Abortion and the Columbine High School Massacre :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Abortion and the Columbine High School Massacre I am sure all of us have been affected in some way by the horrific tragedy that occurred at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado (April 1999). Certainly, our entire country grieves at the death of the many High School teens and faculty who were victims of meaningless violence. Sadly, the bullets of two Columbine students took the lives of thirteen people away. "This tragedy is an outrage", cries the public! . . . "These teens were innocent young men, and women who had their whole lives ahead of them." . . . "They will never have the opportunity to enjoy adulthood, and the wonders of life." . . . "There must be something done to curb this violence!" These types of comments, along with many others, are surfacing in our nation, as our country cries out in disgust and frustration. "What are we to do?", we now ask of each other. I am convinced that the answer to "What are we to do?" is rooted in the current situation in our country that permits and encourages "legalized abortion". Whether we realize it or not, "legalized abortion" attributes to the great loss of "respect for life" which shows its ugly face in so many ways in our country. The shooting at Columbine High is one of these "ugly faces". Sadly, as "legalized abortion" continues, Pope John Paul II says, "There will be a darkening of our conscience, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between right and wrong, - especially in regard to the respect of human life". Is it a wonder that when mothers are able to freely kill innocent babies within their wombs, that others will also begin to think, "it is all right to kill innocent human beings?" Is it a wonder that when a child in a mother's womb is treated as an "object" instead of a "person", that other people in turn, will begin to treat others as "objects", using them only as a "means" to accomplish some end? "What are we to do about this violence?", cries our nation. In order to "curb violence" and protect innocent lives, our nation must come to understand that every individual is known and loved by God; that every individual has been willed by God and made in His image and likeness; that "human life" is under the special protection of God; and as a result - that every individual must be afforded the first and most fundamental of all human rights - the right to life.

