Aids Is It a Modern Plague - 943 Words

AIDS: Is it a Modern Plague? In some parts of the world there are still wars being fought and dictators in power. There are societies which consider themselves at the peak of evolution and progress. They are able to create state of the art automobiles, luxurious homes, efficient and organized industries, complex computerized machinery and atomic weapons. Many societies are governed by a democratic system which herald a belief in freedom. All societies, regardless of their political and economic makeup, are also ruled by a special class of dictators; these dictators are unseen to the naked eye, and are invincible. These invisible tyrants are microorganisms. Underdeveloped countries, technologically advanced countries, and†¦show more content†¦In western Africa, AIDS is also caused by HIV-2, a strain of HIV closely related to HIV-1. Other distantly related strains of HIV-1 have been identified in various areas of the world. Although some of these strains cannot be detected using the current blood-screening methods, there is little risk of spread to North America because of the geographic isolation of these viruses. Even in the case of HIV-2, spread outside Africa is rare. Only 18 cases of HIV-2 have been documented in the United States, and transmission in these cases was linked directly to western Africa. Currently, this invisible tyrant is so dominant that our basic values of Make Love not War have been twisted into an anxious cry of Make Love and Die. This disease is causing a great deal of pain and sorrow. We need to reason and evaluate the truth of the matter and to adapt to a way of life in order to minimize further casualties. If we declare war on HIV, educate in preventing the spread of this disease, and avoid stigmatizing and discriminating based on misinformation, we are well on our way to at least neutralizing HIV. Moral awareness should also be increased in an effort to have better use of the education we possess. This includes those in the medical profession. At this juncture, the chance to find a cure for retroviruses, especially the HIV virus, are less likely than it is for the virus to evolve into a non-deadly form. Perhaps then itShow MoreRelatedSusan Sontag, Illness As Metaphor, And AIDS And Its Metaphor1128 Words   |  5 Pagesepidemics to date, AIDS, a real modern-day plague. However, when analyzing the terminology and metaphors discussed during the AIDS epidemic, many academic scholars such as Susan Sontag view the conversation around AIDS as a plague as counterproductive. This view is clear when reading Sontag’s essay, Illness as Metaphor and AIDS and Its Metaphor, where a reader can interpret that nations failings while handling the epidemic was caused by a negative perception of the word plague. Although, Sontag isRead MoreThe Black Death Essay1018 Words   |  5 PagesThe Black Death or â€Å"plague† that killed thousands in the fourteenth century may have evolved into a more modern version of itself. The â€Å"plague† is known as the â€Å"Yersinia pestis† bacteria, which is a rare zoonotic disease. These diseases are spread from animal to human (Newquist 239, Adamloakun M.D. 718). The bacterium lives in rodents such as rats and is carried by fleas (Newquist 238). When the fleas bite humans, the bacterium spreads. There are three types of the plague, which include the bubonicRead MoreEssay Yersinia pestis - Bacteria Virulence and Symptoms1438 Words   |  6 Pagesforms of the plague: Bubonic, Pneumonic and Septicemic. Each form of the plague can develop into a case of fatality as the host experiences painful symptoms, including the large, inflamed bubo. One of the most well known pandemics known to mankind is the plague, also known as the Black Death, which plundered areas from Asia to Western Europe and carried on to the Americas. Though the infection is not the most prevalent compared to many of the worlds other bacterial agents, the plague is one of theRead MoreThe Effect on Clergy and the Catholic Church during the Black Death857 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom 1347-1351. This plague killed entire families at a time and destroyed at least 1,000 villages. Greatly contributing to the Crisis of the Fourteenth Century, the Black Death had many effects beyond its immediate symptoms. Not only did the Black Death have a devastating toll on human life, but it also played a key role in shaping the Catholic Church’s life in the following years. The Black Death consisted mainly of one disease, the bubonic plague, but pneumonic plague was also present duringRead MoreThe Black Death Essay1196 Words   |  5 Pagesfalling down. The nur sery rhyme refers to the Black Death, one of the worst plagues of all time (Schladweller). Known as infectious diseases that spread quickly and kill countless people, plagues have had a tremendous affect on people around the world since the beginning of time. The Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague, is a contagious bacterial infection that has killed millions of people. With the bubonic plague brutally killing one fourth of Europe in the 14th century and devastating ChinaRead MoreThe Black Death : A Widespread Disease1148 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Black Death began, with the development of modern historiography. Working to disclose the true makeup of the Black Death started during 1894 in Hong Kong. Leading bacteriologists sent to Hong Kong by both the Japanese and French governments known as S.Kitasato and A.Yersin to aid the research, achieving almost instant success. Within a few weeks managing to identify the same new type of bacterium that’s present in the bloo d and tissues from plague patients, further succeeding in isolating samplesRead MorePoverty And Its Effects On African Nation1353 Words   |  6 Pagesabout have not enough money to meet basic needs of living which includes food, clothing, and shelter. Being that Africa has a lack of the materials for a humans needs to have a role in society. Although over about 500 billion dollars is sent directly aid