Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Children - Essay Example The question now arises that ‘what leads the children to divert from the society’s well treaded path?’ Is it because of the dramatically changing world? Or is because of the free media showing what ever it wants? Children have impressionable minds. From an early age they observe and remember what goes on around them. Sounds and pictures are the two main senses that mould the character of the child from an early stage. Of course the parents and the environment also mould the child’s character, but pictures in television and music are the main contributors to the development of a child in these modern times. [3] The Language The language used for most children targeted channels is getting more and more open. The cartoons like Johnny Bravo among others create that urge among children to attempt or copy the same styles irrespective to which society they belong to. Kid’s drama series show either love or violence which the children are apt to imitate in one form or the other. [2] The article ‘childish thongs’ that appeared in the guardian on Monday March 31st 2003 is also highlighting the points mentioned above. The language in the article is very strict and has a tone of anger complaining about the plight of children as a result of unchecked companies that propagate sex appeal in their products. The article does not blame the children for wearing garments that increase their sex appeal since children are immature and do not understand what they are getting involved in. [1] The Media The ideas about a certain thing are bred in to children from a variety of sources such as TV and movies. Children at their young ages watch and hear the pictures and sounds of the glamorous world which attracts them to follow the lead. This is the magic of the media. Showing explicit or obscene images on TV loosens the devil out of a child's heart and makes the child act in certain manners unacceptable to the society. [4] Music and TV artists like Britney Spears appearing in music videos wearing minimum clothing allowed on TV only appeals to the audience. The viewers world over go wild as the men drool over the sex-appeal involved while the women enact Britney Spears in order to get the same attention from the men. The children watching the video think dressing that way would get them rich and famous and get the desired attention. However these dreams are not always pretty in the real life. The increasing rape cases, sexual harassment and child pornography are some of the results of this trend towards wearing minimum clothes. [1] The role of the media in reaching to this trend is almost 100%. The cultures of one side of the world are shown on the other side, meaning that cultural clashes are bound to occur. Media is free to show whatever they want or tell whatever they want to and when ever there is a ban them, the media come up in arms cursing the government for not giving them media-freedom. Being the leaders of tomorrow, children getting involved in devilish acts can mark our world heading for chaos. Sanity must prevail within media channels to encourage dignity and self respect in children rather than propagating dangerous deeds against the boundaries of the society. [4] The media must aim to show images, documentaries or videos that give a meaning or a moral that the children can learn. Through articles like these, the parents of the children can be given a heads-up warning that their children involved in

Fitness Market Analysis Essay Example for Free

Fitness Market Analysis Essay Industry/market Industry: How many fitness centers? What’s their revenues? Profit margins? Is it growing? Concentrated or not? Market: PMB, attendance, consumer spending, Statistics Canada (average spending) General Trends: Growing? Health trends? Key Competitors: other popular gyms in the area (Nautilus, Progym, energy cardio) The Fitness Market The fitness market is very large and keeps growing. This market is targeted at anyone who wants to be in shape and is looking to live a healthier lifestyle. In 2009, consumers spent on average 186$ on fitness facilities and the median expenditure per household was 390$. We notice a positive trend of fitness center attendance during the past 10 years. Since 2003, there has been an increase in participating in a physical activity throughout the population of Quebec. Even though this change is small, it is a good indicator that people are looking to workout more. If we notice other health behaviours in Quebec we will notice the same positive trend of wanting to live a healthy lifestyle. There has been a drop in the smoker population: dropping from 26.4% in 2003 to 23.8% in 2010. People are also consuming more fruits and vegetables (5 times a day) an increase from 45.4% to 51.1% (2003-2010). Even the population’s life expectancy increased by 2 years to 81 from 2003 to 2008. All these statistics give us a good understand of our population’s health behaviours allowing to conclude that that the fitness center market has a high potential for profit because people are looking to stay fit and live healthier and longer.