The Increasing demand on the UK’s construction industry

Britain's construction activities have risen considerably over the last decade and according to industry forecasts, the next five years will see more large projects commencing and highlighting once again the need for skilled labour in the UK. The government already has many construction plans underway which all lead to an 11% predicted increase (Olympic shortfall 18/11/07) in construction output between now and 2011. Some of the major projects that contribute to the rising demands include a surge in schools construction, increased spending on transport and projects for the London Olympics. The government has invested in a reported à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4.7bn (Financial Times Limited 2007 17/11/07) to rebiuld or renew every secondary school in the country. This is a massive project and dwarfs the construction of the London olympics in comparison. ConstructionSkills is one of a series of employer-led sector skills bodies established by government to help produce enough skilled workers to meet the high demand. ConstructionSkills says that employment in the industry will need to rise by almost a sixth to 2.8m by 2011, compared with 2.4m in 2005 and 87,600 new recruits will be needed by the industry â€Å"each year between 2007 and 2011 in order to meet demand†.(ConstructionSkills 2007) Infrustructure activity is also increasing with construction underway for the redevelopment of King's Cross and Crossrail and the expansion and refurbishment of the Birmingham New Street and Nottingham railway stations. Other infrastructure developments include work on the Manchester Metro Link, the M6 toll road, the M25. Also the Scottish Executive's (Financial Times Limited 2007 17/11/07) planned à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3bn capital investment programme in strategic road and rail projects and expansion of ports at Harwich, Felixstowe and Great Yarmouth. Aside from all these major developments, there is still as high demand as ever for more residential housing. It is reported (UK home supply way below demand 17/11/07) that Britain is now so short of new houses that an extra 39,000 need to be built each year just to keep up with the UK's population growth. The huge shortage of skilled labour in the UK is undoubtedly a major factor and could undermine the success of the 2012 Olympics in London. Reports made through the Research by the sector skills councils has revealed the Olympics needs around 13,000 construction workers and 1,500 electricians and plumbers a year between now and 2012 (Olympic shortfall 18/11/07). The new Heathrow terminal 5 is another project that highlights the severe skills shortage in the construction sector. The new T5 is estimated to cost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4bn and is one of Europe's biggest projects at the moment. Terminal 5 will have roads and rail links built for it and will have over a hundred aircraft stands as well as the tallest control tower in the country. All these projects are desperately in need of skilled labour and huge investments are being made by the government and big companies to provide training schemes for people to help overcome these demands. The construction of the Heathrow terminal 5 has influenced BAA, the company that manages Heathrow to collaborate with the learning and Skills Council (LSC) to set up the Heathrow Construction Centre to train young people in carpentry, joinery and bricklaying. Many young people are now applying to the training centre with the influence of high salary opportunities being advertised for a wide range of jobs. David Boyer, a representative of LSC says â€Å"the key is finding something that they want to do and that employers will pay for†¦and construction fits the bill perfectly.† (David Bower 2007) CSV, the UK's largest volunteering and training charity is another organisation that has many Construction Training Centres around the country. Its main aim is to take on young people from the age of 16 and train them up in a construction field that interests them. The Training Centre on Hornsey Road is CSV Springboard Islington Trust's training facility and is helping to meet the demand from employer training needs arising as a result of the Kings Cross re-generation programme or the Olympics. The Islington training centre has three sectors in the area and alone provides learning for over 600 students (Sky-high salaries for airport construction workers 18/11/07). The main issue with the construction industry in the UK at the moment is that activity continues to rise at a rapid pace and with all the training schemes at the minute, not enough skilled craftsman and professional workman are coming out of it to keep up with the demand. There is a reported large number of craftsmen in the UK that don't have the qualifications that are required to work on the Olympic sites etc. Organisations such as Summit Skills are committed to helping provide the necessary qualifications to people with the skills but who have not finished an NVQ level 3 for instance. Students doing a construction course at schools or colleges will commonly do a full NVQ which includes gaining technical certificates and national vocational qualifications. Some of the courses involve training on-site to acquire the appropriate qualifications. The government has also addressed the issue for the need of more skilled labour by introducing new courses at schools and colleges. In 2008, a new diploma in construction and the built environment will be introduced. However many specialist diplomas and GCSE's will not be available until 2013. The other opportunities that are given to young people to work in construction are through the apprenticeship or scholarship schemes. Such schemes are usually offered directly from companies. It's often the best route for young people who do not have the appropriate background. The apprenticeship programme was introduced to the UK in 1994 (as modern apprenticeships). Apprenticeships give the student the opportunity to study at college to receive the required qualifications and do work based on the site on a part time basis. Apprentices earn while being in education and for most young people it is a very attractive prospect. It also gives a higher rate of employment for those that do it as the companies, for the majority of the time offer the person a full time job after they have completed their apprenticeship. But in the last couple of years, the numbers of apprenticeships have reduced as the interest for them has increased. With over 50,000 applications for 10,000 places (Olympic s hortfall 18/11/07), the traditional apprenticeship route cannot meet growing demand. However, to help overcome this problem, there are many colleges today that are involved with big construction companies making it easier for students to find the apprenticeship that interest them. In apprenticeships, the students are usually required to stay in education until they achieve a full NVQ before they are offered a full time job but a scholarship on the other hand requires the student to attend university either part time or full time in order to gain higher qualifications such as a degree to make them eligible for high skilled work afterwards. Scholarships are also offered usually directly from a company and offers to support the student financially by paying the tuition fees to the university and the company will often offer a the student work placement between their time at university to give them the required experience in the job. Although there is many efforts being done to overcome the shortage of skilled labour in the UK, it is still evident that yet more needs to be done to reduce the gap between the demand for skilled labour and the amount of trained personnel coming up every year. In the next five years, there is going to be an increase in activity for the UK construction industry and it is estimated that 87,600 new recruits (Financial Times Limited 2007 17/11/07) will be needed by the industry every year to cope with the work needed. I believe that in order to tackle this problem for the shortage of skilled labour in the UK, more efforts must be made concentrating on the source of the problem, the training of personal to meet the levels required by the industry. It is a fact that yet not enough programmes are being opened to help encourage young people to look for a career in construction and to educate and train them to the required levels. At the moment, the government is concentrating on opening new training centres in London because of the increasing work being made by the construction of the East London Olympic sites. However, training centres should be opened in more cities around the UK in the next few years to help train up as many people in as short time as possible to help overcome the shortage of required labour. I think that more training programmes should be done on development sites such as the Heathrow construction centres helping to train young people. I believe that such programmes help to train and educate a person on the job and give them the required skills in a short period of time. Other steps that can be taken is to introduce more specialized construction courses at schools and colleges to help encourage young people to choose a career in the construction field. At the moment, a successful example is the Construction and Built Environment Diploma which around 4000 people take every year (Construction Digital 17/11/07) Another step that can be taken is to encourage more construction companies to introduce more apprenticeships and scholarships to young people. This will attract more people to join the construction industry and will produce more high skilled labour to meet demands of the modern day. If the UK construction industry remains to be in the situation it is now with a huge shortage of skilled labour then the only solution left will be to bring in even more migrant workers from east European countries, such as Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania, to fill gaps on building sites. This will in effect reduce the building standards and safety on the site just so companies can give out low wages and save costs. In reality, this is very likey to happen but the government will only apply it in a worst case scenerio to overcome the problem. Although it might not be possible to finish all these huge projects in the UK without aquiring the help from migrant workers, we could however train as many people as we can so that less workers from abroad are needed, making the UK construction industry stronger and more successful.