the African nation the money is being misused. A large percentage of the money that is sent is used to invest in weapons. This is caused by totalitarian regimes. Having large debts result in little to no money being used for social serviceRead MoreThe Death Of The Plague1532 Words   |  7 Pages Fourteenth century western Europe— already plagued by overpopulation, economic depression, famine, and malnutrition, plummeted into an unprecedented scope of devastation as the bubonic plague annihilated two-fifths of its population. Coined the Black Death in reference to its symptomatic bodily discoloration, the pandemic’s ability to wipe out such a tremendous population is indicative of susceptibility before tragedy even struck. From 1000 to 1300, Europe’s population problematically doubled-Read MoreEssay about Life and Death in The Middle Ages1456 Words   |  6 Pagesfood also plays an important role in society functions. From Christmas, Easter, and thanksgiving food is an important part of celebrations. Food and celebration has always brought generations of people together to enjoy each other’s company . In our modern society, in particular the United States, we have an abundance of food at our disposal. However, in society today as well as in previous centuries there is a huge gap between wealth and poverty. Sadly, some people in the developed and developingRead MoreReform by Destruction: The Black Death Essay914 Words   |  4 Pages The lords milked this opportunity as the peasants and vassals could not create their own roadways or supplies. The vassals and peasants had no true freedom from their lords, and no sufficient payment for their servitude (â€Å"Feudalism†). After the plague, the peasants who were once loyal and dependable now demanded higher payments of cash (Routt). Without compensation, they refused to work any longer. This caused the nobility to finally realize that with such a high demand for these workers, they

Drug Abuse, Addiction And Policy - 971 Words

Drug Abuse, Addiction and Policy Drug addiction to both, illegal and legal substances has had a significant impact on society and culture in the United States for over a century. The United States failed drug policies have helped to create an epidemic of addiction, to both illicit substances and prescription medication, that claims the lives of thousands of users every year. The film Requiem for a Dream, presents a surreal look at how illegal and prescription drugs, can destroy lives. The film focuses on a Harry, his mother, his friend and his lover, in Brooklyn, NY. Each of them discover the bleakness and unending pain that accompanies addiction. The era of the movie is indiscernible, but the tragedies are exceptionally relevant to the ongoing drug problem we face today. Culturally the U.S. has a created a problem, by mainstreaming the accepted use of alcohol and advocating the safety of prescription drugs, while demonizing the use of drugs like marijuana, the United States is faced with growing levels of addiction and incarceration. The director Aronofsky, perfectly illustrates this complex issue by contrasting Harry’s heroin abuse and downfall against his mothers’ diet pill abuse and mental breakdown. The fact that both substances are dangerous and addictive but only one is legal, perfectly thoroughly condemns the U.S. stance on drug use. All psychoactive substances can be abused, however dominant member of society determine that is culturally acceptable to get drunkShow MoreRelatedThe Ethics of Drug Use and Drug Abuse1579 Words   |  6 PagesEthics of Drug Use and Drug Abuse For any professional working in the substance abuse treatment field, they will very likely come across situations and be presented with dilemmas relating to personal beliefs, judgments, and values. Drug or substance use and abuse have been a controversial and heated topic around the world for centuries. Drug abuse, in a way, is a facet of human culture that has been present for a great deal of human history in general. Every culture handles the issue of drug abuseRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse1298 Words   |  5 PagesPrescription drugs are being taken for reasons other than the ones they are being prescribed for, fueling an addiction that impacts as many as 48 million Americans (Prescription Drug Abuse WebMD). According to MedLinePlus, an estimated 20 percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons. This is prescription drug abuse. While a considerable amount of time, resources, and attention are focused on the problems associated with i llicit drugs, prescription drug abuseRead MoreIllegal Drug Use1378 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Illegal drug use and abuse remains a pervasive social issue despite significant efforts to quell its existence. In fact, a recent report released by the RAND Corporation (2005) notes that drug abuse has become such a prominent social issue that substantial increases in prison populations all across the United States have been attributed to the tougher sentences that have been put in place for drug users. With the realization that current social policies toward reducing drug abuse are not working—onlyRead MoreAbstinence vs. Harm Reduction1733 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Abstinence Vs. Harm Reduction† â€Å"Drug policy regarding the control of the traditional illicit substances (opiates, cocaine, cannabis) is currently moving through upbeat times in almost all Western countries. Prohibition on the basis of repressive law enforcement not only seems to fail on a large scale, but also to create vast additional costs, problems, and harm for drug consumers, who often find themselves in extreme social, economic, and health conditions† (Fischer 1995: 389). Western countriesRead MorePoverty And Poverty1559 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction One of the stereotypes dominating the issue of drug abuse cites that it is highly prevalent among the poor members of the society. The claim stands to be discredited because a lack of financial resources never