Admissions Essay - I Will Practice Medicine :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

Admissions Essay - I Will Practice Medicine From the time I was 10 years old, I spent my summers at overnight camp. While baseball and canoeing were fun, I spent my free time in the camp radio station. Sitting at the microphone, my imagination ran wild as I made stories come alive, weaving characters in and out of danger, delivering punch lines, injecting irony. My fingers flew over the controls, pushing buttons, pulling levers at just the right times. I thrived on the creativity and precision it took to sound good on the air. Â   As I grew older, my exposure to the media expanded. My first job out of college was with CNN's Larry King Live, where I spent three exciting years. While the job had its thrills, it became an unsatisfying way to make a living for someone who was taught to work hard for the under-served, think carefully about life's priorities, and live by them everyday. I longed to feed my intellectual curiosity. I wanted to work with my hands and remain involved with people. I was mature enough to work hard for what I wanted. Â   I quit my job at CNN and began taking Pre-Med courses and volunteering in a hospital. I moved from my two-bedroom apartment to a small efficiency. Black-tie affairs with celebrities became TV dinners over a chemistry book. My life was changed. One year later, I continue to donate my time as an Emergency Medical Technician in the Georgetown Emergency Room, and I play my guitar and sing with sick kids in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Â   Volunteering has confirmed what I thought - that medicine is where I belong. Even in my limited capacity as a volunteer, bringing a cold patient a blanket or putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder is deeply rewarding. Watching a child smile as we sing Old McDonald, and knowing that, even for a moment, he is thinking about something besides his sick body, keeps me coming back every week. And learning about why our bodies work the way they do has even greater rewards, for a slightly different reason. Â   When I was 13 years old, my mother died after battling liver cancer for a year and a half. I remember very well the first few months after the disease took hold. We tried different drugs and therapies in various doses.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 14

I woke the next morning and stretched my arms outward, dejected when I touched nothing but goose-down pillows. A slight indentation in the mattress next to me was the only proof that what had happened had been real, and not one of the fever dreams I'd been having since Rosalyn's death. Of course, I couldn't expect Katherine to have spent the night with me. Not with her maid waiting at the carriage house, and not with the way the servants talked. She'd told me herself that this had to be our secret, that she couldn't risk ruining her reputation. Not that she had to worry about that. I wanted us to have our own secret world, together. I wondered when she'd slipped away, remembering the feeling of her in my arms, a warmth and lightness I'd never felt before. I felt whole, and at peace, and the thoughtof Rosalyn was just a vague memory, a character in an unpleasant story that I'd simply put out of my mind. Now my mind was consumed with thoughts of Katherine: how she pulled the curtains closed as the summer storm pelted hail on the windows, how she'd allowed my hands to explore her exquisite body. At one point, I was caressing her neck when my hands fell on the clasp of the ornate blue cameo necklace she always wore. I began to unclasp it when Katherine had roughly pushed me away. â€Å"Don't!† she'd said sharply, her hands flying to the clasp, making sure nothing had been disturbed. But then, once she patted the charm into place on the hollow of her neck, she'd resumed kissing me. I blushed as I remembered all the other places she did allow me to touch. I swung my legs out of bed, walked toward the hand basin, and splashed water on my face. I looked in the mirror and smiled. The dark circles were gone from my eyes, and it no longer felt like an effort to walk from one side of the room to the other. I changed into my waistcoat and dark-blue breeches and left the chambers humming. â€Å"Sir?† Alfred asked on the stairs. He was holding a silver-domed platter–my breakfast. My lip curled in disgust. How could I have lain in bed for an entire week when there was a whole world to discover with Katherine? â€Å"I'm quite well, thank you, Alfred,† I said as I took the stairs two at a time. The storm from last night had disappeared as quickly as it came. In the sunroom, the early-morning light was sparkling through the floor-to- ceiling windows, and the table was decorated with freshly cut daisies. Damon was already there, drinking a mug of coffee while flipping through the morning paper from Richmond. â€Å"Hello, brother!