the television shaping societys view of the world, causing citizens to become couch potatoes? Television is one of the biggest society shaping effects that there is in todays world. There are various cable companies and numerous channels within each company. The view you take on life all depends on what channel you are going to watch on television. If you watch the presidential debate on one channel, that channel may make Mr. Snuggles, whose platform is terrific, and who is an all out good guy, look like a cruel and evil villain in a bad comic book, while another channel shows his true identity.

Politics of Health in America Essay

The healthcare system in America is one of the hot button issues in this and every election because things are only getting worse, while not coming close to getting better. Rising healthcare costs are bringing brought on by huge hospitals that can charge as much as they want for service. Compounding the problem is the fact that many Americans cannot afford healthcare insurance in order to foot the bill for their expensive care. As the Michael Moore film, Sicko, indicates, the healthcare crisis in America is far reaching and there does not seem to be a solution on the horizon. With more and more people missing out on insurance because of basic primal greed from hospitals and insurance companies, there exists a huge problem that is sure to hinder the development of American society. Facing the biggest problems in light of this healthcare crisis are women, who need a more advanced form of care than their male counterparts. Without access to healthcare insurance, millions of women are not able to acquire the medical care that is essential to their overall health.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The American healthcare system is one that is designed to rely primarily on health insurance. Without health insurance, a majority of both basic and advanced medical procedures would not be possible for any people. The primary problem with the system is that now, health insurance companies are not doing their job anymore. Instead of being an affordable option for common people who seek to protect themselves against medical emergency, these companies are now in the business of gouging patients and withholding insurance to those that are less fortunate. The American model is not the prevailing system that is used elsewhere in the world. In places like Canada and in most of Europe, nationalized healthcare is the order of the day. Those governments do not mess around with insurance companies and they make sure that healthcare is readily available to anyone that needs it. This is an expensive, but effective way to make sure that each person is cared for. Women are specifically targeted for care under European models. In England, the national healthcare system has seen some problems, but for the most part, the nationalized nature of the system makes sure that just about anyone that needs treatment can get that treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The issue at the heart of the healthcare debate is over the uninsured folks that have a hard time securing healthcare. In the United States, that number is steadily growing with each passing year. This is something that Michael Moore is quick to point out in his film and it is an essential part of the argument for a national healthcare system. According to a July article from the Associated Press, â€Å"Just this past week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated there are about 43.6 million uninsured people in the country† (AP). Though that number does not represent a majority of the population, it is a significant portion of a civilized country that would have absolutely no way of getting healthcare in case of a medical emergency. Should cancer strike any of that contingent of Americans, they would have no way of coming up with the thousands of dollars for treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another important healthcare consideration that is taken into account in Michael Moore’s film is the disparity between the rich and the poor. This is what is really at the heart of the matter. Those with money can afford to purchase the insurance that will protect them, while those without money cannot afford insurance. Making it even worse is the fact that the jobs that give the benefit of included healthcare insurance are the jobs that actually pay people enough to afford insurance. Presidential candidate Barack Obama has taken a stance on the issue and he has clearly defined the need for more healthcare for the poor in the United States. A January Washington Post article sheds light on Obama’s opinion on the matter. In that article, Nedra Pickler writes, â€Å"He (Obama) said it’s wrong that 46 million in this country are uninsured when the country spends more than any one else on health care. He said Americans pay $15 billion in taxes to help care for the uninsured† (Pickler). Obama has put a specific focus on the medical plight of poor women, who are often the biggest victims in the entire ordeal. Without a national healthcare system, the rising cost of women’s care in America makes it impossible for a large chunk of the country’s ladies to keep up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For those that do not have a huge amount of understanding on women’s care and how involved it is, the situation is a difficult one to understand. While men can get away with not going to the doctor for a period of months or years, women have to have check-ups in order to stay healthy enough to have children. This must be a huge focus for American society, especially as fertility rates keep falling for women in the country. Doctors are becoming much more specialized in this day and age, so their services are costing more. Gynecologists are no different, so insurance companies are being asked to pay more for that service. Even more important than the standard checkup is the