appears to be linked to the problem of drug use. The correlation is a multifaceted one, and poverty causation is complicated (Sinha 107). The characteristics of poverty involve high death rates, deteriorating physical health, a high prevalence of mental disorders, a high percentageRead MoreThe Problems of Drug Addiction954 Words   |  4 PagesDrug addiction A reasonable number of people do not understand why other people get addicted to drugs. Some even associate drug abuse and addiction with lack of moral principles or willpower. People subscribing to this school of thought believe that drug addicts can stop using drugs by simply changing their behavior. They fail to realize that drug addiction is a complex disease whose eradication calls for many things other than changing habits. Drugs basically change the way a human brain worksRead MoreDrug Addiction Is A Serious Problem1032 Words   |  5 Pages Drug addiction is a serious problem in today’s society. Drug addiction is a complex disease and once addicted, it is nearly impossible to quit. There are several ways to help manage drug addiction such as help-lines, support groups, and rehab. The most controversial treatment though, is methadone treatment. Methadone, ironically, is a drug used to treat drug addicts. Methadone has been used for approximately fifty years to treat morphine and heroine addicts. Methadone is a multi-billion-dollar industryRead MoreA Report On Substance Abuse Treatment Essay893 Words   |  4 Pagessubstance abuse treatment which our company SAFE Foundation OP Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment Centre treat and educate individuals daily. The Brownsville community is associated with our facility which includes specialized treatment for our patients. Our effective treatment programs focuses on adult and youth, include several different types of interventions simultaneously, and provide int ensive treatment. This proposal concludes with comments on improving substance abuse patients inRead MoreNew Rehab Programs Should Be Introduced1420 Words   |  6 Pagesthe start of the Drug War, which was the motion to use more policing in order to end the illicit drug market, the amount of arrests have increased for drug possession. Rehab programs in state and federal prisons have helped people overcome their addiction and relapse. The same way that King Leonidas in the graphic novel, 300, went about his Spartan initiation, it portrays the way a drug addict tries to overcome their addiction. By continuing to arrest people for substance abuse, it makes it harderRead MoreAddiction And Substance Abuse : Drugs1021 Words   |  5 PagesNicolo Vitale Mrs. Martinez English 3 March 30, 2016 Addiction and Substance Abuse Addiction and substance abuse is a crime that has plagued the U.S. ever since the early 1900 s and from that point on has been an uphill battle for the U.S. to stop. But even with everything the U.S. has tried nothing that has been done has even made a dent in the drug war. Drugs just continue to hit the very streets that innocent people live on. Today people walk right outside their house and just around the corner

Impact of British Rule on India During 1857-1867 Free Essays

In Politics as in physical science, when one body impinges upon another the effect of the impact is determined not only by its force but also by its duration. The improbability becomes greater when we have regard to the highly developed and complex civilization with which the British came into contact. That civilization is an amalgam of two elements, one Hindu and one Muslim and at first sight the Islamic element might seem to offer the greater resistance to outside influence. We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of British Rule on India During 1857-1867 or any similar topic only for you Order Now The uncompromising character of Islam is obvious, and in consonance with it the Muslims in India for a considerable time resisted the impact of Western education, took but little to science or industry, and hardly allowed their beliefs or their way of life to be influenced by the newcomers. Hinduism, on the other hand, has protected itself throughout the centuries by its flexibility and its absorptive capacity. In the British period European thought has profoundly affected the Hindus, with their great sensitivity to new ideas and spiritual influences. They have become steeped in the Western scientific spirit; they have so absorbed European political ideals as to forget their foreign origin; and they have allowed even their conception and understanding of their own history and philosophy to be transformed by Western learning. Nevertheless, modern India is essentially a Hindu country and during the latter half of the British period Hinduism itself, after centuries of stagnation, has experienced a mighty resurgence. Thus it is that independent India is today governed in the main, not by Westernized intellectuals, but by men who regard themselves first and foremost as Hindus. Both the main elements in Indian life and thought are in fact highly self-protective and it might therefore have been thought that the relatively brief impact of British rule would leave little permanent mark. Nevertheless, some of the evident effects of that rule have at least the appearance of permanence. In the first place, a strong and ubiquitous Central Government, administering a uniform system of law with a high degree of efficiency, relentlessly imposed homogeneity unknown in Indian history. The Tamil, the Bengali, and the Gujarati for the first time obeyed the same law and observed the same forms in their dealings with authority; and in the process they were insensibly drawn closer together. Secondly, the introduction of English education brought the upper middle classes under the influence of Western thought at a time when nationalism was the most vital factor in the life of Europe, whilst at the same time the English language provided them with a common medium of communication. In the third place, the Press, which was called into being by British example and