Should people have the right to choose to die essays

Should people have the right to choose to die essays Should People Have The Right To Choose To Die? Je vous demande le droit de mourir. I ask the right to die. So went the refrain from Vincent Humbert who for 3 years lay in a hospital bed knowing that he would never walk, see, speak, smell or taste. Yet, he could live into his 80s. His only means of communicating was his right thumb, which he would press into his mothers hand as she recited the alphabet, to spell out words. His family supported his request and his mother campaigned on talk shows and even spoke with the President of France to ask that her son be allowed to die legally. Euthanasia is illegal in France, though historically their justice system has been lenient with cases of mercy killing. Other European countries have legalized euthanasia, but the family could not afford to travel. In 2001, the Netherlands became the 1st country to legalize physician assisted suicide and euthanasia, with Switzerland and Belgium having followed suit. Since the case of Vincent Humbert, Frances National Assembly will now debate a euthanasia law. Oregon is the only state in the U.S. in which euthanasia is legal. Legal requirements are in affect in each of the countries to insure patients rights. Doctors are not supposed to suggest euthanasia as an option and must make a patient aware of all other medical options. A request for euthanasia must be made voluntarily and repeatedly by a patient of sound mind. The doctor-patient relationship must be long term. Written requests for euthanasia at a doctors discretion should a patient become too physically or mentally ill to decide for themselves is also an option. Opponents of euthanasia have a laundry list of complaints. They say patients are shopping for doctors who are sympathetic to their cause and that many of these patients are depressed. They say 80% of euthanasia deaths are not reques...

