Article Critique ‘A New Look, An Old Battle’ Essay

While the article recognizes the usefulness of stem-cell research in medicine, it also denounces the anti-abortion movement. According to the author, anti-abortion proponents are on the losing side because they failed to scientifically substantiate their claims. Their slogan ‘abortion stops a beating heart’, according to the author, is a mixture of fallacy and deceit. It is generally a misleading slogan. The embryo has no heart; it is a conjugation of biological characteristics which cannot be explained by any a priori moralistic assumption. According to the author, the utility of any biological research on stem cell has nothing to do with morality. Luring the public into believing that stem cell research is an immoral act is itself a coagulation of irrationality. Unconsciously or consciously, the author argues that the moral implications of abortion are not related to stem cell research. This should not be the case. A general reflection on the moral implications of stem cell research is, at many times, congruent with the issue of abortion. To argue that ‘it is about science, not abortion,’ is grossly misleading. Not because science is an independent field suggests that it does not have moral implications related to the issue of abortion. The means by which science is applied falls under the rubric of morality. Science as a concept is morally neutral, but its application is not. It must be examined under the microscope of moral precepts. Hence, it is recognized that the moral implications of stem-cell research are similar to the moral effects of abortion. The author argues that proponents of anti-abortion are on the losing side because they lack the political support of leading politicians and personalities. According to the author, this attests to the general weakness of the anti-abortion slogan. Again, the author commits a fallacy. Yes, political support suggests the strength of any movement, but never the content of its standing beliefs. Content (meaning) cannot be equated with numbers. Supposing that the author continues to believe that support is tantamount to the rationality of any slogan; then such author falls into Bandwagon fallacy. The author argues that politicians supported stem cell research because they had ‘fathers with heart diseases, mothers with arthritis, and whose hearts resonated with the possibilities of alleviating pain and prolonging life. ’ This assertion is not only misleading but empirically unverifiable. Without reference to actual evidence, it is hard to prove this assertion. This argument may be also regarded as fallacious, clinging generally to the fallacy of ad misericordiam. The author convinces the reader that the strength of an argument can be established by referencing with other people’s emotional state of affairs. Here, the miseries of individuals cannot be used as an excuse for the rationalization of an action (in this case, support for stem-cell research). Again, this is not to say that stem cell research is ‘bad. ’ This is to argue that the author’s argumentative structure is improper and illogical. Most of the author’s arguments can be characterized as fallacious and overtly ambiguous. They are fallacious because it exaggerate, lack coherent premises, and dissect seemingly unrelated statements. Instead of looking for the moral implications of stem-research – ‘why it should be morally accepted, and not to be confused with abortion’ – the author ponders on the possibilities of stem-cell research (an abandonment of her own thesis). In addition, empirical evidences are not used to prove some of her important points.

International Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Terrorism - Essay Example In addition, U.S. intelligence reports say that Hezbollah cells operate in Europe, Africa, South America, and North America. Despite Israel's 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon, Hezbollah continues to periodically shell Israeli forces in the disputed Shebaa Farms border zone. Jihad is a spiritual war fought for the cause of preserving religion. It has a great significance in the lives of Muslims. Like any language, Arabic has unique words which have a particular meaning which cannot be translated precisely. The best translation known for such a word is the following: a sincere and noticeable effort (for good); an all true and unselfish striving for spiritual good. Jihad as presented in theQuranand any ofthe other scriptures implies the striving of spiritual good. Thereby Jihad can not be called as a terrorist activity it is simply a tool for safeguarding the religious rights. This Jihad particularly involves change in one's self and mentality. It may concern the sacrifice of material property, social class and even emotional comfort solely for the salvation and worship of 'God alone'. As a result, one who practices Jihad will gain tremendously in the Hereafter. Question 3 (Osama bin Laden and rise of Al-Qaeda) Osama bin Laden is key role player in this world. He is the leader of a small organization working at a massive scale. He is considered to be the most dangerous terrorist in the world. Bin Laden joined the Afghan resistance in 1979 and became a commander in the guerilla wars against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. After that war ended, bin Laden founded a loose organization of pro-Islamic terrorists known as al-Qaeda. Bin laden has been the main source of terror in the US. After the Soviet... The researcher mentiones that Hamas is that it is a militant antipeace process organization, bent on Israel's total destruction and the establishment of a Palestinian State - an Islamic theocracy - in Israel’s place. Hamas has been actively involved in breaching peace for the Palestinians how ever its initiative are against Israel and they show themselves as the global enemy of Israel thus threatening to remove the state of Israel from the map. Hezbollah is a Lebanese umbrella organization of radical ‘Islamic Shiite’ groups and organizations. It opposes the West, seeks to create a Muslim fundamentalist state modeled on Iran, and is a bitter foe of Israel. Hezbollah, whose name means â€Å"party of God,† is a terrorist group believed responsible for nearly 200 attacks since 1982 that have killed more than 800 people, according to the Terrorism Knowledge Base. Osama bin Laden is key role player in this world. He is the leader of a small organization working a t a massive scale. He is considered to be the most dangerous terrorist in the world. Bin Laden joined the Afghan resistance in 1979. The researcher then concluds that it is hard to negotiate with such organizations as they are strongly religious and no one can make an extremist understand easily as the extremist will do anything in order to prove his right and worth. As far as bin Laden is concerned, he is from a tribal family which again makes him a rigid man, a man of principles, which he will never forego who emphasized his desire to secure the withdrawal of U.S.

Contrast the conception of international organizational life explored Essay

Contrast the conception of international organizational life explored in C.F. Amerasinghe's textbook, Principles of the Institutional Law of International Orga - Essay Example One group believes the UN is controlled by the big four and simply a pawn of the United States, because the other three most powerful member states are economically dependent upon the U.S. economy. There is another smaller group which believes quite the same is true of the small member nations controlling the votes. The other main reason for considering the U.N. ineffectual is that it has no teeth and cannot ever be impartial (unless we find a Martian or two to run it). These people mostly believe that the U.N. has outlived it usefulness and should be disbanded. â€Å"Most of the influential members of international organizations have a common cultural background. The style of the United Nations is Western European, as many observers have remarked. The countless shared values, preferences, behavioral patterns and cultural assumptions of this international - and inter-organizational - elite of international organizations’ western or westernized members strongly orient their eventual innovative efforts. On the one hand, these common traits provide an impetus towards innovations, since western cultures prize novelty, dynamism and change. On the other hand, they limit its scope, since only those innovations compatible with the tenets of western cultures are favoured by this group.† (Harari, and Bouza 50) This has the effect of alienating many members and non-members which do not value western culture and who may even see it as the enemy. The U.N. is seldom seen as really impartial, and is viewed by many as the puppet of western imperialism. Even those who see it as essentially good and necessary have doubts. â€Å"Dissatisfaction with the way the UN system and the development experts operate is steadily increasing. Their whole approach to development issues and the style of functioning are being openly questioned. In the eyes of critics, the results achieved are not commensurate with the effort. Development has not lived up to its

United States school reform model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