Should Smoking be Banned? J.S Mills Harm Principle

Should Smoking be Banned? J.S Mills Harm Principle Should Smoking Be Banned? Discuss In Relation to J.S Mills Harm Principle Smoking has held a social stigma for many years, yet has generally been protected from being prohibited due to the principle of a freedom to smoke. However, freedom comes in many forms and means different things to different people, and with some concepts of freedom it may be seen that smoking should be banned. This essay will focus on one particular idea of freedom, J.S Mills Harm Principle, and will look in depth at how this relates to smoking. The essay will look at whether smoking should be banned, either partially, as is the case in Britain today or completely. The essay will also look at ideas such as Paternalism and consent and how this relates to J.S Mills Harm Principle and a smoking ban and concludes on whether smoking should be banned. J. S Mills Harm Theory is an idea based on the instrumental value of freedom. Instrumental value of freedom is concerned with the outcome, as opposed with the intrinsic value which is more concerned with freedom itself being fulfilled, the outcome desired usually being one with the most utility. Mills Harm Theory is the principle that a person should be restricted from committing an act that will cause harm. There are however restrictions to this rule. Acts are divided into two categories, other regarding and self regarding. Other regarding cause harm to others, such as assaulting another person, self regarding only harms the actor. Mills argues that only other regarding actions should be prohibited. N. Barry states the only grounds for interfering with an individual is to prevent harm to others; over action that affect only himself the individual is sovereign.1 Thus, under Mills Harm Principle actions that affect only the actor should not be prohibited. Mills did not think that all self-regarding acts are morally indifferent, and the principle supports persuasion against self regarding acts that are deemed immoral, however it is not persuasion, and coercion, that should be used.2 The reasoning behind Mills principle is that he believed in maximum freedom of the person. With regard to expression and thought, Mills Harm Principle does not place the same restrictions he places on actions. Other regarding actions that only cause offence and not injury should not be prohibited, no matter how much offence is caused. Clearly Mills had placed restriction on other regarding actions, as causing injury to others should not be defended in the name of freedom. None the less J. S Mills clearly thought that state authority should be markedly limited so as to leave as much room for liberty.3 The Harm Principle can be applied to the concept of smoking; however there are several interpretations and criticisms of this. Smoking in public is generally seen as an other regarding action as it causes harm to others. Second hand smoke (SHS) contains 4000 toxic chemicals4 and the Smoking in private however is usually seen as a self regarding action as the only harm caused is to the smoker. Thus, following the J. S Mills Harm Principle smoking should be banned in public places, but not banned entirely. The UK government introduced a ban on smoking in all public places in 20075 and this seems like the appropriate action if you were to follow J.S Mills Harm Principle. There are however many criticisms of the Harm Principle that actually suggest a ban on smoking in public places does not go far enough. It can be argued that smoking privately in your own home is not merely a self regarding action. Political theorists, notably James Fitzjames Stephen and Lord Delvin, have argued that there is not such thing as a self regarding action as all actions have some effect on others. Garner summarises this argument stating that there is no such thing as private immortality in the sense that even our private behaviour will have public consequence.6 It seems unlikely that even the most trivial private action would affect society, however there is a strong case that smoking does. Firstly smokers are likely to have their health affected later in life due to their smoking, which could ultimately lead to seriously health problems or death. It is argued that this would cause financial harm, through funeral costs or being left without a financial provider, and emoti onal harm to the smokers family. It is also argued that smokers harm society as tax payer money is spent on providing NHS treatment or social benefits if the smoker is left unable to work due to his habit.7 It can be argued then that smoking privately is not a self regarding action, is in fact an other regarding action, and thus following J.S Mills harm principle should be banned completely. D.D Raphael states however that this objection is not to the principle of Mills position, but to its unreality, its lack of application.8 In theory there are self regarding actions, but in reality they rarely, if at all, exist. Paternalism counters J.S Mills idea that a self regarding act, presuming they exist, should be allowed. Paternalism, with regard to smoking, would argue that the state ought to be concerned with the moral welfare of the individual agent.9 Paternalism would support the state prohibiting smoking in order to protect the individual, and thus would support an absolute ban on smoking. This is the same principle behind that of controlled drugs, of which the consumption is illegal if done so privately. Mill would obviously reject this principle as it goes against what is set out in the Harm Principle. Mill advocated the freedom of action, even if it is self harming as he believed it was both character forming, and humans are the best judge of their actions.10 Professor H. L. A Hart was a keen supporting of the idea that criminal law is to prevent harm to other people however even Hart accepted that the propriety of some paternalistic legislation e.g on the control of drugs.11 Smoking is as h armful clearly harmful to the user, with 25% of smokers dying from the habit12, then surely it is the states