Siege of Charleston in the American Revolution

Siege of Charleston in the American Revolution The Siege of Charleston took place from March 29 to May 12, 1780, during the American Revolution (1775-1783) and came about after a change in British strategy. Shifting their focus to the southern colonies, the British first captured Savannah, GA in 1778 before mounting a major expedition against Charleston, SC in 1780. Landing,  Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton conducted a brief campaign that drove American forces under Major General Benjamin Lincoln back into the Charleston. Conducting a siege of the city, Clinton compelled Lincoln to surrender. The defeat resulted in one of the largest single surrenders of American troops and created a strategic crisis in the South for the Continental Congress. Background In 1779, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton began making plans for an attack on the Southern colonies. This was largely encouraged by a belief that Loyalist support in the region was strong and would facilitate its recapture. Clinton had attempted to capture Charleston, SC in June 1776, however the mission failed when Admiral Sir Peter Parkers naval forces were repulsed by fire from Colonel William Moultries men at Fort Sullivan (later Fort Moultrie). The first move of the new British campaign was the capture of Savannah, GA. Arriving with a force of 3,500 men, Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell took the city without a fight on December 29, 1778. French and American forces under Major General Benjamin Lincoln laid siege to the city on September 16, 1779. Assaulting the British works a month later, Lincolns men were repulsed and the siege failed. On December 26, 1779, Clinton left 15,000 men under General Wilhelm von Knyphausen in New York to hold General George Washingtons army at bay and sailed south with 14 warships and 90 transports for another attempt on Charleston. Overseen by Vice Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot, the fleet carried an expeditionary force of around 8,500 men. Armies Commanders Americans Major General Benjamin LincolnCommodore Abraham Whipple5,500 men British Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clintonrising to 10,000-14,000 men Coming Ashore Shortly after putting to sea, Clintons fleet was beset by a series of intense storms which scattered his ships. Regrouping off Tybee Roads, Clinton landed a small diversionary force in Georgia before sailing north with the bulk of the fleet to Edisto Inlet approximately 30 miles south of Charleston. This pause also saw Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton and Major Patrick Ferguson go ashore to secure new mounts for Clintons cavalry as many of the horses that had been loaded in New York had suffered injuries at sea. Unwilling to attempt forcing the harbor as in 1776, he ordered his army to begin landing on Simmons Island on February 11 and planned to approach the city by an overland route. Three days later British forces advanced on Stono Ferry but withdrew upon spotting American troops. Returning the next day, they found the ferry abandoned. Fortifying the area, they pressed on towards Charleston and crossed to James Island. In late February, Clintons men skirmished with American forces led by Chevalier Pierre-Franà §ois Vernier and Lieutenant Colonel Francis Marion. Through the rest of the month and into early March, the British wrested control of James Island and captured Fort Johnson which guarded the southern approaches to Charleston harbor. With control of the southern side of the harbor secured, on March 10, Clintons second in command, Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis, crossed to the mainland with British forces via Wappoo Cut (Map). American Preparations Advancing up the Ashley River, the British secured a series of plantations, such as Middleton Place and Drayton Hall, as American troops watched from the north bank. While Clintons army moved along the river, Lincoln worked to prepare Charleston to withstand a siege. He was aided in this by Governor John Rutledge who ordered 600 slaves to construct new fortifications across the neck between the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. This was fronted by a defensive canal. Only possessing 1,100 Continentals and 2,500 militia, Lincoln lacked the numbers to face Clinton in the field. Supporting the army were four Continental Navy ships under Commodore Abraham Whipple as well as four South Carolina Navy vessels and two French ships. Not believing he could defeat the Royal Navy in the harbor, Whipple first withdrew his squadron behind a log boom which protected the entrance to the Cooper River before later transferring their guns to the land defenses and scuttling his ships. Though Lincoln questioned these actions, Whipples decisions were backed by a naval board. In addition, the American commander would be reinforced on April 7 by the arrival of Brigadier General William Woodfords 750 Virginia Continentals which raised his total strength to 5,500. The arrival of these men was offset by British reinforcements under Lord Rawdon which increased Clintons army to between 10,000-14,000. The City Invested Having been reinforced, Clinton crossed the Ashley under the cover of fog on March 29. Advancing on the Charleston defenses, the British began constructing siege lines on April 2. Two days later, the British constructed redoubts to protect the flanks of their siege line while also working to pull a small warship across the neck to the Cooper River. On April 8, the British fleet ran past the guns of Fort Moultrie and entered the harbor. Despite these setbacks, Lincoln retained contact with the outside via the north shore of the Cooper River (Map). With the situation rapidly decaying, Rutledge escaped the city on April 13. Moving to completely isolate the city, Clinton ordered Tarleton to take a force to sweep away Brigadier General Isaac Hugers small command at Moncks Corner to the north. Attacking on at 3:00 AM on April 14, Tarleton surprised and routed the Americans. After the fighting, Vernier was killed by Tarletons men despite asking for quarter. It was the first of several brutal actions taken by Tarletons men during the campaign. With the loss of this crossroads, Clinton secured the north bank of the Cooper River when Tarleton joined with Lieutenant Colonel James Websters command. This combined force advanced down the river to within six miles of the city and cut off Lincolns line of retreat. Understanding the severity of the situation, Lincoln called a council of war. Though advised to continue defending the city, he instead elected to parley with Clinton on April 21. In the meeting, Lincoln offered to evacuate the city if his men were permitted to depart. With the enemy trapped, Clinton immediately refused this request. Tightening the Noose Following this meeting, a massive artillery exchange ensued. On April 24, American forces sortied against the British siege lines but to little effect. Five days later, the British began operations against the dam that held the water in the defensive canal. Heavy fighting began as the Americans sought to protect the dam. Despite their best efforts, it was nearly drained by May 6 opening the way for a British assault. Lincolns situation further worsened when Fort Moultrie fell to British forces under Colonel Robert Arbuthnot. On May 8, Clinton demanded that the Americans unconditionally surrender. Refusing, Lincoln again attempted to negotiate for an evacuation. Again denying this request, Clinton began a heavy bombardment the following day. Continuing into the night, the British pounded the American lines. This, coupled with the use of hot shot a few days later, which set several buildings on fire, broke the spirit of the citys civic leaders who began pressing Lincoln to surrender. Seeing no other option, Lincoln contacted Clinton on May 11 and marched out of the city to surrender the following day.   Aftermath The defeat at Charleston was a disaster for American forces in the South and saw the elimination of the Continental Army in the region. In the fighting, Lincoln lost 92 killed and 148 wounded, and 5,266 captured. The surrender at Charleston ranks as the US Armys third largest surrender behind the Fall of Bataan (1942) and Battle of Harpers Ferry (1862). British casualties before Charleston numbered 76 killed and 182 wounded. Departing Charleston for New York in June, Clinton turned over command at Charleston to Cornwallis who quickly began establishing outposts across the interior. In the wake of the citys loss, Tarleton inflicted another defeat on the Americans at Waxhaws on May 29. Scrambling to recover, Congress dispatched the victor of Saratoga, Major General Horatio Gates, south with fresh troops. Rashly advancing, he was routed by Cornwallis at Camden in August. The American situation in the southern colonies did not begin stabilize until the arrival of Major General Nathanael Greene that fall. Under Greene, American forces inflicted heavy losses on Cornwallis at Guilford Court House in March 1781 and worked to regain the interior from the British.