entire situation of pregnancy. Women need to see a doctor every two to three weeks during pregnancy to make sure that everything is alright in their body and for their baby. This need comes in addition to the standard medical procedures that women must undertake to make sure that they stay in good condition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Women are among the most neglected when it comes to insurance in the United States. This correlation between gender and income is an important statistic to consider when forming opinions about the plight of the national healthcare system. Though the current system was certainly not written in a way that it would intentionally preclude women, the reality of the situation has almost made it look that way. Median income levels are lower for women in American than they are for men. It is much more difficult for women, be they white, black, Hispanic or any other race, to get a high paying job or one that offers full healthcare benefits. Though insurance companies might be precluding women from involvement, pregnancy has not been nearly as kind. There is no discrimination when it comes to that, as a poor woman is just as likely to get pregnant as a rich woman. Still, adequate care must be provided through the process of pregnancy and such care cannot be provided without the proper healthcare protection. The Christiane Northup book, Women’s Body, Women’s Wisdom, breaks down pregnancy in the following terms. â€Å"Pregnancy is a miraculous process and should be a time when a woman makes every effort to tune in to her body and baby with the support of her surroundings. For centuries, midwives helped mothers through the pregnancy and birthing processes, standing by them with medical and emotional aid† (Northup). This quotation clearly shows the need for assistance in a number of different areas for women during pregnancy. It is something that cannot be ignored for many women, as they seek to have the best pregnancy possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another thing to consider in all of this is the plight of single mothers in America. Recent sociological trends are indicating that more and more women are having children out of wedlock. Without a man present to help foot the bill for pregnancy costs, women without healthcare have an even more difficult time coming up with the money to pay for their own care. This is a trend that does not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, so it is imperative that the overriding problems get fixed before things get worse. Moore attacks this in Sicko, as he feels that single mothers are some of the biggest victims of the current healthcare system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Moore, single mothers are not the only victims in this situation. Though the politically correct notion is not to speak about race in regards to healthcare, the reality of the situation is that minority women are being left out at an alarming rate. An Amanda Gardner report in HealthDay speaks to the overall lackluster support that women have from the current healthcare system. Gardner writes, â€Å"No state met the goal for access to health insurance. Nationwide, 18 percent of women aged 18 to 64 were uninsured. In 2007, five states decreased Medicaid eligibility levels for working parents, making it more difficult for low-income people to get insurance† (Gardner). This trend has had a profound impact on minority mothers, who statistics show are working hard to provide for their children and also take care of themselves medically.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his movie Sicko, Michael Moore does not shy away from the topic of women and how they are affected by the current healthcare system. In fact, Moore makes it a point to break down how they are often the most mistreated of any of the demographic areas. A Kyle Smith article in the New York Post makes a large effort to disparage the work of Michael Moore, but it does lend light on one example from Moore’s film where the focus is clearly placed upon mistreated women. In the article, Kyle Smith writes, â€Å"Perhaps the most absurd example is that of the woman who says that after she received benefits, the check was stopped because she had previously suffered an undisclosed yeast infection† (Smith). If the story from the woman in the film is true, then the problems within the system are so apparent and so flawed that securing healthcare is almost a hopeless venture for many women within the United States. Moore has harsh criticism for the current system in its exploitation of women financially. Because the current system is one that rewards doctors and insurance companies on the amount of work they can do, it directly impacts women. As mentioned previously, women have a greater reason to head to the doctor for a plethora of events. Under the current system, women are even discouraged from heading to the doctor in order to get the care that they so desperately need. Instead of going to the doctor to get care for themselves and their unborn children, women are being asked to limit their visits in an effort to save money. This is unfair and unsafe, according to Moore. His proposed implementation of a national healthcare system would take care of this issue, as it would shift the burden to all of the taxpayers and would insure that distribution of healthcare is on a need basis. That means that women would not feel pressured and they could head to the doctor’s office freely and without worry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Michael Moore is not shy about offering up solutions for a better system. In his film, he specifically refers to the national healthcare systems used by much of Europe and Canada. He proposes that if America were to go to a taxpayer funded national healthcare system, like the one proposed by Obama, things would get much easier for women specifically. They would not only have unlimited care at their immediate disposal, but women would also have top notch care that is necessary. With fertility levels dropping and that causing problems to other national systems like Social Security, it is essential that the federal government takes action to help women protect themselves and their ability to have children. According to Moore, a federal system in which socialized medicine is offered will be the best scenario for women in the United States.   