† Damon said, holding up his coffee mug as if he were toasting me. â€Å"My, you look well. Did our afternoon ride do you some good, after all?† I nodded and sat opposite him, glancing at the headlines on the paper. The Union had taken Fort Morgan. I wondered where exactly that was. â€Å"I don't know why we even get the paper. It's not like Father cares about anything except the stories he makes up in his head,† Damon said disgustedly. â€Å"If you hate it here so much, why don't you just leave?† I asked, suddenly annoyed with Damon's constant grumbling. Maybe it would be better if he were gone, so that Father wouldn't be so frustrated. An odious voice in the back of my mind silently added, And so I don't have to think about you and Katherine, swinging on the porch swing together. Damon raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Well, I'd be remiss if I didn't say things were interesting here.† His lips curved in a private sort of smile that made me suddenly want to grab his shoulders and shake him. The force of my emotions surprised me, so much so that I had to sit down and shove into my mouth a muffin from the overflowing basket on the table. I'd never felt jealous of my brother before, but suddenly I was dying to know: Had Katherine ever snuck up to his bedroom? She couldn't have. Last night, she'd seemed so nervous about getting caught, having me promise over and over again that I'd never breathe a word to anybody about what we'd done. Betsy, the cook, came in, her arms laden with plates of grits, bacon, and eggs. My stomach rumbled, and I realized I was starving. I quickly tucked in, reveling in the saltiness of the eggs combined with the sweet bitterness of my coffee. It was as if I'd never tasted breakfast before and my senses were finally awakened. I sighed in contentment, and Damon looked up in amusement. â€Å"I knew all you needed was some fresh air and good food,† Damon said. And Katherine, I thought. â€Å"Now let's go outside and cause some trouble.† Damon smiled wickedly. â€Å"Father's in his study, doing his demon studies. Do you know he even has Robert in on it?† Damon shook his head in disgust. I sighed. While I didn't necessarily believe all the discussion about demons, I did respect Father enough to not make fun of his thoughts. It made me feel vaguely disloyal to hear Damon's dismissal of him. â€Å"I'm sorry, brother.† Damon shook his head and scraped his chair back against the slate floor. â€Å"I know you don't like it when Father and I fight.† He walked over to me, pulling out my chair from under me, almost causing me to fall. I scrambled to my feet and good-naturedly shoved him back. â€Å"That's better!† Damon called with glee. â€Å"Now, let's go!† He ran out the back door, letting the door slam shut. Cordelia used to scream at us for that offense as children, and I laughed when I heard her familiar groan from the kitchen. I ran toward the center of the lawn, where Damon had unearthed the oblong ball we'd been tossing two weeks before. â€Å"Here, brother! Catch!† Damon panted, and I turned and leapt into the air, just in time to catch the pigskin in my arms. I pulled it tightly to my chest and began running toward the stable, the wind whipping my face. â€Å"Y boys!† a voice called, stopping me in my ou tracks. Katherine was standing on the porch of the carriage house, wearing a simple, cream-colored muslin dress and looking so innocent and sweet that I couldn't believe that what happened last night wasn't a dream. â€Å"Burning off excess energy? â€Å" I sheepishly turned around and walked toward the porch. â€Å"Playing catch!† I explained, hastily throwing the ball to Damon. Katherine reached behind her, braiding her curls down the back of her neck. I had a sudden fear that she thought we were tiresome with our childish game and that she'd come out here to scold us for waking her so early. But she simply smiled as she settled on the porch swing. â€Å"Are you ready to play?† Damon called from his position on the lawn. He held the ball far back behind his head as if he were about to throw it toward her. â€Å"Absolutely not.† Katherine wrinkled her nose. â€Å"Once was enough. Besides, I feel people who need props for their games and sports are lacking in imagination.† â€Å"Stefan has imagination.† Damon smirked. â€Å"Y should hear him read poetry. He's like a ou troubadour.† He dropped the ball and ran toward the porch. â€Å"Damon has imagination. too. Y should see ou the imaginative way he plays cards,† I teased as I reached the steps of the porch. Katherine nodded at me as I bowed to her but didn't make any other effort to greet me. I stepped back, momentarily stung. Why hadn't she at least given me her hand to kiss? Hadn't last night meant anything to her? † I am imaginative, especially when I have a muse.