responsibility to prohibit the action. This is certainly the paternalistic viewpoint. Goodin makes an interesting point in The Ethics of Smoking. A supporter of Mills may argue Paternalism prohibition of smoking stops the individual from being free. However, if the smoker is trying to quit then by banning smoking completely, we are simply using coercion to enable people to carry out their own goals.13 Consent is an issue that is commonly found when discussing the banning of smoking, and has been used by both pro and anti ban theorist. It may be argued that non-smokers choose to visit public places where smoking is prevalent such as pubs or clubs. The harm they receive then from second hand smoke has been consented to as they choose to visit said public place. This would seem to conclude that smoking in public is only an other regarding action if it has been consented to, and therefore that smoking should be allowed freely in all public places. However, non-smokers if they sought to visit non-smoking pubs and clubs would have very limited choice. Even more importantly individuals who work in areas where smoking is allowed will suffer even greater health risks due to their constant interaction with second hand smoke. Goodin argued that passive smoking generally occurs as unavoidable consequence of being in proximity to smokers and thus they are involuntarily smoking.14 Therefore, it can be argued, there is actually no consent, so this cannot be used as a defence against ban of smoking in public places. If consent is not an argument for allowing smoking in public places, then it is certainly used when countering a complete smoking ban. Anti-Smoking ban individuals state that they have consented to smoking, and thus to the harm itself. Therefore they did not require any paternalistic state intervention. Dworkin summarises this stating the incurring of harm requires the active co-operation of the victim.15 This supports Mills idea that an individual is the best judge of their own actions, and they want to smoke and know the consequences it is their right to do so. However Goodin makes an interesting contradiction. As tobacco is addictive due to chemicals such as nicotine then the individual only consents to the first cigarette, as they cannot help but smoke after this. Goodin argues if the product is truly addictive, then we have no more reason to respect the persons voluntary choice (however well informed) to abandon his future validation to an addiction than we have for respecting a persons voluntary choice (however well informed) to sell himself to slavery.16 There are more practical objections to a complete ban on smoking however. Barry, amongst others, points out a utilitarian view supporting smoking. If smoking was to be banned, and tobacco was to be made an illegal substance society would see many negative consequences. There would be an increase in crime, both of the users and dealers of tobacco, and a gangster culture would develop around tobacco just as it has with controlled goods. As tobacco would be very expensive to (illegally) purchase, crime rates would increase that way as users may commit crime to fund their expensive habit.17 This can easily be related with the criticism of Mills Harm Theory that smoking is not an other regarding action due to its cost to society. If smoking was to be banned completely the increase in crime because of this would have a larger detrimental cost than would be saved through the decrease in NHS and social spending. The question remains, should smoking be banned? Strictly following the Harm Principle it would seem that smoking should be banned in public, but in private, as then it is only harming the user. However, this is only the case if you agree that smoking in private is a self regarding action. We have seen arguments both for and against classify smoking as a completely other regarding action and if this is the case then in theory smoking should be completely banned. Smoking should also be banned completely if you believe the state should play a paternalistic role in protecting its citizens from the harm of smoking. Consent obviously plays a role in this topic and we have seen how it has been argued that a smoker who consents to the harm should be allowed to continue smoking, although there have even been contradictions to this. Practicality should not forgotten, and a complete ban in smoking raises some serious concerns about the social effect this would have. It seems then that a compromise is needed in order to decide whether smoking should be banned. A ban in public places seems to be best solution to the problem; it protects passive smokers yet eliminates the danger to society that would occur if smoking was completely banned. Of course, some would argue we are still letting individuals harm themselves, however adult humans know the risk of smoking, and on a whole the cost to the individual is less than the possible cost to society. It seems J.S Mills Harm Principle is ideal for addressing the question of a smoking ban, and a ban on public smoking, as seen in the UK and states around the world is the best solution. 1 N. Barry, Modern Political Theory 4th ed. (Basingstoke; Macmillan Press Ltd, 2000) p.211 2 Ibid. p.211 3 D.D. Raphael, Problems of Political Philosophy 2ND ed. (London; Pall Mall Press Ltd, 1990) p.78 4http:/smokefree.nhs.uk/why-go-smokefree/secondhand-smoke/ accessed December 5 2009 5 R. Garner, Introduction to Politics (Oxford; Oxford University Press, 2009) p.100 6 Garner (2009) p101 8 Rapheal (1990) p.66 9 Ibid. p66 10 Barry (2000) p.101 11 Rapheal (1990) p.81 12 R.E Goodin, The Ethics of Smoking, Ethics, Vol.99, No.3, (1989) p.588 13 Goodin (1989) p.586 14 Ibid. p.586 15 Goodin (1989) p.579 16Ibid p.586 17Barry (2001) p.219

GRENDEL THE SAVAGE :: essays papers