Works Cited Smith, Kyle. 19 June 2007. New York Post. Botched Operation: Crazy Moore Offers Wrong Prescription. http://www.nypost.com/seven/06192007/entertainment/movies/botched_operation_movies_kyle_smith.htm?page=0 Gardner, Amanda. 17 October 2007. HealthDay. U.S. Women’s Health Care Still Falls Short: Report. http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=609217 Associated Press. 2 July 2007. Little Defense for U.S. Health Care of ‘Sicko’. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19552132/ Nedra, Pickler. The Associated Press. 25 January 2007. Obama Calls for Universal Health Care. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2007/01/25/AR2007012500764.html

Importance of art Essay

Why is art important? This is a question many parents ask themselves when they are enrolling their child in school. â€Å"Arts education does solve problems. Years of research show that it is closely linked to almost everything that we as a nation say we want for our children and demand from our schools: academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity† (Smith). It is a proven fact that children involved in art make higher grades than children that are not involved. Exposure to the arts provides many important advantages because it affects the growth and progress of children and benefits children in many learning environments. Art is important to children in their developmental years because they are able to express themselves. You should start teaching art as early as possible. It also improves their learning process. Art makes children look forward to learning. Schools that have art programs usually have higher attendance. That is because students get excited about that art class and want to go to school and participate instead of their parents making them go to school. If there was no art in school, there would be more children dropping out and getting themselves in trouble. In some Dallas schools, they had budget cuts and had to cut some subjects and art was among those things. Many people worked to get art put back in some of those schools. Those people know how important art is and did their best to get it back for the children. Now the children are getting about forty five minutes a week of an art class of some sort. If a child starts in kindergarten, they will learn how to be confident, how to concentrate and focus, and also how to interact with people. Some children are shy and by participating they will learn how to do all of those things. Russell Granet stated, â€Å"When I grew up, it was standard to have a music teacher and a visual arts teacher, and you almost always did a school musical†. If a child starts in kindergarten, they will learn how to be confident, how to concentrate and focus, and also how to interact with people. Some children are shy and by participating they will learn how to do all of those things. Russell Granet stated, â€Å"When I grew up, it was standard to have a music teacher and a visual arts teacher, and you almost always did a school musical†. Schools that went without art classes suffered greatly. For example some schools in New York were doing budget cuts and decided to cut most of their art classes and their student graduation rate wasn’t as high. Once the art classes were put back in progress, the graduation rate went back up. Russell Granet stated â€Å"There was a study asking graduates what they remembered most about kindergarten through twelfth grade, more than fifty percent said it was an arts experience†. People rarely think of arts education as survival skills. Ken Jarboe stated, â€Å"All these skills observing, envisioning, innovating through exploration, and reflective self- evaluation is exactly what is needed†. In this quotation, Jarboe is saying art gives you all kinds of skills used to be successful. Russell Granet stated, â€Å"I worked on a program that brought arts back into the curriculum at New York City middle schools. We worked at a school in Bed- Stuy, when I first went there; I walked the halls and didn’t feel safe. The school had low attendance, low test scores; morale was low. Within three years, it was a different place†. In this quotation, Granet is saying he knew the best way to get that school back on its feet was to work his hardest and get art put back in that school. Arts education has a measurable impact on at-risk youth in preventing delinquent behavior and absence problems while also increasing overall academic performance among those youth engaged in after school and summer arts programs targeted toward delinquency prevention. Ken Jarboe stated, â€Å"There is a good reason to teach art in schools, and it is not the one that art supporters tend to fall back on. Arts education is becoming as important as standardized test†. In this quotation Jarboe is saying it is a good reason to teach art in schools and art is as important as a standardized test. Some Reasons to take art in high school are to do something different and to do something challenging. An additional reason is a student might find a hidden talent. â€Å"Explaining the benefits of art children experiences a sense of freedom while learning† (Srivastava). While in art children, feel like they have the freedom to draw whatever and express themselves. For preschool children, art benefits them in drawing, sculpting and other visual arts. It also helps in memorizing things such as a story or song. Programs in art education can potentially help students to excel in other academic