† Damon winked at Katherine, then stepped in front of me to grab her hand. He brought it to his lips, and my stomach churned. â€Å"Thank you,† Katherine said, standing up and walking down the porch steps, her simple skirts swishing down the stairs. With her hair pulled back from her eyes, she reminded me of an angel. She gave me a secret smile, and finally I relaxed. â€Å"It's beautiful here,† Katherine said, spreading her arms as if blessing the entire estate. â€Å"Will you show me around?† she asked, turning and glancing first at Damon, then at me, then back at Damon again. â€Å"I've lived here for more than two weeks, and I've barely seen anything besides my bedchambers and the gardens. I want to see something new. Something secret!† â€Å"We have a maze,† I said stupidly. Damon elbowed me in the ribs. Not like he had anything better to say. â€Å"I know,† Katherine said. â€Å"Damon showed me.† My stomach fell at the reminder of how much time the two of them had spent together in the week I was in my sickbed. And if he'd shown her the maze †¦ But I pushed the thought out of my head as best I could. Damon had always told me about all the women he'd kissed, ever since we were thirteen and he and Amelia Hawke had kissed on the Wickery Bridge. If he had kissed Katherine, I would have heard about it. â€Å"I'd love to see it again,† Katherine said, clapping her hands together as if I'd just told her the most interesting news in the world. â€Å"Will you both escort me?† she asked hopefully, glancing at us. â€Å"Of course,† we said at the same time. â€Å"Oh, wonderful! I must tell Emily.† Katherine dashed inside, leaving us standing on opposite ends of the stairs. â€Å"She's quite a woman, isn't she?† Damon asked. â€Å"She is,† I said shortly. Before I could say anything else, Katherine came bounding down the stairs, holding a sun umbrella in one hand. â€Å"I'm ready for our adventure!† she cried, handing me her parasol, an expectant look on her face. I hooked it over the crook of my arm, while Katherine linked arms with Damon. I walked a few feet behind, watching the easy way their hips bumped each other, as if she were simply his younger, teasing sister. I relaxed. That was it. Damon was always protective and was simply being a big brother to Katherine. And she needed that. I whistled under my breath as I followed them. We had a small labyrinth in the front garden, but the maze on the far corner of the property was expansive, built from a boggy marsh by my father, who had been determined to impress our mother. She'd loved to garden and had always bemoaned the fact that the flowers that bloomed in her native France simply couldn't withstand the hard Virginia soil. The area always smelled of roses and clematis and was always the first place couples would retreat to when they wanted to be alone at a Veritas party. The servants had superstitions about the maze: that a child conceived in the maze would be blessed for life, that if you kissed your true love in the center of the maze, you'd be bonded for life, but that if you told a lie while within its walls, you'd be cursed forever. Today it felt almost magical: The arbors and vines provided shade from the sun, making it seem that the three of us were in an enchanted world together–away from death and war. â€Å"It's even more beautiful than I remembered!† Katherine explained. â€Å"It's like a storybook. Like the Luxembourg Gardens or the Palace of Versailles!† She plucked a calla lily and inhaled deeply. I paused and glanced at her. â€Å"Y ou've been to Europe, then?† I asked, feeling as provincial as any of the country bumpkins who lived in the shanty town on the other side of Mystic Falls, the ones who pronounced the word creek like crick and who already had four or five children by the time they were our age. â€Å"I've been everywhere,† Katherine said simply. She tucked the lily behind her ear. â€Å"So, tell me, boys, how did you amuse yourselves when you didn't have a mysterious stranger to impress with a tour of your grounds?† â€Å"We entertain pretty young things with real Southern hospitality.† Damon smirked, falling into his overdone accent that always made me laugh. Katherine rewarded him with a giggle, and I smiled. Now that I saw Damon and Katherine's flirtatious friendship as being as innocent as the relationship of cousins, I could enjoy their banter. â€Å"Damon's right. Our Founders Ball is just a few weeks away,† I said, my spirits lifting as I realized that I was free to go to the ball with whoever I pleased. I couldn't wait to twirl Katherine in my arms. â€Å"And you'll be the prettiest girl. Even the girls from Richmond and Charlottesville will be jealous!† Damon pronounced. â€Å"Really? Why, I think I should like that. Is that wicked of me?† Katherine asked, glancing from Damon to me. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Y Damon said at the same time. â€Å"And I, for es,† one, think more girls should admit their wicked natures. After all, we all know the fairer sex has a dark side. Remember when Clementine cut off Amelia's hair?