GRENDEL THE SAVAGE Portraying adolescents as false tragic heroes has been a theme explored in literature throughout the twentieth century. In John Gardner’s Grendel, the protagonist Grendel, portrayed as a parentless adolescent seeking guidance, finds happiness in violence. Grendel continually commits the ultimate act of evilness, murder on Hrothgar’s mead hall. Gardner creates a character and an environment in, which the reader must feel sorrow for Grendel, in order to have fulfillment by the end of the resolution. However, Gardner uses Grendel and writing in general as tool to communicate his liberal philosophies to a wider audience making it difficult to weep over Grendel’s death. Grendel is not a misguided youth; he is a monster who willingly takes part in his death by indulging himself in violence. In Grendel, the protagonist spends his ephemeral life attacking Hrothgar’s mead hall, and Grendel takes the lives of Hrothgar’s men during the raids. When Grendel encounters the dragon, Grendel turns into a barbaric machine, after his self-realization. After the dragon, Grendel begins his contentious â€Å"war† with Hrothgar. The attacks on Hrothgar are essentially a deranged pastime for Grendel. After the attacks, Grendel feels some remorse, although this could merely be a biological reaction to the tyranny. Even if Grendel feels remorse, it is still no excuse to slaughter. If Grendel’s attacks are means of survival, then he must surely realize his death is necessary. Grendel returns to the mead hall repeatedly, even after the scenes of sick compassion. Grendel’s regrets only last long enough for the reader to see another side of him. The side of remorse and regret quickly disappears as he feels the hunger of death again. Grendel is a three – dimensional character. At the same time, Grendel can lose his confused frivolous existence and become a bloodthirsty killer. Grendel reflects modern troubled youth. He is lost in a corrupt world and consequently the use of violence is a means of short-term escape. Although we want to see Grendel saved, it is impossible to aid all adolescents in troubled. In addition, if we say Grendel’s acts are justifiable because he lives in terrible world, we are also saying it is justifiable for a drug dealer to deal out drugs. In order to maintain balance in civilization, we must have equal shares of compassion and common sense. Common sense tells us children are not products of their environment.

Is Mark Twain a Racist?

Is Mark Twain A racist? Many believe certain things about Twain's â€Å"Great American novel,† makes it a racist book, like the overuse of the word, â€Å"nigger,† and the given depiction of the black slave, Jim. However, there is a substantial amount of evidence that this book was not written out of hate, but in hope that Twain could change the ideals of skin color of the white people around him. The first and foremost question most people ask when they read the novel is, â€Å"was Mark Twain a racist? There are assumptions that because of Twain's use of edgy language and writing in the point of view of racists, that he was a racist himself. Much of the article is Twain going into detail about the type of environment and adults this young boy has been raised with, and how racism against the Chinese is commonplace. For example, the Chinese are taxed twice as much as all the other races to mine for gold. Also, when they are caught stealing from a mine, they are hung. Ho wever, when the same happens to the other races, they are only asked to leave the mining camp (Galaxy).In one part, the narrator shares, â€Å"†¦ [the boy] found out that in many districts of the vast Pacific coast, so strong is the wild, free love of justice in the hearts of the people, that whenever any secret and mysterious crime is committed, they say, â€Å"Let justice be done, though the heavens fall,† and go straightway and swing a Chinaman. † (Galaxy) The reason why Twain lists these observations is to show the city of San Francisco that it is not the boy who's at fault, because, â€Å"What had the child's education been? How should he suppose it was wrong to stone a Chinaman (Galaxy)? In fact, in one part of the article, the boy says, â€Å"†Ah, there goes a Chinaman! God will not love me if I do not stone him (Galaxy). † With this article, Twain hoped that he could allow the adult of the city to see how foolish they have been acting towards the Chinese and it was not the boy who is acting childish, but it is the men whom the young boy looked up to. This is the same scenario with the controversy surrounding, â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. † In both stories we see a young boy who lives in a society that is racist against a certain race only because they were raised that way.An example of this in, â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,† is one of the first things we hear from Huck's father and his feelings about black people who have done well in the country. He refers to an African-American college professor who wore nice clothes and was intelligent. Also, since the man was from Ohio, he was also allowed to vote. It's interesting how Huck's father says, â€Å"It was ‘lection day, and I was just about to go and vote myself if I warn't too drunk to get there†¦ (37)†.The irony in this is how Huck's father, a man who is obviously morally, financially, socially, and intellectuall y inferior to the professor he met, believes he is superior to the man because of their difference in skin colors. This confirms that Huck was raised in a racist environment, which means that things Huck says or does probably isn't out of hate, but because that's the way he's been raised in his home and society. Something very risky that Twain did to show others his position on slavery and racism was when he volunteered to help pay for one of the first black student's tuition at Yale University.In his letter do the Dean of the university explaining why he wanted to do this, he said, â€Å"We have ground the manhood out of them, and the shame is ours, not theirs, and we should pay for it (Fishkin). † This act and quote shows that Mark Twain felt personally convicted about slavery as a terrible mistake towards the black society and wanted to give something back to those affected. Therefore, with all his negative experiences with slaves and racism, why would this man write a boo k that goes against the ideals he so boldly defends?This book should not