The driving age should be raised or requirements for a license should Essay

The driving age should be raised or requirements for a license should be changed - Essay Example It is said that a sixteen-year-old teenager is not mature enough to be allowed to drive and while some people might think it sounds unfair, it has been biologically proven. The frontal cortex in the human brain is responsible for motor skills, risk taking, problem solving and emotional maturity. While lack of experience might be blamed as a cause of road accidents by teenage drivers, emotional maturity is the major reason why teenagers make bad drivers. There is a process called the spreading of white matter from the back to the front of the brain which helps in effective communication between brain cells, a process that usually takes place when one attains the age of twenty and continues until one is around thirty years of age (Gillin). It is clearly visible from this fact that a teenager’s brain does not have the capacity needed to make urgent and important decisions when driving. An adult’s brain can be able to switch on fast when an emergency occurs on the road whil e he is driving, for example, when a kid decided to rush to the road, thus saving a life. Teenagers are also more of risk takers, which become a problem when they are on the road, combined with emotional immaturity being a risk taker serves as a big problem as they will want to put themselves in situations that will be difficult to handle. While I am not advocating that the driving age be changed to mid 20’s to allow for maturity, a middle ground can be reached by raising the age from sixteen to eighteen to reduce the cases of teenage motor accidents (Bjorklund and Blasi 473). Statistics show that car crashes are the number one cause of death among teenagers in the U.S and those between sixteen and nineteen years of age were more likely to be involved in serious and fatal accidents than those aged twenty years and above. The former age had an estimated 2700 deaths and 282,000 casualties in the year 2010. It is also interesting to note that death was recorded more among male d rivers of the said age group as compared to female drivers. There were also increased chances when the passenger was a teenager and in the first six months of being given a driving license. Moreover, 56% of interviewed teenagers admitted to answering mobile phones and 13% said that they are used to sending and responding to text messages while driving and a further 17% admitted that speeding was fun while driving (â€Å"Teen Drivers Facts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Some of the reasons noted as to why teens were more likely to be at risk, most of those involved in accidents at the time had been drinking and or speeding therefore resulting in fatal accidents and even death. In addition, most of the teenagers are unable to recognize dangerous situations and therefore end up taking risks that are life threatening and for those who already find themselves in such situations are not able to act fast as to prevent any forthcoming accidents. Some teenagers do not follow the rules of the road, one ver y important rule is to give enough space or headway between your car and the one in front of you therefore ensuring that you can see the road well and reduce chances of a crash in case the car ahead of you gets involved in one or brakes suddenly.

Rise And Growth Of Communalism In India History Essay

Rise And Growth Of Communalism In India History Essay Introduction: Communalism is defined as a theory of a society that is divided into several small, independent communes and the state is just a confederation of these communes. It is sometimes said to put the interests of the community above the interests of the individual. This is usually only done on the principle that the community exists for the benefit of the individuals who participate in it, so the best way to serve the interests of the individual is through the interests of the community. However it has turned to take a negative meaning where people start promoting the interests of one community over another. Communalism believes that the people of different religions have different interests in political and economic matters, regardless of whether they belong to the same nation or province. It is divided into three stages: First: People having similar religion are intended to have similar area of interests. Second: No common area of interest among people of dissimilar religion. Third: People having similar interest from different religions are incompatible to each other because of hatred and fear of religions. In the Indian context it has gone on to mean divide on the basis of religion and ethnicity leading to communal violence instead of peace and brotherhood. Growth of Communalism in India: During the revolt of 1857, which is described as the first war for independence, Hindus and Muslims fought side by side united in their purpose of defeating a common enemy. The British noticed this unity and realized that their survival rested on being able to keep the people divided, for they had managed to establish their rule because politically India had been a divided country at the time of their entry. This realization led to the famous British Divide and Rule policy. Religion was supposed to be one of the best factors to divide the people. It is used as an influential mechanism to attain economic, political and other social activities. And British used religion as their weapon to divide the strength which India had as a whole.   