United States school reform model - Essay Example Public schools in the US are long overdue for reform. The pedagogy, governance, and organization are archaic, as are the methods of teaching and day to day operations. Yet it is no small task to overhaul a system that has been in place for well over one hundred years. There have been several attempts to change the way schools were run, yet each one has failed, or has affected change on only a few schools. Few would argue that America's public schools are no longer meeting the needs of the families they serve, much less reaching their potential as ideal environments for children to grow and learn in. Schools are essential to society, but they must grow and change to meet the needs of the people that reside within that society. To change schools, it is necessary to look at change to the way schools are run, both at a micro and a macro level or organization. It is necessary to look at how the school should interact within the community, and how it should create its' own community. And f inally, it is necessary to look at the pedagogy, and how it works and is assessed within the schools.Current school government is convoluted, and is micro-managed at far too many levels. Each school has government, then each district, then each county, each state, each region, and finally, on a country-wide level. This overabundance of government comes also with very little organization. Tyack looks at governance as a definite place of difficulty in education. Citing the New York City schools as an example, he points out that when control is de-centralized, people demand centralized governance; yet when the governance is centralized, the people want governance back at the local level. When it returns, the cycle repeats itself (Tyack 76-77). It is clear that governance of schools needs to be clear about hierarchy of power, and also with regard to who is in charge of what areas of education. Because American's are an ever changing population characterized by the constant shifting and movement of groups from one area to another, it stands to reason that public schools should be run on a country wide level, and not on a state run level. Goodlad, author of A Place Called School, recommends similar changes, only at a state level. He explains "State officials, including the governor, should be held accountable for articulating a comprehensive, consistent set of educational goals for schools (Goodlad 275). He suggests that it is not reasonable, nor logical to place the blame for not following educational mandates upon schools; that it is the responsibility of the state to pass on these new mandates, and to ensure that the schools are funded for the changes (Goodlad 274). His recommendations are reasonable, although they do not account for the need to maintain standards country-wide, which would be better served by one organization rather than several. By limiting governance to one major organization, all schools would be subject to the same rules and tests, allowing c hildren to move from school to school with regular uniformity. Health codes and nutrition could also be met at a federal level, ensuring the health of America's children over the long term. Clearly, in addition to federal level government there needs to be local organization also, to provide support and to ensure all schools are accounted for. This can be met by having state level governance, removing the need for district level altogether. With-in schools, current governance allows for the handling of discipline and day to day operations. The principal of each school should have power over the daily operations of the school, but should also be a part of the staffing decisions and possibly a member of a state advisory board, that would help suggest curriculum or other changes to a state committee. School governance needs to take into account American Society, and the changes that take place yearly. Community involvement is also a necessary component of school success. Goodlad suggests that in

Position of Women who Married Out of India from 1900-1980s Essay

Position of Women who Married Out of India from 1900-1980s - Essay Example [Carol Williams,1999]. There had been growing disparity in the well-being of people, especialy women between indigenous poulations and other populations. Overall, the disparity in well-being between the matched reserve/non-reserve pairs was very similar to the disparity between the complete set of reserves and other Canadian communities. This appears to suggest that no significant portion of the disparity between reserves and other communities can be attributed to either location or population size. Once gross geography was taken into account, however, we noticed that reserve communities nearer urban areas were more similar to their non-reserve matched community than reserves in more isolated parts of the country. With few notable exceptions, the disparities between reserves and their non-reserve community matches increased with geographic isolation. [ White & Maxim, 2007] The Indian Act ("An Act respecting Indians"), R.S., 1985, c. I-5, is a Canadian statute that concerns registered Indians (that is, First Nations peoples of Canada), their bands, and the system of Indian reserves. The Indian Act was enacted in 1876 by the Parliament of Canada under the provisions of Section 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867, which provides Canada's federal government exclusive authority to legislate in relation to "Indians and Lands Reserved for Indians". The Indian Act is administered by the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.[ Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, page 25] In 1876, the Canadian Parliament amended the Indian Act to establish patrilineality as the criterion for determining Indian status and all commensurate rights of Indian people to participate in band government, have access to band services and programs, and live on the reserves. [Barker, Joanne, 2006]. According to this Act, a woman marrying a non-Indian would lose her Indian status and rights.Often, she was ostracised by her own family and society. However, on the insistence of Women's Rights and Human Rights Acitivsts, there were many amendments in the Indian Act from 1983 to 1985.These amendments partially reversed the 1876 criteria for obtaining Indian status. Male-dominated band councils and Indian organizations protested vehemently against the women and their allies. They were accused of being complicit with a long history of colonization and racism that imposed, often violently, non-Indian principles and institutions on Indian peoples. [Barker, Joanne, 2006]. gc.ca. Of the various amendments have been brought about in The Indian Act, the most noteworthy is Bill C-31. This particular amandment changed the registration system so that entitlement was no longer based on sexually discriminatory rules [DIAND, 1995 ].However, two categories of persons were excluded from registration under the C-31 provisions: women who gained status only through marriage to a status Indian, and later lost it (e.g. through re-marriage to a non-Indian); and children whose mother gained Indian status through marriage and whose father is non-Indian. Krosenbrink-Gelissen& Lilianne E have discussed the role of Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) at length. They look into the scope of the challenges that the Constitution and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms raise for