be looked at as an attack against African-Americans, but as another way Twain tried to repay the debt he felt he owed the slaves and their families (Fishkin). When the book first introduces Jim, it seems that the slave is almost superstitious to the point of idiocy. In chapter two, Jim falls asleep when looking for Tom and Huck in Mrs. Watson's yard. Tom takes Jim's hat and places it on a branch above his head, and when Jim wakes up he tells the other slaves a group of witches, â€Å"rode him all over the world, and tired him most to death, and his back was all over saddle-boils (14). Two chapters later, Jim pulls a hairball out of an ox's stomach and claims an all-knowing spirit lives inside (26). Many people find Jim's superstitions very offensive and racist because it emphasizes the idea that slaves had no hope in having a good life. Some believe that since the slaves were treated so poorly and had little c hance of escaping their sentence, they made up superstitions as a way to escape from their cruel reality. Most African-American advocates of anning Twain's novel from schools don't think their children should have to read about a time in their family's history where so much pain, suffering and dignity was lost. The fact that Twain makes Jim an extremely superstitious character, is interpreted by many as a racist action (Wolfson). However, who's to say that Jim's superstitions are not just a creative way for him to take advantage of certain things for his own personal gain? It's possible that Jim used the witch story from chapter two because he knew he'd gain popularity throughout the slave world.It even says later that slaves traveled from far places to hear Jim's witch story. As with the hairball, Jim could have just used it to get a quick â€Å"buck† from Huck, or other customers who wanted some questions answered, since Jim pretended the spirit wouldn't work unless it was paid. If Jim's superstitions are viewed in this light, he should be looked at as a very clever human being, rather than a hopeless slave, and no one with the same skin color as him should be offended (Fishkin). Another big issue people have with the book is its seemingly overuse of the word, â€Å"nigger. Throughout the book, the word is mentioned an overwhelming two hundred and fifteen times, something that many see as unnecessary, since the word comes with such a negative, degrading implication in today's world. However, there is much debate whether or not the term carried the type of negative connotation it has today, but even if people did use the name as an insult, there are still reasonable explanations as to why Mark Twain would use this word. First of all, Twain strived to make this novel as realistic as possible.If he had not used the language of his time or depicted characters the way they were in his time period, then no one would have taken his book seriously. It's poss ible that there were other names that were less offensive that he could have used, but doing so would not have been as effective in exposing the ugliness of racism as, â€Å"nigger† does. The word reinforced the book's idea that the societies of the southern United States lived in constant racism. Though it's unclear whether Shelley Fisher Fishkin supported this idea, she says in her book, A Historical Guide to Mark Twain: †¦ â€Å"nigger†] was integral to the project of presenting and indicating a racist society, whose illegitimate racial hierarchy was embodied in the use of that word, because it was central to dramatizing the failure of everyone in that society (black and white) to challenge the legitimacy of the status quo and of the word that cemented and reinforced it, and because the diction was realistic to the time and characters. (137) The relation between, Disgraceful Persecution of a Boy, and the novel at hand must also be analyzed.The young boy who sto ned the Chinese man didn't commit the crime because he hated the Chinese, he did it because that's what he was taught to do. When Huck referred to the slaves as, â€Å"niggers,† it's not out of hate that he uses the word, but because he was taught that's just what you call slaves. Another issue people have with this book is the overall depiction of the slave's intellect. In parts of the book, it's hard to even understand what Jim is trying to say because he hasn't been educated. People believe that making Jim sound intellectually inferior to every other character in the book is a racist move on Twain's part.However, when reading the novel, the reader must also realize that the author and the narrator are two different voices. The author, Twain, is an adult who is very against the idea of slavery. The narrator is a young boy who has been raised by a society who sees nothing wrong with enslaving black people. Thus, it is not Twain voicing his opinions through the thought proces ses of Huck, but it is Twain trying to portray an accurate, historical point of view from a young, white boy (Fishkin). Unfortunately, this young boy has been raised with certain biases against slaves, and Twain must honor that bias.If he doesn't then the book would be historically inaccurate. Also, one must remember that people living today were probably not Twain's target audience. Twain wanted to change problems in his generation, and in order to create a story that applied to the reader of his day, he would have to make the story as realistic as possible. Lastly, the most obvious argument is that it just wouldn't make sense to create a slave character who was as smart as the white people. If slaves were not allowed any formal education, how realistic would it be to write about a smart, literate slave?Finally, at the end of the novel, it seems Huck is thinking about running away from his home again, only because, â€Å"Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I ca n't stand it (307). † For this quote to truly hold any meaning, the reader must realize a â€Å"sivilized† person in the societies of the southern states back then would probably have owned and mistreated slaves. Hearing Huck say that he's sick of society teaching him how to be â€Å"sivilized,† could