Till 1870 the British oppressed the Muslims greatly for they held them responsible for the revolt. After 1870 the British changed colors and instead started favoring the Muslim community. The rise of nationalism had threatened the British power in India and their efforts obviously were directed to suppress it. Now an important feature of the national movement was that it took longer to spread amongst the Muslim community. As a result the early nationalists movement was made up mainly of people from the Hindu, Parsi and Christian communities. The British noticed the absence of the Muslims in this movement, and quickly began working on ensuring that they did not join the movement. The British began implementing policies too that promoted the activities of communal forces, and divided the national struggle. When the British opened up the administration of the country most positions were taken up the Hindus since the education culture had not spread to the Muslim Community making them feel left out and demand a special reservation. Sir Sayyed Ahmed Khan, an earlier nationalist drifted towards Communalism. Communalism was also fostered through the writing of the Indian History. Socio-religious reform movements like Arya Samaj, Sanatan Dharam movements, Aligarh movement, Wahabi movement and some other fringe movements contributed towards communalism. Partition of Bengal: The Partition of Bengal in 1905 was made on October 16 by then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon. Partition was promoted on the grounds that Bengal was a very large state with a large population causing the eastern region to under-governed. However, the actual motives behind the partition were different. The position of the Bengali Hindus would be weakened, since Muslims would now dominate in the East which led to Hindu opposition to the partition while the Muslims highly favored it. This partition was one more part of Divide and Rule policy. As the partition was in favor of Muslims they welcomed it, whereas the Hindus were not in favor of it. Due to this Hindu community launched a Swadeshi Movement by boycotting the British goods. Seeing this scenario British decided to support the Hindus, this act disturbed the Muslims. It was medium to tell the Muslims to go to their homeland. Formation of Muslim League: The growing communalism led to the Muslims forming a new political party called the Muslim League in 1906. Initially it was only confined to the educated class of Muslims. At around the same time the Indian National Congress began garnering mass support from its members and also consisted of young Muslims. Mohammed Ali Jinnah one of the major forces behind the creation of Pakistan was in fact a member of the Indian National Congress till 1920. Khilafat Movement: Khilafat Movement (1919-1924) was a significant Islamic movement in India during the British rule. The sultan of turkey also known as the caliph i.e. khalifa or successor of Prophet Muhammad was considered as the religious leader of the Muslims all over the world. This was first the religious political movement in India involving common Muslims. However, initially this movement was first targeted to the educated and elite Muslims only. The goals of the Khilafat Movement were: Secure the Ottoman Caliphate Turkeys territory should be protected And not letting the Muslim holy places go under the hands of Non-Muslims. The Khilafat Movement received the support of  Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru, who related his Non Cooperation Movement  with it. As major Congress leaders had joined hands with this movement the other political parties came together to support the injustice faced by the Muslims. Following were some steps taken by the movement: No involvement in the Victory celebrations Boycotting of British commodities Non-cooperation Movement with the Government. The main leaders of the Khilafat Movement were Maulana Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali, famously known as the Ali brothers. They were among the leaders who used to protest from jail and their voices used to be heard through magazines and newspaper which awakened the Muslim community. The hub of this movement was Bombay, where they had their first conference wherein discussing the issues of the Movement. Jinnah, Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha: The mass popularity that the Indian National Congress was enjoying led to The Muslim League feeling increasingly sidelined. As a result the Muslim League won  only 109 from 492 reserved Muslim seats and only 4.8 percent of the overall Muslim votes  showing thereby the lack of famous assistance for the Muslim League even amongst the Muslim inhabitants. In the elections of 1937 Muslims had a good response whereas its counterpart Hindus did not have encouraging response. For example, Hindu Mahasabha had acquired only 12 seats from 175 in  Punjab. This resulted in union of the parties in order to ensure survival. This got worse in 1938 when the congress prohibited communalists from functioning within the Congress