Countrys I Will Visit

Someone ones told me if I planned to travel and I answered him â€Å"no†. So he just told me this â€Å"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page† (Mr. Sadeiki 9th grade). It kept me thinking and well I decided to travel. I believe traveling will make me a better person and give me different perspectives of people around the world. I made my bucket list and the three countries I would love to visit the most would be Mexico, The Bahamas, and Brazil. Let’s move on to why Mexico is my one of my chose in visiting. Mexico was the place where I was born and I only got to live there for three years.I have always wanted to go back but just to go visit. I want to visit it because most of my family lives there and I would like to meet them. I’ve heard and done some research on some of the beaches that Mexico has. They look very nice and clean somewhere that someone would like to go visit a lot, but not just its beaches but also the nice histor y that it has. Like the pyramids of the Aztecs and the courts of a sport they played called Ullamaliztli. After visiting Mexico I would love to go and visit the Bahamas. Imagine a world where you can’t tell where dreams begin and reality ends.These are The Islands of the Bahamas. And they're like no other places on Earth (www. bahamas. com pg1). The Bahamas are unique because they have super clear water that you could see your feet as if you are in a pool. There so clear that you could see 200ft down with no problem. The Bahamas have a lot of islands and beautiful sights especially the beaches. The people always have a lay back attitude (like leave the problems for tomorrow). They are very friendly and like to celebrate a lot. They also have a history and a lot of historical places that make it look like a paradise like its treasures.Talking about paradise, Brazil is the main place I would like to travel too. Brazil is a country of great natural beauty. Dazzling beaches and r ainforests are a few of the superlative attractions that await visitors. Brazil is also home to a people of great ethnic and cultural diversity, whose heritage is expressed in vibrant art and celebrations, historical cities and bustling urban centers. Here are some of the main reasons why I would like to travel to Brazil. Brazil has 62 national parks were you are able to see its amazing landscapes and ecosystem. I will visit all 62 parks.The amazing thing that Brazil has is its celebrations and events they have threw out the year. They bring lots of joy into life and color. Its history also attracts me a lot because it has temples and lots of other things. It will bring joy to me and make me a better person. Traveling to these countries will be a lot of fun. That’s why I will go and visit these places with the one I love or with a friend. If not I will travel them alone because it will probably be even more fun than with someone. I will get started by getting my passport and save some money.I hope to do this traveling by when I turn 25 years old. Let me leave you with this final thought what would you do read more pages or just read the first one? I hope you choose to travel like I am. Three Countries I will Visit (outline) * Intro: Hook- ‘The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page’†¦ Thesis- I believe traveling will make me a better person and give me different perspectives of people around the world. a. Mexico b. The Bahamas c. Brazil Transition- Let’s move on to why Mexico is my first chose in visiting. Body Para A: Mexico was the place where I was born and I only got to live there for three years. a. Would like to visit my relatives b. They have great beaches. c. The historical places Transition- After visiting Mexico my third chose would be the Bahamas. * Body Para B: Imagine a world where you can’t tell where dreams begin and reality ends. These are The Islands of the Bahamas. And they're like no other places on Earth. a. They have clear waters b. People always have a lay back attitude. c. It looks like paradiseTransition- Talking about paradise, Brazil is the main place I would like to travel too. * Body Para C: Brazil is a country of great natural beauty. a. Amazing landscapes b. Celebration and events c. Its historical cities and its beaches Transition- Traveling to these countries will be a lot of fun. * Conclusion: That’s why I will go and visit these places with the one I love or with a friend. Call for action: I will get started by getting my passport and save some money. Let me leave you with this final thought what would you do read more pages or just read the first one?

