As The Debate Over Pornography And Its Place In Society Grows Hotter E

As the debate over pornography and its place in society grows hotter every day, several authors in particular shed a new light on the subject. Both their intuition and insight involving their beliefs can help the reader a great deal in seeing aspects of this debate that might have otherwise gone without the consideration that they so deserve. I believe that pornography is not only okay, but is allowing our country to take a step back and ask ourselves how far we are willing to go and what we are willing to sacrifice in order to preserve free speech and our rights to personal choice. The argument over pornography is not merely the debate over right or wrong, but also involves the theory that its existence requires, or possibly even causes, an inequality between men and women. I ask you, how could something like pornography cause an in-equality between men and women when women are the major contributors to the industry? Who is going to watch a porn without women in it? Therefore, at least at first glance, it would seem that since women are actively contributing to the business of pornography maybe they should be criticized at least equally if not more so than the men who watch it. According to author J.M. Coetzee and his article "The Harms of Pornography", the real questions here are, "what is the difference between obscenity and pornography", and even more importantly, "where do we draw the line between the two"? Coetzee brings up a good point here. A point on which the entire debate over pornography hinges. What is the defenition of "obscenity"? An excerpt from a speech by Mike Godwin, Online Counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, gives a good definition of obscenity in his on-line article: "Fear of Freedom: The Backlash Against Free Speech on the 'Net'". Everybody more or less knows something about what qualifies as obscene. You know it has something to do with "community standards," right? And with appealing to the "prurient interest." A work has to be a patently offensive depiction of materials banned by state statute and appeal to the prurient interest to be obscene and it also has to meet one other requirement. It also has to lack serious literary, artistic, social, political or scientific value. That's how something is classified as"obscene." Godwin states that one of the criteria for decency or absence of obscenity is that something must contain social political or scientific value. Is it possible that pornography is an outlet for people that prevents ideas that start out as fantasies or desires from becoming real? If so, then it's possible that the porn industry is doing us a bigger favor than we know. In an article written by Donna A. Demac, the history of censorship, obscenity, pornography and the rights of "the people" are conveyed with a decidedly liberal attitude. Demac's article gives an intelligent overview as to the actions of various political parties, groups and activists that have fought either for or against some of the issues regarding pornography, and his article can be effectively used to defend free speech. The most opinionated and conservative of the authors included is Catherine MacKinnon, who touches on the thought that there is a great deal of similarity between pornography and black slavery. In her article "Pornography, Civil Rights and Speech" she states that "the harm of pornography does not lie in the fact that it is offensive but that, at least in developed societies, it is an industry that mass produces sexual intrusion, access to, possession and use of women by men for profit". MacKinnon approaches pornography not from a "moral" standpoint, but strictly from the "political" point of view that says pornography is a threat to the gender equality of our nation. I say she is wrong and that not only is pornography okay, but in many cases could contribute to the health of our society. I will quickly agree that pornography should be kept away from the eyes of our children, and that there is a proper time and place for it, but consider some of the acts that, providing that pornogrpahy was made illegal, would not only go under ground but might actually become real instead of acted out. Coetzee goes to great lengths to bring to light indescrepancies and unclarified ideas throughout MacKinnon's article. One of Coetzee's most prominent points is that the differences between "obscenity" and"pornography" go far beyond a difference in term based on either political or moral argument. While at times Coetzee seems to generally disagree with or at least greatly challenge MacKinnon's ideas,