areas, particularly in reading and math. About ninety-three percent of Americans believe that art is vital in providing an artistic outlet for children. About eighty-six percent of Americans â€Å"agree an arts education encourages and assists in the improvement of a child’s attitude toward school† (Ruppert 5). About eighty-three percent of Americans believe that arts education helps teach children how to communicate. About seventy-nine percent of Americans â€Å"agree incorporating the arts into education is the first step in adding back what’s missing in public education today† (Ruppert 5). Another seventy-nine percent of Americans believe â€Å"it is important enough for them to get involved in the amount and quality of arts education† (Ruppert 5). About fifty-four percent of Americans rate the importance of art a ten on a scale from one to ten (Ruppert 5). Participating in art activities help children in understanding human experiences, adapting to and respecting others ways of thinking and ideas. Art class feels like a safe haven from the outside world, a place for them to really get in touch with themselves and healthily express their pain and frustration. It also provides structure for activities outside of school such as family activities. The families not only learn more about art but also learn how to get along with each other because some families do not and the only time that child is happy is when they are at school away from that family. For a young person’s growth and development, being educated in art is considered to be important. Art stimulates and develops a child’s imagination. Creating art projects is a way to stimulate a child’s imagination. For example, giving a child Legos and letting them build whatever they want. It also has a tremendous impact in teaching life skills. Some benefits arts education provides are it develops problem-solving skills, heightens self-esteem, allows for expression and creativity, improves academic performance, improves visual discrimination skills, improves concentration, and improves social skills. Another benefit is hand-eye coordination. For example, holding a narrow paint brush and cutting with scissors. Another benefit of art a person acquires is expresses a deeper understanding of culture and history. Like what was said before art helps with memorizing things and that helps in memorizing different dates in history. If a student misses a math class, he or she would be missing out on some important information for that day and will be behind for a while. The same goes for art. The skills learned in art cannot be learned anywhere else. Art benefits the brain by teaching it to think outside the box. It helps children understand concepts easier. Art education teaches life skills such as learning to solve problems and make decisions. It also nurtures important values. Art improves cognitive abilities and provides individuals with the ability to enjoy the life encouraging desires of making art. Other benefits art offers are team-building skills, respecting different perspectives and being aware of diverse beliefs and backgrounds. In art classes, a student will have to learn how to work together asking for help, or even having to work on a drawing together. If a student does have to work with another person on a painting or drawing a student will have to listen to that person’s ideas and if both of them have different viewpoints on something, each will have to respect that person’s viewpoints and vise versa. The same goes for being aware of different cultures and traditions. The arts also add to the education of young children by helping them realize the extent of human experience, see the diverse ways humans express feelings and convey meaning, and improve delicate and complex forms of thinking. Some people may paint or draw when they are feeling down or hurt. Art also helps children how to concentrate and focus while they are doing different things such as studying or trying to memorize something word for word. With that being said it helps you to gain more knowledge when it comes to your school subjects because you are learning how to concentrate. Some people were not able to be in any art classes when they were in school so they learn about art when their child comes home and tells them about it. The child is so excited about a drawing they drew or a painting they painted and they want to show their parents. The parents see how happy and excited their child is and wants to continue to have their child in that specific art class because they see their cheerfulness. â€Å"Attendance is higher in schools with art programs† (Granet) and this is why. It is a proven fact that when an art of some sort is combined with a core subject students seem to learn it better than not having that art included in that lesson. For example if a student is in a Spanish class learning new words and the Spanish teacher adds a fun activity to help the students learn those specific words. For instance, if the students are learning how to say different types of clothing the teacher could have an activity where the students are participating in a fashion show and while one student is walking down the runway the students that are watching is writing down what they are wearing and that is a way for those students to learn and it makes it fun for them. In conclusion participating in arts education in your school years is extremely important because you learn valuable skills. A person learns skills used for everyday life such as having self-esteem, problem-solving skills, and teaches a person to be creative. Also most Americans believe art in school is important because it teaches a child how to communicate with another person and in today’s society if you don’t know how to talk to someone or talk in front of someone and not be nervous that person is going to have a hard time trying to get a job. Also most people believe art in school prevents students to interact in bad behavior.