Corpus Callosum and Brain Function

Corpus Callosum and Brain Function The corpus callosum is a thick band of nerve fibers that divides the cerebral cortex lobes into left and right hemispheres. It connects the left and right sides of the brain allowing for communication between both hemispheres. The corpus callosum transfers motor, sensory, and cognitive information between the brain hemispheres. Function The corpus callosum is the largest fiber bundle in the brain, containing nearly 200 million axons. It is composed of white matter fiber tracts known as commissural fibers. It is involved in several functions of the body including: Communication Between Brain HemispheresEye Movement and VisionMaintaining the Balance of Arousal and AttentionTactile Localization From anterior (front) to posterior (back), the corpus callosum can be divided into regions known as the rostrum, genu, body, and splenium. The rostrum and genu connect the left and right frontal lobes of the brain. The body and splenium connect the hemispheres of the temporal lobes and the hemispheres of the occipital lobes. The corpus callosum plays an important role in vision by combining the separate halves of our visual field, which process images separately in each hemisphere. It also allows us to identify the objects we see by connecting the visual cortex with the language centers of the brain. In addition, the corpus callosum transfers tactile information (processed in the parietal lobes) between the brain hemispheres to enable us to locate touch. Location Directionally, the corpus callosum is located underneath the cerebrum at the midline of the brain. It resides within the interhemispheric fissure, which is a deep furrow that separates the brain hemispheres. Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) is a condition in which an individual is born with a partial corpus callosum or no corpus callosum at all. The corpus callosum typically develops between 12 to 20 weeks and continues to experience structural changes even into adulthood. AgCC can be caused by a number of factors including chromosome mutations, genetic inheritance, prenatal infections, and other causes that are unknown. Individuals with AgCC may experience cognitive and communication developmental delays. They may have difficulty understanding language and social cues. Other potential problems include vision impairment, lack of movement coordination,  hearing problems, low muscle tone, distorted head or facial features, spasms, and seizures. How are people born without a corpus callosum able to function? How are both hemispheres of their brain able to communicate? Researchers have discovered that the resting state brain activity in both those with healthy brains and those with AgCC look essentially the same. This indicates that the brain compensates for the missing corpus callosum by rewiring itself and establishing new nerve connections between the brain hemispheres. The actual process involved in establishing this communication is still unknown.