Free Essays on Slave Reparations

Opposition to Slave Reparations Congressman John Conyers (D, Michigan) and the City Councils of Chicago and Washington agree, the descendants of slaves in the United States should not receive money to compensate them for the work their ancestors did as slaves. The Congressman and the City Councils are not alone apparently, an assortment of black activists, politicians and lobbying groups support the same cause. There are a number of reasons why no one should take this demand seriously. First and most important, the debt, whatever it may have been, has already been repaid. Abraham Lincoln made this clear in his Second Inaugural. There he argued that it would be just if the Civil War consumed all the wealth piled up by the slaves and if every drop of slave blood drawn by the slaveholder's whip was paid for by a drop drawn by a sword. It took the South decades, perhaps almost a century, to recover the wealth lost in the war. The lives lost on both sides of course were never recovered. It was the sacrifices of those who fought and died in the war, Lincoln announced at Gettysburg, that would make possible a new birth of freedom in the United States. Every American, regardless of color, has benefited from that sacrifice. If Lincoln's principled moral accounting does not suffice, we might offer a more political argument against reparations. When those arguing for these payments ask the descendants of the Africans who enslaved their fellow Africans and then sold them to European slave traders to make them, then Americans might consider listening to arguments about reparations. And if the descendants of Africans still in Africa involved in the slave trade paid reparations, then the U.S. government might consider doing the same. But in fact, we are already paying reparations in a way. Affirmative action programs have been in place for over 30 years. They are very expensive. Federal, state... Free Essays on Slave Reparations Free Essays on Slave Reparations Opposition to Slave Reparations Congressman John Conyers (D, Michigan) and the City Councils of Chicago and Washington agree, the descendants of slaves in the United States should not receive money to compensate them for the work their ancestors did as slaves. The Congressman and the City Councils are not alone apparently, an assortment of black activists, politicians and lobbying groups support the same cause. There are a number of reasons why no one should take this demand seriously. First and most important, the debt, whatever it may have been, has already been repaid. Abraham Lincoln made this clear in his Second Inaugural. There he argued that it would be just if the Civil War consumed all the wealth piled up by the slaves and if every drop of slave blood drawn by the slaveholder's whip was paid for by a drop drawn by a sword. It took the South decades, perhaps almost a century, to recover the wealth lost in the war. The lives lost on both sides of course were never recovered. It was the sacrifices of those who fought and died in the war, Lincoln announced at Gettysburg, that would make possible a new birth of freedom in the United States. Every American, regardless of color, has benefited from that sacrifice. If Lincoln's principled moral accounting does not suffice, we might offer a more political argument against reparations. When those arguing for these payments ask the descendants of the Africans who enslaved their fellow Africans and then sold them to European slave traders to make them, then Americans might consider listening to arguments about reparations. And if the descendants of Africans still in Africa involved in the slave trade paid reparations, then the U.S. government might consider doing the same. But in fact, we are already paying reparations in a way. Affirmative action programs have been in place for over 30 years. They are very expensive. Federal, state...

The career ladder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The career ladder - Research Paper Example Career ladder is a concept where allied health field workers have to work to achieve a better position. Specific goals are set up for these health workers which they have to achieve so that they can become successful. After completing the goals of the career ladder the individual can advance to a better position along with a better salary. Career ladder has been implemented in many fields and it has been found that it is quite successful. It has its own benefits and drawbacks which are discussed subsequently (Zellmer 2002; Swanson et al 1991; Fitzgerald 2006). Benefits and Drawbacks of the Career Ladder The career ladder concept in the allied health disciplines is very important to practice clinical knowledge. Patients who are coming for treatment require expertise of all the departments so that they can be cured and every allied health field worker has to play his specific role to cure the patient. The career ladder concept helps the workers to work with integrity so that they can a chieve a better grade in the society. It also helps the workers to become familiar with the concepts of health care so that they can excel in their particular field. Being a pharmacist the career leader would help him to achieve clinical knowledge which he can implement in his practice. ... A career ladder helps the individuals to go through different tasks where he can accomplish different goals. These goals would help him to receive a variety of rewards and perks. In other words career ladders are possibly a way through which different workers can advance in their field. Career ladders also help to increase job satisfaction as has been found through different researches. On the other hand it can be seen that career ladder can also bring drawbacks to the allied health field workers. The workers who do not go through this career ladder concept would not be able to excel in their field and would remain on the position that they have joined. Some people do not want to take part in this concept and would make them lose interest in their job. Similarly people who cannot qualify this ladder concept would be further discouraged in trying to excel in this field. A career ladder gives way to specific individuals so that they can progress whereas some are still left behind becau se every individual in the field cannot be a leader. The workers have to take extra load in order to achieve the goals of a career ladder and this can result in dissatisfaction (Smith & Shane 1989; Zellmer 2002; Buchan 1997). Career Ladder as Implemented in DVA Career ladder has been used by many organizations and one of the organization which is using it is the Department of Veteran Affairs. The Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) has such a career ladder established for pharmacists where they can advance in their field with specific requirements. It is seen that pharmacists are required to produce effective clinical knowledge and expertise and if these are not integrated in their