Advanced Practice In Nursing Cultural competence in the field of advanced practice in nursing

Culture is an essential component of the world because it provides individuals with their own ways of dealing with daily activities.   Culture also allows each country to uphold their own principles and attitudes, based on how they perceive issues.Analysts consider culture as a mental scheme that has shaped each population to its own characteristic features.   In the field of nursing, it is important to understand the concept of culture because these healthcare professionals are responsible for providing medical services to any individual in need, regardless of cultural background (Torres, 2009).It is thus imperative that advanced practice nurses are adept with the differences in culture, in order for them to delivery the best quality of healthcare that could be provided to the patient.Cultural competence pertains to the ability to recognize differences in culture and still be able to professionally deliver their services to the client, regardless of ethnic background (Verma et a l., 2009).   It has been earlier established that cultural competence can be achieved in several ways.One of the most straightforward methods is through learning different cultures and applying such knowledge at the actual workplace (Campinha-Bacote, 2009).It should be noted that patients from other countries who seek medical attention in the hospital may carry different values, as well as beliefs, from what is commonly accepted or considered as a norm.   The valuable knowledge and understanding of these differences may thus influence the success of treatment by influencing the patient to adhere to the suggested therapy (Pumariega et al., 2009).The issue of cultural competence is a relatively new concept in the field of nursing and this is mainly due to the significant increase in migration around the world (Sperber, 2009).   It is thus normal to see that a city, state or country is inhabited by several nationalities because these migrants opted to find a better place for them to settle in.In addition, it is a common occurrence that these recent migrants succumb to medical conditions and thus they need to seek medical attention at the nearest healthcare institution.   It may thus be possible that a foreign-born patient will seem shocked at the method of medical attention that is given to him in a Westernized hospital (Im et al., 2009).Cultural competence is thus a critical factor in the healthcare field because it may influence both the success of the treatment and the extent of cost for provide healthcare to the patient (Werkmeister-Rozas and Klein, 2009).There are several theories that attempt to explain the concept of cultural competence.   The theory concocted by Campinha-Bacote (1994) describes that attainment of competence in culture is gained through a continuous effort in learning and applying the lessons to the nursing professional immediate environment.This theory is associated with the gain of awareness there are definitely differences in cultural backgrounds among individuals and thus any interactions between individuals should be characterized with recognition of these differences.Nursing professionals should thus be actively conscious of the attitudes and beliefs of their patients and this may be observed through the mutual exchange that the nursing professional will impart to the patient during medical treatment.The theory also teaches the meaning of cultural knowledge, which pertains to the process of accepting that certain ethnic groups follows particular beliefs that may or may not be parallel to what is considered the norm in the Western world.The Campinha-Bacote theory also educates the nursing professional of the concept of cultural skill.   This topic involves the actual application of the lessons that the nursing professional has learned on the patient that he is currently taking care of.The nursing professional has been trained to recognize a number of cultural backgrounds and thus it is expected that this healthcare worker could positively identify the patient’s culture through the answers he provides to him from interviewing him upon presentation at the hospital.The Campinha-Bacote theory also employs a form of exposure of the nursing professional to different cultures.   This may be done in the form of engagement in a nursing care facility that is known to maintain patients of varied cultural backgrounds.   The exposure of the nursing trainee to such environment may be helpful in instilling a sense of variation that is normally present in all situations and places around the world.  Another theory that explains the concept of cultural competence is that designed by Lipson and Steiger (1996).   This alternative theory is based on the concept the self-care is a universal characteristic that encompasses all cultural backgrounds.   The approach thus upholds the idea that every individual strives to take care of themselves, as well as the other members of their fam ily.Taking care and giving concern to the community and the society is also covered under the theory of Lipson and Steiger (1996).   The theory thus believes every individual is responsible for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, regardless of cultural backgrounds.Processes such as health promotion, as well as prevention of disease, are thus included in this theory.   It is also expected that the advanced practice nurse carries a perspective that there are different cultures that exist in society and that three major elements comprise this approach.  The element of self pertains to the personal principles and morals of a patient, which in turn influence his interaction with other people.   The element of the other individual identifies the need to recognize and understand the patient himself, as well as his immediate family.This connection needs to be considered because every individual is interconnected to another individual as he continuously circulates in his own particular social unit.The third element, known as the context, pertains to the employment of the knowledge that the advanced practice nurse has acquired regarding cultural differences and competence.   The combination of these three elements thus ensures the success in understanding cultures of patients.The Banks and McGee theory (1989) describes that competency in the area of culture involves the application of care, as well as safety, in the treatment of different ethnicities.   Culture competence is thus a gradual process of learning different cultures, as well as reflecting on the prime variations of each human population.The understanding of cultures allows an advanced practice nurse to instill a caring and safe environment for every patient.   The concept of learning that is associated with the Banks and McGee theory (1989) thus requires that an advanced practice nurse is adept in identifying the cultural background of the patient, including the type of language that he commonly e mploys for communication.In cases when the nursing professional is not familiar with the patient’s language, he should immediately find an interpreter who can help in communicating what is essential to be performed in the hospital.The theory thus upholds an important concept in cultural competency and that is the advanced practice nurse should be aware and recognize his responsibility to perform additional measures in order to make the patient feel that he is being cared for and understood as well.It will be difficult to treat a patient who does not understand a single word that the physician or nurse is doing, especially when it involves administration of a drug or conducting a medical test.If the patient understands the reasons behind a specific medical procedure, it is most likely that the patient will allow the healthcare professionals to conduct this procedure and would even adhere to any directives that the physician or nurse would suggest.Cultural competency is an impo rtant area in the field of healthcare because it dissolves any barriers that may hinder the administration of a medical treatment.Awareness and understanding of difficulty cultures also expand an advanced practice nurse to be more accepting of different backgrounds and perform their tasks without prejudice or bias towards the patient.   Cultural competency may also indirectly influence the success of a medical treatment and also facilitate in promoting patient adherence.ReferencesBanks, J.A. and McGee, C.A. (1989).   Multicultural education. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.Campinha-Bacote, J.   (1994).   Cultural competence in psychiatric mental health nursing. Nursing Clinics of North America, 29, 1–8.Campinha-Bacote, J.   (2009).   A culturally competent model of care for African Americans.   Urology and Nursing, 29, 49-54.