organization. Thus the congress was criticized for  preaching that Hindus were the only Nation living in  India. This led to the Hindu fundamentalists version of two nation theory. The two nation theory included Hindu Maha Sabha wherein it states that the country belongs to only Hindus and the Muslims should find their own home or should remain obedient to Hindus. And other the Muslim League wherein it states that Pakistan is the only option to protect the interest of Muslims as it has the maximum population of Muslims. After the outbreak of World War II, Viceroy Linlithgow constantly promoted the Muslim League and the  Pakistan  power was used to contradict the Congress command that the British should promise to liberate  India  after the war and as evidence of honesty, shift actual power of Government to Indians immediately. Before promising or coming to a concrete solution the British wanted an agreement between the Muslims League and the Congress organization which stated that no political settlement should be made which was offensive to the Muslims League. This agreement would give Jinnah a type of a veto power which he would use in future. Jinnah the main leader of Muslim League had a different outlook for religion and its practices. One of the major drawbacks of Jinnah was he only supported the elite Muslims whereas showing no anxiety to the low and backward Muslims. The Muslim League wanted to give all the privileges to the elite Muslims only, which was for the Muslims Landlords and Nawabs. As the Muslims were not united during the pre partition days, the aim of the Muslim League was to provoke religious passions to dedicated path. As the low caste Muslims were not given importance in the Muslim League they decided their own pathway where they from sections like North West province and South where they supported Indian National Congress. Seeing this scenario the Muslim League used violent language. Since 1870, elite Hindus like zamindars, money lenders and other leaders started an organization to provoke anti Muslims and simultaneously opposing India National Congress. Their sole purpose was to remove the Muslims from the country. For them Hindus were first Hindus and then Indians. This thought formed an organization known as Hindu Mahasabha and later was called Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Hindus Mahasabha created a false impression of patriotism by using slogans like Bharat Mata i.e. Mother India and so on, which created an impression that they wanted a country without Muslims. As according to them Hindus and Muslims were a separate Nation. Following are some common features of Hindu Communalism and Muslim Communalism Was mainly for elite members like, Landlords and Kings Was supported by British, basically was in favor of British and not against the British. Both wanted a separate nation as a whole Strongly opposed Indian National Congress Hatred for each other Politics was their backbone Followed a hierarchy system Were strongly against democratic ethics By understanding the roots of communalism we must recognize that it is neither signifies religion nor patriotism as one but it signifies wellbeing. Then the religious communities are being divided into various sections like elite class low class and language it should be realized that no religious community is uniform as communalists. These particular fault lies in both Hindu and Muslims community. The Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha deliberately did not allow the low caste to participate which made linguistic culture lines which divided their religion on the basis on caste. As a result there were three main aspects which lead to the partition of India which are: British Divide and Rule policy Muslim Communalism i.e. the Muslim League representing elite Muslim leaders, zamindars and nawabs Hindu Communalism i.e. Hindu Mahasabha or RSS representing Hindu leaders, Brahmins, money lenders Post-independence: Most communal riots prior to 1947 were rooted in the policy of British colonial rulers. But after the partition, a section of the Indian elite of both sections are also blamed for the problem. Communal problems post independence has been caused many factors, some of which are: The class division of society and the backwardness of our economy resulted in unequal and unbalanced economy. It is the upper classes of the less developed communities that have enjoyed the fruits of limited growth and have hence enjoyed the political power. In order to draw support from their own communities, these leaders have always encouraged communal feelings to strengthen their political support. If we were to take a surface view of bare facts of any communal riot in India, it would appear that the riot was caused by an incident so insignificant that we would stand amazed at how such a trifling matter could cause so much Larson, loot and murder. It however does not require much thinking to know that this incident was not the real cause of the riot. The basic cause for all communal disturbances is the communal atmosphere pervading the country and the communal tension built up between two communities. The communal atmosphere provides a ready tilled soil for communal minded people to sow seeds of communal hatred and nurture them until the bitter harvest of communal riots are reaped.