Strategic audit of Asics Corporation Research Paper

Strategic audit of Asics Corporation - Research Paper Example It entails evaluating a corporations’ performance measured against its overall corporate (and business) strategy. Companies initiate strategic audits in situations where there is a disparity between its corporate performance and its strategic corporate goals. The corporate and business performance of a corporation is affected by both internal and external factors as well as the activities of competitors within the same industry. A strategic audit is an important tool for company managers and boards to pinpoint problems and hurdles preventing the achievement of their corporate strategic plans. This paper will evaluate the corporate performance of Asics Corporation by appraising the external factors, internal factors, the industry it operates in and its competitors. It will also draw conclusion and strategic recommendations based on the analysis done. Literature review Institutions are unable to discharge their corporate governance duties effectively until the boards concerned fully take ownership of the organizations’ strategy by conducting thorough audits much in the same way that financial audits are done (Rabate, 2007). Strategic audits are therefore indispensable tools for helping management and boards make competent and sound decisions about the firm in order to achieve its strategic plans. The performance of an organization in achieving its corporate plans are affected by both internal dynamics such as management, business strategies and key decisions for instance on production methods. External factors that include economic, political, and environmental as well as demographics affect the company’s performance. In evaluating internal factors, the age of the firm, its production processes and competencies, strategy, competencies and strategies in marketing and its management will be the centre of focus. This will be done using b usiness tools of SWOT analysis and PESTEL analysis. SWOT means Strengths, Weaknesses, opportunities and Threats and evaluates both the internal and external environment in which a firm operates. SWOT utilizes an integrated approach in auditing a firm and is one of the most useful and widely used tools to evaluate an organization logically, and if properly used is an important strategic planning tool (Ferrell & Hartline, 2008). External PESTEL on the other hand stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors as they affect an organization and this mainly evaluates a firms’ external operating environment (Lorat, 2005). Political factors affecting Asics Operating globally in different political environments requires Asics to adapt and abide by business and corporate regulations in countries it has presence in like North America and Europe. These are in terms of taxes to be paid and business regulations. Economic factors affecting Asics For eign exchange fluctuations greatly affect Asics financial performance, for instance in 2008, its third quarter performance was lower than expected due to large swings in foreign exchange rates. This for instance saw its shares falling by 15 percent (Hall, 2008). The global financial crisis saw its 2010 earnings and revenue fall compared to 2009, after a three-year period of steady rise in revenues (â€Å"Financial Times†, 2012). Social factors The world’s populations are beginning to put greater effort into their health and fitness,

Church Government Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Church Government - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the congregational polity is one where there is autonomy of local churches in that these churches have no affiliation to any other church. The other form of church governance is the single elder polity in which there is the pastor is the main source of guidance and decision making organ. Lastly, the plural-led polity is the most applicable form of church governance as it involves both the clergy and the elders being on the same level of governance. Comparison between the five models Presbyterian Ideally, this form of church governance existed in the olden days of the bible to which many of the present day churches have adopted. Presently, the application of this church governance involves the congregation voting in the elders that they feel would lead them in a just manner. However, the aspect of these elected leaders having the entire decision on how to govern the congregation posses some challenges as the decision of the elders chosen is unquestionable. As compar ed to congregational churches, the decision making process partly involves the congregation making this form of church leadership be one way. On the contrary, this polity evokes some democracy aspects as the judgment on church matters does not lie in the shoulders of one elder as compared to the single elder polity. ... This makes the session have accountability towards higher authority hence making them exercise responsible leadership as compared to one elder polity. Single Elder polity In this form of church governance, the church congregation tends to have equal stature among all members meaning that an individual is superior to others in the church. Over time, this form of church governance has elicited critic as the most humble of the congregation takes up the leadership role. This makes them more special than the rest of the church because this serves as an impediment to access to God. Additionally, the scripture has no illustration of this aspect as the Bible 2 tends to have widespread application of the Presbyterian leadership as kings had sessions of elders that helped them in governance and decision-making. Others consider this as a form of secular polity as its rise was during the American expansion period due to the travels that the missionaries experienced. This meant that the Americans involved in the spreading of the gospel could not be under a specified region like in the Presbyterian polity hence influencing this form of church governance. Therefore, this encompassed service to a large fraction of society under the leadership of a single individual. Congregational polity Arguably, this is a sovereign form of church governance witnessed among contemporary churches in which the absolute decision power lies in the congregation itself 3. This has distinctive features as c compared to the above-mentioned polities in which the final decision making responsibilities tend to vary between congregations. This form of polity has also attracted critic as the congregation makes decisions for itself hence implying that they may negate God’s law in their