What Education Means to Me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What Education Means to Me - Essay Example Most students in high school are not sure what they want to be when they grow up. Often the lack of surety results in poor decisions and choices. In order to perform well in any job, it is critical to be passionate about it. One cannot be a good doctor if he really wants to be a writer. In my case, I always had a direction about what I wanted to pursue as my career although I did work in the marine infantry. In the marine, I was responsible for guarding the nuclear weapons which are amongst the most significant weapons. I always welcome the opportunity to learn as I believe one learns at every stage of his life. While working at the marine infantry I took the chance to learn more about the workings of the infantry. The experience proved to be invaluable although I showed more inclination towards radiation therapy. I did realize throughout school that education was of vital importance for my academic and professional development. It was my pathway to success. Although I found examinations to be intimidating I acknowledged that they were part of my educational development. But this did not mean that my view of education was limited to school, classes, and examinations. Education for me was beyond examinations and just school. The role of my teachers in motivating me has been great. This resulted in me looking at the world in a new perspective, one that was not confined to the classroom. Perhaps my teachers have had the greatest influence on my life in terms of education in school. They made me realize the importance of learning outside of the class. The ability to observe and apply knowledge to real situations was extremely helpful in building myself academically. Education is definitely beyond the usual textbook for me. It includes just about any knowledge or learning that results in a new perspective of viewing the world.  

Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Accounting - Essay Example However, contrary to this, the visual arts platform of the society constantly remains under the financial pressures and vulnerability even in the sound economic conditions of the country. The proponents of the visual arts, on this vulnerable situation of the visual arts platform have been raising constant voices over the matter. One the of such voices claim that visual arts organisations in order to successfully meet the societal requirement and expectation of educational and entertainment development shall maintains the system that provides it sound financial strength. However, despite the consensus on the need of the sound financial muscles for the visual arts organisations, there have been contrary views on the system to be employed for achieving them. One dominant view on the matter is pertaining to Royce (2011) view who insists that visual arts organisations shall develop a system similar to the business organisations. According to Royce (2011), well defined systems or more appr opriate to state that conduct like a business is mandatory for the effective results generation from the visual arts organisation. In this perspective, Royce (2011) stated that ‘Sound business models are a necessary component in healthy visual arts ecology and essential for most publicly funded organisations’. Royce (2011), for its concern over the detrimental and vulnerable condition of the visuals arts organisation shall proposed that all such organisations shall also have system for achieving the profitability. Viewing in the context of the definition for the arts in general and among definitions developed for the purpose, Shaw (2000) defined arts and creative industry activities as one that can be determined on the basis of its sustainable impact. As already reported, this impact is spread not only the social aspects but at the same time wide economic impact is also identified in many studies (Landry et al, 1996); hence, it is important to understand the fact that a n organisation in order to fulfil such responsibilities requires strong system. Royce (2011) assessment report was based in reference to the Arts Council England and the Turning Point Network but reflects the overall industry requirement. Visual arts organisation’s financial vulnerability, according to the Royce (2011), is due to the three main factors. First, the culture of organisational conduct prevailing at the visual arts organisations’ is in clear contrast to the economic principle mainly in terms of productivity. This practice is despite the proven facts that visual arts have always played an important role in the economics of the country and society (Reeves, 2002). More importantly, this practices is also in contrast to the development early in the history where since 1980s all cultural activities have been seen in the main context of their contribution the economic development and restructuring as well as revival of the manufacturing industry (Reeves, 2002). S econd factor that is responsible for this vulnerability is the tradition of free entry offered to audience in the many of the