Cabinet of Styles :: Personal Narrative Timeline Papers

Cabinet of Styles Wow, am I tired. I tried to go to bed early last night, but couldn't sleep for squat. So I turned on the tube. Nothing of interest was on so I turned it to MTV. It was, like, Jams hour or something so it lulled me to sleep. Around one am or so it was Headbanger's ball or Alternative Nation. The strobe flashes from the screen woke me up really fast. Damn MTV. FLASH FLASH FLASH FLASH. Their music changes from Enya's soft, sweet lullabies to Dead President's traumatic, trashy rock. It's kinda like their commercials, which I see as a microcosm of that whole network. Flash things at an audience, be loud, obnoxious and downright stupid sometimes and make money of f of it. Maybe I am just cranky because it woke me up. I don't mind MTV, just not at one in the morning. Maybe VH1 is better to sleep to. Hey, maybe that's kinda what Mike was talking about in class about styles in society as related to me. Different situations demands different styles. Cool! So anyway, I should clean out that file cabinet today....no, too much work...but yet, I have nothing better to do so I may as well. Maybe if I keep MTV on while I do it, I can get through that pile of junk more quickly. 10:45 am: THE FILE CABINET God I have a lot of junk. I've kept papers from high school writing classes. As if they are worth revising...they sound so childish now. Neat, here's one I wrote in ninth grade. I have to laugh as I read it though, because I always sounded the same in my writings back then. Somehow my personality ended up being expressed through the character no matter what. If I tried to make my character into someone I wasn't the story was awkward and stilted. One of them was an essay I wrote right after a break up; the assignment was just a character sketch. Ã ¬Her attention was caught, however, when her friend Mary said that hse had a date for that weekend. She flet as if he's been slapped in the face. Her mind wandered to the days when she had been busy dating. It seemed to bery long ago." Of course my character was a depressed girl whose friends were all dating and she was home all alone to moon over the lost love.

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Essay

There are many examples in the Catcher in the Rye, that show Holden’s hate toward the idea of losing innocence. Holden mentions a lot about children, his love for them and how he wants to save their innocence. He seems to relate more to people younger than him, whether they are male of female. He cares about them so much, becuase they haven’t lost their innocence, unlike adults who are all â€Å"phonies.† There are three main things he does and talks about, that shows his concern. His fascination to save innocence, erasing profanity, and Allie’s baseball glove. The first thing he constantly mentions is the loss of innocence. Holden seems to gravitate toward children; he shows them respect more then anyone else. He backs this up by mentioning how childrem are not phonies. Whenever he is around children he seems to curse less, and he has a nicer attitude toward them, rather than complaining. â€Å"Thousands of little kids and nobody’s around – nobody big, I mean except me. Ans what I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all† (Salinger 173) He is more worried about the children and their innocence, then worrying about himself and school. The second things hes does is erasing the profanity that was written in the school’s walls. He hated the ides of children seeing it and reading the swear words that were being written on the walls. He has a feeling that children would lose their innocence and more or less have the mentality of an adolescent and become â€Å"phonie.† â€Å"Somebody’d written â€Å"**** ***† on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy, I thought how Phoebe and all other little kids would see it, and how they’d wonder what the hell that meant, and then finally some dirty kids would tell them.† (Salinger 201) What ironic is, that even though he doens’t want the kids to know any profanity, he always swears, even when he is around Pheobe. The third thing is that he keeps talking about his borther Allie, his baseball glove, and his death. Holden has a really hard time dealing with the death of Allie. Reason being that he does not like to see a child lose his/her innocence. He hates the fact that innocence was lost, and he could not save it, because he is not the catcher in the rye. The glove is the only memory of Allie and his innocence. Another thing that pained him is that his brother did not lose his innocence from adulthood, but from life and his death. â€Å"He got leukaemian and died when we up in Maine, on July 18, 1946. You’ve liked him. He was two years younger than I was, but he was fifty times intelligent.† (Salinger 38) In conclusion, Holden’s fascination with children exceeds everything, even the respect for his parents. Children in a way do have an innocent aspect. Holden’s perception of innocence made the book very intriguing, because no one knos what he is going to do or say next. It is almost like he has a double personality, sometimes he is cruel to people and criticise them, and sometimes he is caring and looked everything in a nice way, especially  children.