Effect of Same Sex Parenting on Adolescent Developement

Effect of Same Sex Parenting on Adolescent Developement Outcomes for children with gay and lesbian parents: A review. What evidence is there to support the assumption that gay or lesbian parents have a negative impact on child and adolescent developmental outcomes? Same sex parenting remains a controversial topic; the most important assumption being same sex parenting has a negative impact on children and adolescent developmental outcomes. The term â€Å"same-sex parenting† is intended in this paper to include families headed by gay and lesbian couples. The literature in this review is limited to studies of children from divorced lesbian and gay parents, as well as studies conducted on children of gay and lesbian families that are planned. The paper will consider whether the evidence suggests a negative or positive impact on children, or none at all in terms of gender role, behavioural and emotional development of children raised with gay and lesbian parents in contrast to heterosexual parents, to ascertain whether sexual orientation of parents is a key indicator to the impact of development. The scope of this review will cover all children from a life-span perspective (0-24 years) to include those born into a divorced lesbian, those ado pted or conceived through artificial insemination. This review will begin with an overview of previous research in the results section of this paper. A critique of the assumptions guiding this area of research will follow in the discussion section together with highlighting the limitations of these studies and provision for further research before a conclusion is drawn to ascertain whether same sex parenting has a positive or negative impact on developmental outcomes. Findings from the research on long term development of children and adolescence raised by gay and lesbian parents is of high relevance to both theoretical debates; particularly the importance of mothers and fathers and their effects on child development, and also public debates to provide assistance concerning parental rights of gay and lesbian parents (Patterson, 1992). Historically, lesbian mothers were denied artificial insemination and same sex parents were denied the permission to adopt children on the grounds that they were unable to provide an optimal family environment in contrast their heterosexual counterparts with the assumption gay and lesbian parents have a negative impact on the long term developmental well-being of the child. Commonly, women who had bourn children in a heterosexual relationship which broke down irretrievably, were denied custody of their biological children on the grounds that the children would show atypical gender development, causing behavioural and emotional problems in long term development due to the mother not been an affective parent. However, (Patterson, 1992) has provided research on the psychological development of children raised in lesbian mothers and has failed to provide empirical evidence which supports the assumption that same-sex parenting has a negative impact on long-term development, suggesting that they are developing well psychologically, behaviourally and emotionally in positive directions across the lifespan Method A comprehensive review of the literature on the outcomes for children with same-sex parents was conducted in an attempt to understand the key patterns in the body of literature to consider the development of gender role, behavioural/emotional outcomes of children with same-sex parents. A search of the literature was limited from 1990 and up to 2014. A search of the following databases was conducted; Summon, Academic Search and Google Scholar and sought to identify key patterns found in case studies, research studies, peer reviews, journals and books. Key words were chosen with the purpose of the literature review in mind and modified on the basis of the demonstrated location of the pertinent literature. Examples of keywords used are as follows: (â€Å"same-sex parenting† or â€Å"gay† or â€Å"lesbian†) (â€Å"heterosexual parenting† or â€Å"mothers† or â€Å"fathers†) (â€Å"lesbian families† or â€Å"gay families†) (â€Å"child rearing† or â€Å"child adjustment†) (â€Å"prenatal† or â€Å"children† or â€Å"adolescence†) (â€Å"divorced† or â€Å"planned† or â€Å"adoption† or â€Å"surrogacy) (â€Å"psychological† or â€Å"behavioural† or â€Å"emotional outcomes†). A review of the literature was carried out on all works located through the limited search and which were relevant to the topic under discussion. Additional materials referenced in the works were read which appeared relevant to the topic. Results Gender development Many discussions