Theory used in Social Work Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theory used in Social Work Practice - Essay Example The social scientific texts, which focus on culture does not make it abstract and hence culture is important in social sciences. Narrative theory is also important in describing every aspect including the looking after the people who lost lives of their near and dear ones. The narrative realities include individual emotions, psychic realities as referred by Freud and thus evade all narrative formalizations. The point in this paper is about 'tragic' news narratives of an Asian Lady suffering from depression due to sudden death of her mother. In the above aspect, style holds the important place as it depends on both culture and nature of the individual. In some cases of tragic narratives style can define the culture and the extent of depression of the subject. As the present situation is about the Asian lady suffering from depression, understanding the differences in narration due to culture can help in understanding her. Though some writers feel that the narratives reduce personal and social meanings to glib fables, the other writers emphasize on cohesion and repetition (Corinne Squire, 2000). 1 The application of theory depends on the subject chosen. The subject here is an Asian lady suffering from depression due to loss of her mother due to sudden death. ... The psychological orientation in social service and work can be fulfilled by applying narrative theory to the subject in the present context. The changes that occur in the work of a social service practitioner will be from the expressions of the subject and narrative theory helps in understanding them in a clear manner. The notions of expertise in narrative theory can influence work education and can enable direct change in the subject with the help of research of the practitioner. In addition to above mentioned aspects, narrative theory helps in reshaping qualitative enquiry, which helps in recovery of a subject in depression. The thematic, structural, dialogic and visual things in the research will critically analyze the data and thus the researcher can choose the approach to deal with the subject. The subject in the context of the paper needs pragmatic approach and narrative theory is suitable for the meant treatment and to modify the social work contexts. The narration in the cou rse of treatment helps the researcher to collect different types of data and to compare it in different ways to know Th exact point of the treatment (Jan Fook, 2002). 2 Advantages in Applying the Theory The important advantage in using the narrative theory is avoiding suicide by the subject by the treatment that involves narration. As the depression in United States is substantial and it is more in Asian population, the qualitative research in narrative theory helps in coping up with depression motivated suicide. As the lady in the present context is suffering from the depression of sudden death of mother, there is every chance of attempting suicide and narrative theory helps in avoiding it. The subjects of depression of above mentioned

Human motor development a lifespan approach Research Paper

Human motor development a lifespan approach - Research Paper Example The lifespan approach studies an individual over the relapsing and progressive stages of growth. Socialization in human motor development is very important because through it people learn who they are and how we are connected to other people. When a child is born, the process of socialization starts and this period is most crucial for the process because it is at this stage that we acquire identities like culture, language and acquire personality. This process continues further even into adult life. As a child grows, it enters into different stages and are expected to socialize with different people. There are different ways that are used to teach socialization to their children as they grow (ONeil, 2011). Formal education, one of the ways, is the knowledge that teachers pass onto children and is a crucial period for children as they grow into adults so as to socialize properly with the people with whom they will interact. The other one is informal education which can be passed on through many forums and it involves imitating what is done by others, experimenting and practicing basic skills that are being done by others. Cognitive development is the growth of the thought process which includes the ability to remember things and events, solve problems, and arrive to decisions through from childhood to adult hood. It is known that babies start to be interested in their surroundings and to explore them from birth. As children go through different levels of growth, they are able to for example, smile, recognize close family members, respond to name become inquisitive and do various other things as they undergo cognitive development. Unless the child undergoes cognitive impairment, or the affecting of this process by factors like autism and other leaning disabilities or illnesses, this process is systematic throughout life. When there is deprivation, research has shown that it affects motor development. Children who have been brought