Create Your Own School Essay

A public schools’ job is to create a standardized environment for students of the general population; however, public schools don’t always meet the needs of the students. Charter schools exist to meet the needs of the students and are more open to parental involvement and local control over state and bureaucracies’ control. However, â€Å"charter schools may deter some minority, poor, and working families from seeking enrollment by requiring them to complete volunteer hours and failing to provide transportation and free lunches to eligible students† (Schnaiberg 2000). My school I create will take the benefits of public schools and the benefits of charter schools to create an emphasis on individual learning and respect for cultural diversity. My school offers students in preschool through twelfth grade, an extended school day and longer school year, because most of December is off. My secular school is founded on respecting and encouraging other religions t hus the school works around religious holidays, creating all secular and religious holidays off days. School is in session September 3rd through June 20th. Students in early childhood education program and kindergarten are in class Monday-Friday 7:30am-12:30 pm. Students in first through fifth are in class Monday-Friday 7:00am-4:45 pm. Students in sixth through eighth are in class Monday-Friday 6:45am-4:45 pm. Students in ninth through twelfth are in class Monday-Friday 6am-12:30 pm. Students in ninth through twelfth grade are required to have a Monday-Friday work experience internship; students under sixteen have an on-campus internship (1-4pm), while students over sixteen have an off-campus internship (1:30-4:30pm). My school’s goals are to have students by the end of twelfth grade be able to understand and comprehend at or near college level. In addition, students will learn three languages (English, Spanish, and another), read music sheets, be able to play a musical instrument or sing, have life skills, and have a knowledge of the diverse world we live in. All students pre school through twelfth grade will learn English composition, math, science, grammar, social sciences, geography, reading, literature, foreign languages, visual/performing arts (music, art, theatre, and dance), cultural diversity, U.S. government/economy, and physical education. Middle school students will learn speech: interpersonal communication, small group communication, argumentation, intercultural communication, public speaking, and forensics/debate. Middle school and high school students will learn required electives: basic life skills, introduction to computers, cultures of the world, nutrition/health/safety/careers, life skills, philosophy/religions/cultural anthropology, and human sexuality/anatomy/physiology. My school’s goals are to have students prepared for college and/or having a job as well as serving in the community. In addition to a work experience internship, high school students are required to take personal electives, which are any additional high school electives taken through the local community college or 30 units of college units though AP, CLEP, Dantes, etc. Middle school students are required to take personal electives, which are any additional middle school electives that are high school level. All students sixth through twelfth are required to complete community service to graduate and achieve units (10 units=20 hrs). Middle school students are required to complete at least sixty hours of community service and high school students are required to complete at least eighty hours of community service to graduate. Middle school students are required 360 units to graduate including personal electives and community service; high school students are required 520 units to graduate including personal electives, work internship, and community service. Summer school is required for middle school and high school students. Students are required at least twenty units. Repertory and accelerated classes available. My school holds a high sta ndard for the teachers as well for the students. Students are expected to behave, strive for excellence, respect others, have a good character, and be willing to learn, while the faculty is expected to do the same. â€Å"Most charter schools do not require their teachers to be certified† (Borsa 1999). However, my school requires all teachers K-5th to hold a Teaching Credential and a Masters Degree and teachers 6th-12th are required to hold a Masters or Doctoral Degree in the area they teach. My school promotes a healthy life style, school uniforms, and parent involvement. Parents are required to pay one fee that covers all school material, lunches, schools uniforms, field trips, and other necessary items. The food at my school, which is free, and healthy, that means no soft drinks, cookies, candy, chips, or any other junk food; all birthdays at school will be celebrated without unhealthy food. Parents are encouraged to eat healthy and show students healthy life styles. Students are required to wear a school uniform, a short-sleeved tee shirt with school logo and black pants/shorts/dress/skirt or for formal attire is long-sleeved shirt and black pants/shorts /dress/skirt. The shirt will have a color to represent a grade: Pre-K: Pink, K: Purple 1st: Blue, 2nd: Turquoise, 3rd: Green, 4th: Light Green, 5th: Yellow, 6th: Orange, 7th: Red, 8th: Maroon, 9th: Brown, 10th: Black, 11th: Gray, and 12th: White. Like the school uniform, backpacks will be in the color of the school uniform and have the students name on it. My school has no state standardized tests, but the use of state