surrounding the controversies of same-sex parenting is headed by the assumption that gay and lesbian parents have negative effect on gender development of a child. For the purpose of this paper, â€Å"gender role† is intended to include; gender identity, gender-role behaviour and sexual orientation. Tasker and Golombok, (1995) conducted a follow up study of 46 young adults aged 17-35 and concluded there were no significant differences between young adults from lesbian mothers in contrast to those headed by heterosexual single-mother households. From the 46 participants, 6 youngs adults (five daughters, one son) raised by lesbian mothers, reported same-gender sexual attraction and had entered into a same-gender sexual relationship. However, due to the in semi structured method adopted in the follow up study, this figure may be underestimated. Moreover, all the young adults from the study had experienced at least one opposite-gender sexual relationship but none of the adults from households headed by a heterosexual single mother reported same-gender sexual attraction. From the sample, only two women were currently in a lesbian relationship with the majority identifying as heterosexual. Bos, van Balen, Sandfort and van Den Boom, (2006) strenghtened these findings when they suggested daughters (around 10 years old) concieved through aritificial insemination by their lesbian mothers were less likely to have heterosexual idenitity than those who where conceived conventionally with opposite-sex parents. Although, these findings are relatively low, they do provide evidence against homosexual families, notwithstanding, it would not be proper to conclude same-sex parents have a negative impact on child development, without reviewing further research from advocates of same-sex parenting. In contrast, (Crowl, Ahn, and Baker, 2008) conducted a homogeneity test across 19 studies in relation to include six developmental outcomes (parent-child relationship, cognitive development, gender role behaviour, gender identity, child sexual preferences and psychological adjustment). The study adopted the fixed effects model with 64 effect sizes between same-sex and opposite-sex parents. 564 same-sex participants and 647 heterosexual participants concluded the sample; the children’s age was from 5-24 years. In comparing the groups, the study concluded heterosexual parents reported having a significantly better relationship with their children. Interestingly, there was no significant difference in parent-child relationship reported by those children living with same-sex parents and those living with opposite-sex parents, the findings concluding that there is no significant difference in gender role development between children of same-sex parents and opposite sex parents. Bailey, Bobrow, Wolfe, Mikach, (1995) recruited a sample of 82 sons of 55 gay and bisexual fathers to conduct a study of sexual orientation. In their report, clear indications were concluded that 90% of sons are heterosexual which implies, gay fathers do not impact on the sexual orientation of their sons. The study also concluded, there was no positive correlation between the likelihood of being gay and the time which the sons lived with their fathers. However, the study has the limitation of no control group, partly as a result of population-based surveys being inappropriate in comparision due to underestimations of homosexuality due to underreporting of noncoporation. Notwithstanding, its limitations it is clear from this conclusion, that a large number of sons lead by gay parent households are heterosexual which in turn dilutes the theory that sexual orientation is lead by environmental factors. Bailey, Bobrow, Wolfe, Mikach, (1995) study can be concluded as an advocate for positi ve gender role developmental outcomes for children with same-sex parents. Turning to another dimension of gender development in children of same-sex parenting, (Fulcher, Sutfin, and Patterson, 2008) conducted a study of 4 to 6 years old boys and girls from lesbian parent and heterosexual parent families and reported no significant differences in preferences for traditional masculine and feminine activities and occupational preferences between the two groups. The study concluded that children found with parents who had less stereotypical attidudes held less gender-stereotypical attitudes creating a healty structured environment. The conclusions raised in this study, is that same-sex parenting does not create less masuline and feminine environments, rather it highlights the importance that non-traditional gender stereotypical environments can create a healthy child and their attitudes towards gender.