Historian root of the devil's highway Assignment

Historian root of the devil's highway - Assignment Example Thus entering America by any means had become a necessity for the Mexican people. For that they are ready to do any compromise, even sacrificing their lives also. The book â€Å"Devil’s Highway† is based on the same issue of illegal immigration from Mexico to United States. It is a true story that involves many aspects such as border issue, gangsters, deprived conditions of the immigrants, the business involved in illegal migration, political issues from both sides and many more. In this paper following major aspects of the story have been discussed 1. Migrant Labour 2. Federal Economy 3. Border policy History of Migrant Labors, border policies and the Economical Factors: Though the story is shocking, it is not an unexpected or new. â€Å"Two thousand people died crossing the border in the five years before these 26 men hit the road.† (Marc Ramirez 2012) The migration is a common phenomenon, which has its root in the history of American immigration. The beginning of migration of Mexican people to United States started in the early years of twentieth century. It happened in around 1907, when the Japanese immigration was abridged. When America officially entered World War I, the country was in need of Mexican laborers. After the war the US Border Patrol was created and it culminated into the restrictions the Mexican immigrations. Yet unskilled migrants started entering US for meeting their economic demands. Many times it was an illegal immigration. In early 1930s there was a slight drop in the migration. The demand for Mexican laborers again increased after Pearl Harbor. There was an agreement between US and Mexican government for a large number of Mexican laborers. This is known as braceros. During wartime the source of food supply was the Mexican laborers. A professor of Mexican and Latin American politics and economics, Jorge Dominguez Madero states, â€Å"It was Mexicans and Rosie the Riveter who ran the American economy and enabled Amer ican citizens to go to war,† The US growers pressurized to continue the same immigration process even after the end of the war. But there was an acute shortage of the documented or legal laborers, hence the illegal recruitment of Mexican laborers continued. The illegal immigrants became the major support for the US agricultural economy. In 1964 the US government ended the Bracero program and after that the problem of illegal migration started growing. In 1968 the economic condition in Mexico was horrible and it led to the number of undocumented immigration. â€Å"Mexican immigrants became convenient scapegoats for widespread joblessness and budget shortfalls. Paradoxically, they were blamed simultaneously for â€Å"taking away jobs from Americans† and â€Å"living off public relief.†Ã¢â‚¬  (Douglas Massey, Jorge Durand, and Nolan J. Malone Pg.33) Economic condition/ poverty of Mexican: Both Mexican Government and US government did not pay much attention to the immigration issue till 1980. Many reasons were involved in it. In 1986, the United States passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), but there was no voice from the side of Mexican Government. In political and economic unrest there is no substitute for Mexican immigrants to move to United States. The financial crisis led immigration. ‘Enrique Landeros Garcia was thirty years old. His wife, Octavia, was only twenty-three. They had a son named Alexis. He had recently turned seven, and he was ready for school, but Enrique and Octavia didn’

SLP Time Warp 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SLP Time Warp 3 - Essay Example This paper thus attempts an implementation of the suggested theories, and in this way attempts at discovering the most effective strategy that can be used with the three products (Abbing & van Gessel, 2008). Pricing is largely regarded as a viable marketing strategy that the company can pursue. In this regard, the cost at which product X5 is sold needs an increment since the simulation results proved that the product was still in its growth phase and thus has a greater potential for growth before it attains maturity. On the contrary, the product X7, out of the simulation results, shows that it lies in the pre-growth phase. An increase in its product, though a risky course to take, seems to be the most logical path at the moment in a bid to determine the market reception, as well as acting as a means by which to test its market limits. The third product, the product X6, revealed to be in the maturity phase from the simulation results. Given its relatively impressive market run, it is a wise choice to further push its marginal profit through a slight price increment. The reason for stressing on slight is to avoid a scenario where it is too highly priced making the cost an issue that makes customers opt for competing brands (Beverland, Napoli & Farrelly, 2010). As a marketing procedure, this final strategy takes the combined strategy approach in achieving optimum product performance in terms of sales generation and profits accrued from these sales. In this regard, an implementation of the simulation results taking into account the initial R & D allocation increment (Bivainiene, 2010). Increasing the expenditure allocation of the R & D is done through an increase of that of the product X5, a product in its growth phase, as well as in the introductory phase of the product X7. The projected results out of these changes are as shown below: Year 2012 Product Price $ R&D Allocation % Profits X5 265 33 121, 288, 230 X6 420 34 264, 830, 873 X7 230 33 -22, 254, 435 Total 3 63,864,668 In the succeeding year, the pricing marketing strategy will prove the most logical strategy to be applied. In this strategy, the prices of products X5 and product X7 are reduced in relative margins. The price of the product X6, is however, left constant without any changes made to it. The rationale behind this direction is because the two products, X5 and X7 are relatively weakly established; the strategy to be applied needs to be focused upon two main issues, the increase in sales volumes, and the quick and efficient penetration of the market to establish its niche amongst the more established products in the same category as them (Slotegraaf & Pauwels, 2008). The strategies that call for an increase in the expenditure of the R & D are, however, left to continue. The expected profits changes on the application of the price changes and allocation of the R & D are as reflected below: Year 2013 Product Price $ R&D Allocation % Profits X5 240 35 79, 643, 368 X6 420 28 264, 8 30, 950 X7 180 36 0 Total 344, 474, 318 A thorough application of the strategy is reflective of the continued product success in terms of gaining market ground and penetration. The price reductions were necessary since it is the variable that can be modified as far as the marketing mix is