be his way of expressing the newfound feelings he has against slavery (Fishkin).To say that, â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,† is a racist novel should be considered a ridiculous idea. Why would an anti-slavery and anti-racist man write a racist book? Twain wrote books and articles to justify his ideas to his reader, even if the ideas were absurd, like the idea of the black man being on equal ground with the white man. Though by the time the book was completed slavery was abolished and African-Americans were free, the mindsets of the southern white families did not change. These types of families were to whom Mark Twain was directing this book.He hop ed they would see the ugliness of racism and slavery, and see people past the color of their skin. One of Mark Twain's well known quotes on racism is, â€Å"One of my theories is that the hearts of men are about alike, all over the world, whatever their skin-complexions may be (Everett). † Twain probably never realized his novel about young Huck Finn would have gained so much popularity and attention so long after it's original publishing, but throughout every generation, his message of anti-racism should not be banned for its racist interpretations because it is relevant for any race, people, or community.

Rethinking Special Education Due Process Essay

Rethinking Special Education Due Process Introduction   Summary of the proposal Rethinking the Special Education Due Process System is the first repot in AASA’s proposal. The report proposal objective is to address issues linked to the current statute on top of the projected developments. The proposal aims at sparking a sophisticated critical analysis about necessary changes that should be made to the special education dispute resolution system. The report project that changes to the new current special education system could significantly cut down several costs that are associated with the system. These are costly litigation that does not inevitably ensure significant educational gains for special education students. In addition AASA’s proposal safeguards the right for guardians to progress with proceedings against district and uphold other valuable disagreement resolution plans that are implemented in previous re-authorizations. This paper seeks to examine the probable effects of the proposal on the structure and function of IDEA (Retrieved from http://www.aasa.org).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   AASA feel that this is the appropriate time to reconsider how districts and parents decide upon disagreements over a student’s (IEP) individualized education program. The following are the recommendations that advocates and members of congress should rethink and discuss as indicated in the AASA proposal. AASA proposed addition of IEP to the list of options that a district might apply to solve disagreements with parents with a lawful IEP facilitator. The proposal uphold that mediation remain available to both parties for resolving IDEA disagreements only if IEP facilitation fail.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The proposal also propose that if the mediation failed, the parents and district can choose an independent special education consultant authorized by the state to review evidence of the child’s disability and advise the parties on how to develop an appropriate IEP. The proposal also holds that the consultant body chosen is given 21 days to carry out its duties effectively. Lastly, any party can file a lawsuit incase it is not satisfied with the consultant IEP ruling where model IEP would be considered as part of the record in any litigation. History of special education law   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1970, there were 20% of all U.S. students with disabilities in the public schools. The number had increased to 95% in 2010. This is a significant contribution from civil and education rights advocates who ensure that students with disabilities are enrolled in every school in the country. Federal education law was passed three decades ago where there was radical restructuring in America’s classrooms, though the increase in number of students educated in public schools were propelled by federal courts. The court declared that the constitution guaranteed disabled students right of being educated in public schools. Mills v. Board of Education and Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are examples of judicial rulings that supported the enrollment of students with disabilities in public schools (Retrieved from http://www.aasa.org).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1975, Congress, under sturdy demands from disability rights educators, advocates, and parents, passed the (EAHCA) Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The statute warranted an additional set of rights to kids categorized as handicapped. Parents were permitted to ask for special education evaluation for their child and retract approval or approval to special education. Parents were also permitted to ask for autonomous education appraisal at public expense, if they disputed with the school district’s exceptional education evaluation (Retrieved from http://www.aasa.org).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Today the due process requirements in the EAHCA are known as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, are similar to the provisions structured by the court in PARC. There are various reasons for raising questions regarding the present due process structure. The current special education is faced with a lot of disputes regarding the special education services. The districts are inconsistent with IDEA provisions and also the special education being provided is not appropriate to the disabled children (Retrieved from http://www.aasa.org). Negative and positive impacts of eliminating due process hearings on the current structure of IDEA.