standards. Instead students are required to test into each grade through a test that measures their cognitive and behavioral level. The complete cognitive test has twenty-seven essays and 2030 multiple choice/true-false questions, which is two essays and 140 or 150 questions per grade. The cognitive test measures what the student should know by the end of each grade. Students can challenge an exam if they feel the grade or class they are in doesn’t reflect their abilities. In addition, students are required to take a â€Å"test out exam â€Å"in each subject. It serves as a measure for student learning, and an evaluation for teachers and parents. This exam is compared to the â€Å"test in exam† and options for tutoring/after school help for struggling students. If student doesn’t score higher than 80 percent on an exam, they won’t be promoted to the next class or grade unless they successfully retake the exam. The exam can be retaken twice before the student must repeat a grade of class. My school doesn’t use the Standard Letter Grade, but gives students the option for it. Instead of standard letter grades, students in K-5 will have a grade of Pass (B- or higher in Standard Letter Grade) or No Pass (C+ or lower in Standard Letter Grade). Then 6-12th grade students will have the option of keeping their grades in Pass/No Pass or having standard letter grades. (Students will be put on Academic Probation if their GPA reaches 2.99 or below.) Behavior, class participation, in-class work for students K-12 will be graded in O=Outstanding, E=Exceeds Expectations, A=Acceptable, P=Passing, N=Needs Improvement. Each week behavior and participation reports are sent home so parents can see how their student’s behavior and participation improves or becomes a problem. Teachers and parents go over the child’s portfolio, which includes tests, papers, art, quizzes, and other in-class material each quarter. At the end of the year students evaluate their own work and other’s work in the portfolio. The student, the teacher, other studen ts, and the parent grade the portfolio like pieces of art are evaluated at an art gallery. My school gives students the option of independent study or regular classroom learning in middle school and high school. All preschool through twelfth grade students are put in their cognitive level and in small classrooms of twenty students of less; however, middle school and high school students have the option of regular class or packets. In regular class students participate in in-class assignments, quizzes, and tests; students must earn homework and extra credit. Students must have at least 240 points out of 300 to pass each quarter; otherwise the quarter will be repeated in packets. In a packets class or independent study students come to class participate and take in-class quizzes and tests; however, class work is done in packets. Students must have an A- or higher to move on to the next packet. Packets are allowed to be taken home and are equivalent to one week of regular class in-class work; only Physical Education, Speech, Science Lab, and Visual/Performing Arts are not allowed to be taken in packets. The packets are recommended for students who are ill, on religious holidays, etc., which prevent them from attending class. In addition, all students on holiday (December) have the option of completing packets for credit and completing quizzes and tests online with a proctor; the packet requires an A- or better to move on. Overall, my school focuses on creating an emphasis on individual learning and respect for cultural diversity; however, there are intuitional and individual barriers. Intuitional barriers will arise when parents who aren’t secular will try to implement their beliefs into the curriculum, but this school offers a well-rounded approach to learning not faith-based learning. In addition, problems may arise when parents try to control what the child learns and what they become; parents are encouraged to let their children be good at what they are good at. Small class sizes and indivualized learning can cause problems for students and parents who want a more mainstreamed education. Students may feel it is too hard for them, but this school is meant to be challenging in academics, but not in socializing. Since there will be intuitional and individual barriers, parents and teachers are encouraged to be open and discuss any problems and look for what is in the best interest of the child. My belief is that education should offer students prepare students for life outside of education. I provided a school that offers students an extended school day and longer school year and summer school to keep kids out of trouble and respect religious beliefs. My school has educated students prepared for college and/or having a job as well as serving in the community. In addition, I provided a school that promotes a healthy life style, school uniforms, individual learning, good behavior, options in learning, and parent involvement. The goal of my school is to prepare and educate students to learn and be the best they can be in whatever they are good at. This charter school will create an emphasis on individual learning and respect for cultural diversity and more. Although this charter school will have intuitional and individual barriers, the school will provide more positive learning than a negative one. References Borsa, J., Ahmed, M., & Perry, K. (August 1999). Charter School Goverence. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration, Jackson Hole, WY. ED 436 856. Schnaiberg, L. (2000). Charter schools: Choice, diversity may be at odds. Education Week, 19(35), 1, 18-20.