Organizational culture is fundamentally about symbolic meaning and as Essay - 4

Organizational culture is fundamentally about symbolic meaning and as such cannot be managed. Discuss - Essay Example Similarly, Hutch (2006) indicated that organizational culture is the unique principles, beliefs and behaviors that combine to give each organization a unique character. Essentially, these definitions point out that organizational culture is the pattern of behavior that is distinct to a particular organization. The culture of an organization is created by assumptions early in the life of an organization which become the modus operandi and are passed on to new personnel of the organization. The set of beliefs that form a company’s culture may be written or unwritten but they define the way in which people behave in the organization (Robbins & Judge 2007). It is imperative that culture is cultivated throughout the life of an organization and gives the organization a sense of identity. Symbolic Meaning of Organizational Culture Organizational culture may not be easily captured or defined within an organization due to fact that it is fundamentally of symbolic meaning. The manifesta tions of organizational culture differ from place to place. Culture in itself is a socially constructed phenomenon and it reflects meanings that are constituted through interactions among the members of an organization (Fineman et al 2005). An organization’s norms are built in an organic manner that eventually forms the basis for commonly accepted modes of operation. In organizations, culture is symbolic and it is described by stories and materials that are of significance within the organization. In this regard, the organizational culture is tied to symbolic meanings that are derived from the historical experiences in the organization. Verbal symbols such stories, myths and anecdotes can be used to symbolize company culture. Every organization has captivating stories that define its success and failures. The organization’s history can be captured in myths and anecdotes that are passed to newer employees. It is notable that communication is critical in any human engage ments. Verbal symbols create mythical heroes and heroines who serve as the yardstick for acceptable behavior in a particular organization. For instance, organizations can have symbolic stories on how the founders started in a college dormitory and worked on a shoe string budget during the formative years. This can be interpreted to create a culture of limited spending and avoiding exorbitant. The stories and myths are powerful tools that can help new employees to make sense of the organization’s environment and appreciate its ethos. It was noted that: Beliefs, values and ideology are at the heart of organizations. Individuals hold certain ideas and value-preferences which influence how they behave and how they view the behavior of other members. These norms become shared traditions which are communicated within the group and are reinforced by verbal symbols (Hatch 2006, p.265). Actions such as rituals and events may be used to symbolically show the beliefs and practices withi n an organization. For instance, team retreats may hold a symbolic value within an organization. Such an activity may serve as the springboard of all product and service ideas for a company. It may be a practice within the organization that employees have to go on annual retreats to unwind and come up with product innovations. Hatch (2006) indicated that rituals can also serve as a powerful tool symbolizing the culture. Some organizations may have rituals that determine how the orientation of new