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cost is a critical factor which should be considered when determining whether to avoid a complaint or due process hearing. Eliminating the due process hearing will significantly cut down the cost of parent’s requests. The districts were willing to comply provided that the cost of the parent’s requests was lower. Survey revealed that more than 80% of school management considered costs when determining whether to comply with the parent’s request.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Emotional burden is another factor that school administrators take into account before they consider engaging in the due process hearing. Eliminating the due process off hearing will reduce the stress experienced by special education management, other linked services professionals and special education teachers. Research findings reveal that more 95% of the respondents categorized the stress as high or extremely high. Eliminating the due hearing will help to reduce the rapidly increasing stress of special educators. The researchers found that process hearing was likely to add to the hastily increasing stress of special educators. In deed, few superintendents linked the shortage of special-education-related service administrators, teachers and professionals to the stress associated with the risk of a due process hearing (Gersten & Dimino, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The positive impact of eliminating the due process of hearing is that it will reduce the cost related to the hearing process. The parent’s requests might be costly such that they incur unreasonable cost to the system. These are some of the aspects that should be eliminated from the current composition of IDEA. The other positive effect of eliminating the due hearing from the existing structure of IDEA is that they will cut down the stress linked to the due process of hearing. This might increase the number of special education teachers, professionals and administrators. Research findings revealed that more than 50% of special schools administrators requested transfers from district special education after being involved in subsequent litigation or a due process of hearing (Giangreco, 2010). Alternatives that special education leader might consider.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is an increasing trend of misuse of teacher assistants in most special education systems. The special education leaders might consider developing advanced plans of general and special service delivery in schools to address the issues linked to the questionable teacher assistant utilization. Teacher assistants are not used prudently in general special education classrooms thus as a special education leader it is vital to consider of an appropriate way of utilizing the teacher assistants to meet the need of the students. Teacher assistants are inadequately trained to instruct students with disabilities (Giangreco, 2010).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Resource reallocation is another alternative whereby there should be trade off between teacher assistants and additional special education teachers. Co-teaching is another alternative a special education leader might consider. Co-teaching is a system whereby a teacher and special educator work in the same classroom. Building the capacity of teachers is another alternative which will help to cut down overdependence on teacher assistants. The special education leader might consider employment of dual certified teachers who are certified in special and general education offers improved personnel aptitude for all students.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A peer support is another alternative that a special education leader might consider. Peer support strategies will provide a natural way of helping students with disabilities. The special education leader can also consider teaching self-determination skills as an alternative. Teaching self-determination will help students with disabilities to determine personal supports. The other alternative is improving working conditions for special educators and classroom teachers. The special education leader might explore the changes that are necessary to ensure there is an improvement in working conditions for teachers. In addition the special education leader might consider fading plans. If the students with disability get adequate help from the teacher assistants, a fading plan can be developed which will lead to greater student autonomous and extended innate supports (Giangreco, 2013). References Gersten, R., & Dimino, J. A. (2006). RTI (Response To Intervention): Rethinking Special Education For Students With Reading Difficulties (Yet Again). Reading Research Quarterly, 41(1), 99-108. Giangreco, M. F. (2010). Utilization of teacher assistants in inclusive schools: is it the kind of help that helping is all about? European Journal of Special Needs Education, 25(4), 341-345. Giangreco, M. F. (2013). Teacher Assistant Supports in Inclusive Schools: Research, Practices and Alternatives. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 37(02), 93-106. Rethinking Special Education Due Process. (n.d.). www.aasa.org. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from http://www.aasa.org/uploadedFiles/Policy_and_Advocacy/Public_Policy_Resources/Special_Education/AASARethinkingSpecialEdDueProcess.pdf Source document

Essay Sample on the Apostles Creed