influence, furnished Indians with a means of voicing their political aspirations, and so developing a common consciousness and knowledge of their growing strength. In all these ways, British rule fostered the growth of national feeling and built up a political unity not wholly dependent on the cohesive force provided by a strong foreign rule. The process was clearly not complete by 1947 or partition would not have been necessary and it is an interesting speculation as to whether, if the steps to self-government had been slower, a unitary government would have been possible. The process of unification has not been wholly advantageous, for the development of a strong Central Government has undermined those village institutions in which the political genius of India was most truly displayed. The villages of ancient and mediaeval India were to a great extent self-governing and the forms of democracy which operated in them were perhaps more vital than those which have been so laboriously imposed on India in modern times. The community settled its affairs by common consent and looked for no interference from outside as long as the revenue due to the ruler was paid. Civic consciousness was strong, and the way of life in rural India was gracious. Despite the protests of the wisest administrators, the East India Company steadily destroyed the political importance of the villages, and few things in British rule are more pathetic than the attempts, during the last seventy years, to re-create village institutions. It is only necessary to study the working of a modern District or Union Board, for example in Bengal, to realize how much India has lost by the over-centralization of authority. This loss must in fairness be set against the gain, which has resulted from political unity. Although it is in the political sphere that the influence of British thought has been most spectacular, equally important has been the impact of Western science. India at an early stage made great contributions to scientific knowledge, but in the Middle Ages her intellectual life became stagnant and few signs of a true spirit of enquiry appeared. Nor did she experience anything even remotely comparable to that great revolution in ideas, which was brought about in Europe by such men as Galileo, Newton and Descartes. Except to a limited extent in the field of astronomy, scientific learning was rare and the scientific spirit non-existent. Thanks partly to Macaulay’s own vehemence, English became the medium of instruction, and through that medium, by the end of the century, the scientific spirit had been rekindled. The change has not been wholly for the better, for it has given a materialistic twist to Indian thought and has introduced a worship of wealth, which was not present in the India of the Vedas or the Epics. On the other hand, intellectual India has received a new dynamic impulse and has become once again creative. For good or for ill, Western scientific thought has conditioned the Indian approach to all the problems of life, whether practical or speculative. The degree of conditioning, however, has not been uniform in all directions, and one of our most difficult problems is to determine how far Western influence has affected religious sentiment and philosophy. It may be said at once that Islam has been singularly unaffected and our question thus need only be considered in relation to Hinduism. British influence has reacted on Hinduism by leading a small but important section of highly educated Indians to abandon their traditional Hindu thought and feeling and to adopt a Western outlook on life and philosophy. A second effect of British influence was the growth of re-formed sects such as the Brahmo Samaj, which aimed at a synthesis of the best in Hinduism and Christianity. They were of considerable importance in the nineteenth century, but, like the thoroughgoing occidentalists, they faded into the background in the twentieth century. Thus, without in the least intending to do so, the British revivified Hinduism after its long period of stagnation and uncertainty. In the villages and smaller towns Hinduism remains strongly entrenched, but in the north of India there are, nevertheless, some signs of change. Here and there are groups of men who reject the old taboos on intercaste dining; while the respect paid to men of higher caste is not so profound or so universal as of old. Villagers no longer gather so frequently round the feet of the village pundits to hear the recitation of the great epics in which their traditions are enshrined. These signs must be neither exaggerated nor ignored. They do not indicate rapid or revolutionary change, but they do mean that life and thought in the villages is no longer static. Outside events and trends of thought press more closely upon the Indian villager today than ever before and they are unlikely to leave his beliefs and customs unchanged. Until the direction of the change becomes clear, no real assessment of British influence on Hinduism will be possible, but in the meantime it must be recognized that the intrusion of the outside world into the villages is the direct result of British rule. References Ainslie Thomas Embree , 1962. â€Å"Charles Grant and British Rule in India† George Allen Unwin: London. Anindyo Roy, 2005. â€Å"Civility and Empire: Literature and Culture in British India, 1822-1922† Routledge. New York. Jeffrey M. Diamond, 2004. â€Å" Imperial Fault Lines: Christianity and Colonial Power in India, 1818-1940. † The Journal of the American Oriental Society. Volume: 124. Issue: 2. Page Number: 383+. Martin Deming Lewis (Ed. ), 1962. â€Å"British in India: Imperialism or Trusteeship? † D. C. Heath. : Boston. Reginald Coupland, 1945. â€Å": India: A Re-Statement† Oxford University Press: London; New York. Robert Carr, 2005. â€Å"Concession Repression: British Rule in India 1857-1919 Robert Carr Assesses the Nature of British Rule in India during a Key, Transitional Phase. † History Review. Issue: 52. Page Number: 28+ How to cite Impact of British Rule on India During 1857-1867, Papers