UK Economy as the Seventh Largest Economy Worldwide When Measured Essay

UK Economy as the Seventh Largest Economy Worldwide When Measured Using the GDP and the Eighth Largest Worldwide When Measured Using the Purchasing Power Parity - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the UK economy ranks the seventh largest economy worldwide when measured using the GDP, while it ranks the eighth largest worldwide when measured using the purchasing power parity. During the 18th century, UK was the first country worldwide to industrialize, hence contributing positively towards the world economy in the 19th century especially through employment. Consequently, unemployment refers to the rate at which people within a given economy are willing and able to work but cannot find a job because of the prevailing situations. In the UK, the section of the population that is not willing or unable to work based on varied reasons does not count towards unemployment. This is because they are economically inactive and may not participate in processes that focus on improving the economic conditions. However, it is true that when a given country has an elevated level of unemployment, such country is not utilizing the available resourc es as expected. Unemployment significantly influences the social cost of the affected country because persons with familial commitments may have trouble trying to meet their responsibilities. This is based on the dependency ratio, which may be high. Â  However, unemployment can cause boredom and rejection, thus increasing social problems in the society. In addition, unemployment can result in increased criminal activities in the society. Interestingly, suicide rates and poor health among individuals may also rise. The UK unemployment influences both the economy and societal history of the country. During the 1950s and 1960s, the UK experienced low rates of unemployment. This is because the service members who participated in the Second World War got full employment as a reward for their victory. However, the rate of unemployment in the UK remained low until 2005 when it started to increase.

Examine Child Protection with a view to analysing and evaluating it in Essay

Examine Child Protection with a view to analysing and evaluating it in relation to Every Child Matters - Essay Example The program also intends to place the responsibility of child protection across all involved agencies. Finally, to prime the involved institutions to come up with solutions tailored to suit the unique circumstances of each case. Viewing this comprehensive child development program from a historical perspective gives us a better understanding of some of these objectives. For example, weak accountability and poor integration had for long been the bane of the support systems of yesteryears. Poor co-ordination and low standards of accountability had led to public distrust with these institutions. The various component agencies were not properly integrated which resulted in inefficiency and redundancy. For instance, â€Å"some children are assessed many times by different agencies and despite this may get no services. Children may experience a range of professionals involved in their lives but little continuity and consistency of support.† (Youth Justice: The Next Steps) Another area of concern with the older system was the general sense of apathy on part of child health-care professional. Unless health-care professionals approach their work with dedication and compassion, their effectiveness is always going to be sub-standard. Hence, the Every Child Matters program proposes ways in which a career in child-care is seen as attractive by the professionals. The cultural norms of the English society is as much to blame for this situation; as the roles assumed by child-care workers largely goes unappreciated and undervalued. This is reflected in the fact that for long the national vacancy rate in these services had hovered around the 10 percent mark, which is one of the highest in the industrial world. The relation between socio-economic background and child delinquency is an acknowledged fact. Hence, the government had realised that child protection should consider this important aspect of a child’s life as well. The