Infant Immortality in The United States Essay Example

Infant Immortality in The United States Essay Example Infant Immortality in The United States Paper Infant Immortality in The United States Paper Trends in infant mortality are considered to be a barometer of technology and an accurate indicator of the health of a society. Despite technological excellence and numerous social programs offered throughout the country, the infant mortality rate (IMR) in the United States continues to be a national concern. For many, â€Å"infant mortality† brings to mind the deprivation and poverty found in third world countries. Yet in the United States, nearly 40,000 children die every year for some of the same reasons that cause infant death in underdeveloped parts of the world (Anderson, 1987). Infant mortality is prevalent in this country despite a richly developed and technologically advanced society. According to the Census Bureau, the IMR in the United States has dropped almost 66 percent in the past three decades (Eberstadt, 1991). In 1960, out of every thousand babies born, 26 died within their first year of life. By 1991, that number had dropped to less than nine out of every thousand babies (Eberstadt et al. , 1991). According to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the US infant mortality rate in 1987 was higher than in 23 other countries or territories, including most of Western Europe, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The US infant mortality rate was about 20 percent higher than Norway’s, nearly 50 percent higher than in the Netherlands, and 200 percent higher than Japan’s (Eberstadt et al. , 1991). The United States has not always fared so poorly in this international ranking. In the early 1950’s it ranked sixth best (Anderson et al. , 1987). The Select Committee on Hunger held a Congressional hearing on infant mortality in the United States on April 29, 1987. Representative Mickey Leland (D. , TX), the committee’s chairperson, acknowledged the continued statistical improvements over the prior two decades. But he was very critical of the decline of the United States in the international ranking, expressing dismay that a country as wealthy and powerful as the United States should have an infant mortality rate worse than that of 16 other industrialized nations (Anderson et al. , 1987). Through mediums such as this hearing and other forums, the federal government addresses this concern and establishes programs that may aid the fight against infant mortality. The decrease in the occurrence of infant death is, if considered on statistical merit, a valid picture of a society that is implementing advances in technology against killers of our babies. The gap between infant mortality rates in the United States and other countries points to what is principally a parental problem. Nicholas Eberstadt of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies writes that the dramatic increases in illegitimate births, drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse, and the failure of parents to take advantage of prenatal care are the primary reasons for the higher than expected rates of infant mortality in the United States. This social problem will not be eliminated by addressing it when a doctor is standing in a delivery room with a newborn baby who may already have a death sentence cradled in his arms. Instead, infant mortality must be addressed by educating and providing social programs that benefit the expectant mother. In 1960, the ten leading causes of infant mortality in the United States were (in order of occurrence): postnatal asphyxia, immaturity, birth defects, birth injuries, influenza/pneumonia, accidents, pneumonia/newborn, gastritis and other GI disorders, hemolytic disease, and immaturity with other complications. Over the past three decades, advances in neonatal intensive care have changed the leading causes of infant mortality. In 1992, the ten leading causes were: birth defects, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), preterm/low birthweight, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), maternal complications of pregnancy, complications during birth, infections, accidents, hypoxia/birth asphyxia, and pneumonia/influenza (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, 1996). Since 1960, advances in prenatal care for high-risk pregnancies and postnatal care have provided more effective preventative strategies and better treatment of neonatal conditions. This has decreased infant deaths related to conditions such as postnatal asphyxia, birth injuries, and bacterial infections. In 1992, birth defects and prematurity, which have multiple causes and require complex preventative measures, have become the leading causes of infant death. In 1992, birth defects accounted for 7,449 infant deaths (183. 2 per 100,000 live births) and SIDS accounted for 120. 