The Blast of War :: Dialogue Essays Creative Writing

The Blast of War "Boxer, this is flight control. The pattern is full; maintain current heading and set throttle to one-niner-zero." "Copy that Lincoln, one-niner-zero." Lieutenant Erica "Boxer" Swanson reached out to the cockpit console and pressed the button which would lock in her heading. Sitting back in her seat, she slid the throttle lever on her left slowly back until the display on the console counted down to read 190 MPS. With the flick of a switch above her head she turned off her electron shielding, noting the flicker of a greenish light outside her cockpit as the shielding dispersed. The Lieutenant then twisted in her seat to look over her shoulder at the hulk of a space cruiser behind her, the Abraham Lincoln. Slowly the larger ship moved towards her small fighter, swallowing it whole in the gaping hanger bay in its belly. Swanson heard a slight thump as flight crews pulled the fighter down into its docking bay via guidewires. She reached over and disengaged her thrusters and keyed the code to power down her engines and inertial dampener. "Boxer is down, I’m locked in. Over and out." The lieutenant reached over and flipped off the comm system even as the docking bay gave a slight lurch sideways, pulling her fighter through the airlock and into her fighter’s docking station. Automatically, the cockpit began to open and the fighter’s computer powered down as the flight crew took control of the plane. Lieutenant Swanson unbuckled her harness and slipped out of the cockpit, unstrapping and removing her helmet as she climbed down the eight foot ladder to the flight deck. With a nod to the crew chief, Erica slipped her helmet under her arm and began to weave her way through the crowd of deck crews rushing around securing the fighters. She stepped into the lift on the far side of the flight deck, nodding silently to the other pilot already there. The lift doors slid shut silently and the lift began to move through the cruiser. Erica looked over at the other pilot. "Well Spinner, welcome to war." Lieutenant Don "Spinner" Collins turned and studied her for a moment. "I think I liked boredom better." The Colonel stepped up to the podium and gazed around at the assembled pilots. In a booming voice not needing the assistance from the podium microphone, he began to speak. The Blast of War :: Dialogue Essays Creative Writing The Blast of War "Boxer, this is flight control. The pattern is full; maintain current heading and set throttle to one-niner-zero." "Copy that Lincoln, one-niner-zero." Lieutenant Erica "Boxer" Swanson reached out to the cockpit console and pressed the button which would lock in her heading. Sitting back in her seat, she slid the throttle lever on her left slowly back until the display on the console counted down to read 190 MPS. With the flick of a switch above her head she turned off her electron shielding, noting the flicker of a greenish light outside her cockpit as the shielding dispersed. The Lieutenant then twisted in her seat to look over her shoulder at the hulk of a space cruiser behind her, the Abraham Lincoln. Slowly the larger ship moved towards her small fighter, swallowing it whole in the gaping hanger bay in its belly. Swanson heard a slight thump as flight crews pulled the fighter down into its docking bay via guidewires. She reached over and disengaged her thrusters and keyed the code to power down her engines and inertial dampener. "Boxer is down, I’m locked in. Over and out." The lieutenant reached over and flipped off the comm system even as the docking bay gave a slight lurch sideways, pulling her fighter through the airlock and into her fighter’s docking station. Automatically, the cockpit began to open and the fighter’s computer powered down as the flight crew took control of the plane. Lieutenant Swanson unbuckled her harness and slipped out of the cockpit, unstrapping and removing her helmet as she climbed down the eight foot ladder to the flight deck. With a nod to the crew chief, Erica slipped her helmet under her arm and began to weave her way through the crowd of deck crews rushing around securing the fighters. She stepped into the lift on the far side of the flight deck, nodding silently to the other pilot already there. The lift doors slid shut silently and the lift began to move through the cruiser. Erica looked over at the other pilot. "Well Spinner, welcome to war." Lieutenant Don "Spinner" Collins turned and studied her for a moment. "I think I liked boredom better." The Colonel stepped up to the podium and gazed around at the assembled pilots. In a booming voice not needing the assistance from the podium microphone, he began to speak.