Essay Sample on the Apostles Creed The Apostles Creed is an affirmation of things which are mainly held among Christians, and which are undoubtedly founded upon the contents of the Holy Scripture. I have rehearsed, cited, and prayed this creed from my childhood and whenever I repeat the creed I assert that I accept and approve of all the statements that it covers. I do not merely give a mental consent to the facts articulated in the creed because the scripture makes it clear that Faith without works is dead. (John H. 60). My belief depends on the facts found in the scripture, and also on my personal experience of salvation. I know I have been born again spiritually; my faith rests on the spiritual encounter with God as interpreted by scripture, not merely on an intellectual assent to the scriptures and doctrines expressed by the Apostles Creed. The creed starts with the greatest and universally accepted Christian statement I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. (William Barclay 11) The statement that God is Almighty implies that all beings are governed and controlled by Him and therefore this makes me wake up every morning with a prayer of thanksgiving for the day that God has given me and His mighty presence during my daily activities. Whenever I repeat the words of the creed I personally affirm that I have an almighty God and Father who is in charge of all things on earth and heaven above. I also agree that even those things that seem to oppose and resist His authority are still under His government. Rebellion serves but to make His omnipotence more apparent, for He causeth the wrath of man to praise Him, and the remainder of wrath He restraineth. (John H. Leith.74).Therefore by my belief in God, and the belief that He is the creator of heaven and the earth; I am charged daily with being, thinkin g and acting only as He has taught me through the years as one of His precious and great creations. To know my creator in this way is very simple to me but difficulties arise when I try to conceal the sins that I commit with excuses to the only God who knows everything about my life. I believe that is the greatest message for me as a Christian that is placed before me daily: to let Him guide me with His love and compassion for He has mighty plans for me. And in Jesus Christ his only son our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. The expected Messiah come to the world bearing with Him from heaven a message of salvation for all mankind and the creed shows me that because of my sinful nature God send His only begotten son to suffer the wrath on my behalf so that I could finally live in perfection with Him. I personally believe that Jesus Christ became incarnate through the conception of the Holy Spirit and birth by the Virgin Mary. I believe that Jesus died as a substitutionary atonement for the sins of the world; and that, after Christs resurrection and ascension into heaven, on Pentecost, God came to the Church in the form of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter promised by Christ. Because of these acts by an Almighty God, I am humbled that He chooses to relate to me as Father as well as King of my life. This is the greatest love from God who made me and who knows my daily failures, but gives me grace only through Christ. Although this world is full of misery and anguish, I am fully assured that He who suffered on my behalf will understand and sympathize with me and that He provides me with boldness and confidence as I daily draw nigh to the throne of grace. He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he will come to judge the quick and the dead. This is part of the Creed gives me great hope, security and constant, abiding love in God! When I go to sleep every single night, I know that I have not lived up to each challenge but God has blessed me by sending Christ who is my intercessor. I take great comfort in knowing that for me, and everyone else of His creation who has gone before me and for everyone who comes after me, Christ himself sits at my God’s right hand and tenderly says Father, please remember to see her and her sins through me and my death on the cross. I marched the same path and did not commit any sin but I suffered and died for her sins, not mine, according to your great plan. (John H. Leith.64) For me, His intersession gives me the hope and strength to treasure each new day I am given and to strive to be a better person today than I was yesterday or even just a minute ago. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting, Amen. I believe that the born-again believers from every denomination and creed of the Catholic Church consist of the supernatural Body of Christ on earth, forming a spiritual unity that disproves our obvious disunity. I for sure know that Christ will return from His position at the right hand of the Father to judge the living and the dead. I believe that God the Holy Ghost lives within the saints; my spiritual birth, along with that of many others of the communion of saints stands as the most profound fact of my life. His presence in believers testifies to the fact of His forgiveness. His grace came to me and the rest of those who believe in Him by faith in what we accept as facts: our sinfulness, His sacrifice, and His forgiveness. I believe the ending of the Creed is where God calls me to live out His words rather than to just recite them or find personal comfort in them. If I want God’s grace and His love, then I am called on to declare His gifts and to then state publicly His assurances. To proclaim that I believe in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the body is my another feature of God calling to me as a person of faith every day. The Father and His only son my Lord Jesus have given me the same task as was put on the original apostles, to go throughout the whole world and proclaim the good news of salvation to all creatures. Forgiveness of Sins is the gift and guarantee of God that Jesus Christ, the Saviour, has broken the separation between God and me that was brought about by sin and I am filled with joy for Jesus has brought me to God through His sinless life, His suffering and death, and His bodily resurrection from the dead. I am thus consoled in knowing of this gift of forgiveness that guarantees me of eternal life in heaven and deliverance from eternal condemnation in hell. (George 54). To sum up I believe that the God Who led the Church to accept the Apostles Creed lives and works whether human beings believe or not. Those who believe in God will believe by faith what cannot be proved literally. Those who refuse to believe would continue in unbelief regardless of awesome proof to the presence and working of God in the Church. Jesus clearly said that those who believe without seeing are blessed and therefore if anyone asks my opinion of the Apostles Creed, I can honestly say I believe in it. 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