3 deaths per 100,000 live births (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation et al. , 1996). This statistical data points to the following conclusion. The behavior of the biological mother and father before and during pregnancy is killing many of the infants born today in the United States. No matter the level of technology available, an infant that has been abused gestationally throughout pregnancy poses a variety of problems that increases the likelihood of neonatal (from birth through 27 days of life) and postneonatal (from 28 days through 1 year) death. As a country, the United States has acquired technological advances that are incomparable to other cultures. As a society, the United States has inflicted conditions upon our infants that challenge even the vastest technological capabilities. Therefore, improving existing social programs and implementing new programs to combat infant mortality must continue. In the federal â€Å"Healthy Start† program there are four strategies for reducing infant mortality. They are: reducing high-risk pregnancies; reducing the incidence of low birthweight and preterm births; improving birthweight-specific survival; and reducing specific causes of postneonatal mortality (Strobino, 1995). Reducing high-risk pregnancies and the incidence of low birthweight and preterm births can only be accomplished through education and prenatal care. Proper infant care following the birth of a child, whether or not the child is obviously at risk, can only increase the likelihood of a long productive life. Resources, Education, and Care in the Home (REACH) is an interagency program implemented in Chicago designed to reduce preventable causes of death among infants at risk due to social factors (Boyd, 1996). Home visits were made by a trained team consisting of a nurse and community worker during the first year of the child’s life. The visits focused on the relationship between the family and health professionals. Services were offered free of charge at reasonably convenient times. Cases were individually assigned to registered nurses who coordinated the mother’s contact with participating agencies, made referrals to social service agencies, and provided individual counseling (Boyd et al. , 1996). Results show that repeated home visits offering infant health monitoring plus individualized teaching helped mothers maintain good health practices and identify illnesses early. The postneonatal rate among REACH infants was 4. 7 deaths per 1000 live births in communities where rates for nonparticipants ranged from 5. 2 to 10. 9 per 100 (Boyd et al. , 1996). This study demonstrates a need for more intensive services following the birth of a child to â€Å"socially challenged† families. Many illnesses can be identified in the early, treatable stages of development by educated individuals. These programs and others like them lead the fight against infant mortality by educating families about infant care and programs that are available to them.

The Kennedy Conspiracy

The Kennedy Conspiracy The assassination of president Kennedy took place in the midst of two largely secret wars that the Kennedy brothers(president John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy) were waging concurrently, one against organized crime and the other against Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba.The war against organized crime was largely Robert F. Kennedy's pet operation, but it was carried on with full backing of his brother, the president.Robert F. Kennedy also played a major role in the struggle to overthrow Fidel Castro, but it was essentially an effort carried on by the CIA in alliance with the Cuban exiles.By the time the Kennedy's came to power, organized crime and its pawns in organized labor, like Jimmy Hoffa and the teamster's union, had become enormously powerful and arrogant.The Mafia bosses, inebriated with their power, and essentially unchallenged by the federal Government, had become arrogant and spoiled.Lee Harvey Oswald's seat in the Texas Theatre in D...They basically th ought that they could get away with anything. Even J. Edgar Hoover himself aided Mafia advancement. Finally Robert F. Kennedy forced Hoover to face up to the organized crime.MafiaThe accession of the Kennedy's to power brought a radical change in the relationship between the Federal Government and the Mafia families. Under the Kennedys there were to be no compromises with the Mafia. It was to be an all out war. This was the first time in US history that the executive branch of the government was to lead the fight against organized crime. After the debacle of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, President Kennedy's Cuba Study Group came to the conclusion that "there can be no long-term living with Castro as a neighbor" and the president accepted this conclusion. Accordingly, in the summer of 1961, the Kennedy's launched a massive campaign to overthrow Fidel Castro,