† Damon turned toward me. â€Å"Y es,† I chuckled, happy to play the role of storyteller for Katherine's amusement. â€Å"Clementine thought Amelia was being too forward with Matthew Hartnett, and since Clem fancied him, she decided she'd take it in her own hands to make Amelia less attractive.† Katherine put her hand over her mouth in a gesture of exaggerated concern. â€Å"I do hope poor Amelia's recovered.† â€Å"She's engaged to some soldier. Don't worry about her,† Damon said. â€Å"In fact, you shouldn't worry about anything. Y ou're far too pretty.† â€Å"Well, I am worried about one thing.† Katherine widened her eyes. â€Å"Who shall escort me to the ball?† She swung her parasol back and forth on her arm as she gazed at the ground, as if thinking through a deep decision. My heart quickened as she looked up at both of us. â€Å"I know! Let's have a race. Winner may get to take me!† She threw her parasol on the ground and ran off to the center of the maze. â€Å"Brother?† Damon asked, raising an eyebrow at me. â€Å"Ready?† I smiled, as if this were just a casual children's footrace. I didn't want Damon to know how fast my heart was beating, and how very much I wanted to catch Katherine. â€Å"Go!† Damon yelled. Immediately I began running. My hands and legs flailed, and I propelled myself into the maze. When we were in school, I was the fastest boy in the class, lightning quick when the school bell rang. Then I heard peals of laughter. I glanced back. Damon was doubled up over himself, slapping his knee. I gulped air, trying not to seem winded. â€Å"Scared to compete?† I said, running back and slugging Damon on the shoulder. I'd meant it to be a playful punch, but it landed with a heavy thud. â€Å"Oh, now we're on, brother!† Damon said, his voice light and full of laughter. He grabbed my shoulders and wrestled me easily to the ground. I struggled to my feet and tackled him, throwing him onto his back and pinning down his wrists. â€Å"Think you can still lick your little brother?† I teased, enjoying my momentary victory. â€Å"No one came for me!† Katherine pouted, wandering out of the maze. Her frown quickly turned into a smile as she saw us on the ground, breathing heavily. â€Å"Good thing I'm here to save you both.† She knelt and pressed her lips first to Damon's cheek, then to mine. I released Damon's wrists and stood up, wiping the dirt off my breeches. â€Å"See?† she asked, as she offered an arm to Damon. â€Å"All you need is a kiss to make everything better–although you boys shouldn't be such brutes with each other.† â€Å"We were fighting for you,† Damon said lazily, not bothering to stand up. Just then, the sound of horses' hooves interrupted us. Alfred dismounted his horse and bowed to the three of us. It must have been a sight: Damon lying on the ground, resting his head on his hand as if he were simply reclining, me frantically brushing grass stains off my trousers, and Katherine standing between us, looking amused. â€Å"I'm sorry to interrupt,† Alfred said. â€Å"But Master Giuseppe needs to speak to Master Damon. It's urgent.† â€Å"Of course it is. Everything is always urgent for Father. What do you bet he has another ridiculous theory he needs to discuss?† Damon said. Katherine lifted her parasol from the ground. â€Å"I should get going, too. I'm all disheveled, and I'm due to visit with Pearl at the apothecary.† â€Å"Come,† Alfred said, gesturing for Damon to jump onto the back of his horse. As Alfred and Damon rode away, Katherine and I slowly walked back to the carriage house. I wanted to bring up the Founders Ball again but found myself afraid to do so. â€Å"Y don't need to keep pace with me. ou Perhaps you should keep your brother company,† Katherine suggested. â€Å"It seems that your father is a man who's best taken on by two,† she observed. Her hand brushed my own and she grabbed my wrist. Then she stepped on her tiptoes and allowed her lips to graze my cheek. â€Å"Come see me tonight, sweet Stefan. My chambers will be open.† And with that, she broke off into a spirited run. She was like a colt, galloping free, and I felt my heart gallop along with her. There was no question: She felt the same way I did. And knowing that made me feel more alive than I ever had in my life.

Shareholders Rights

Requirements for Valid Action at a Shareholder Meeting * Read statute, bylaws and articles * 1. Authority for the meeting * 2. Proper notice (or waiver of notice) * 3. Quorum * 4. Required number of votes cast in favor 1. Authority for Meeting * The meeting must be authorized * Look to statute and bylaws for authorization * Annual meetings MBCA  §7. 01 * Special meetings MBCA  § 7. 02 * Court ordered meetings MBCA  § 7. 03 * Who may call a special shareholders meeting? 2. Proper Notice * See MBCA  § 7. 05; Del.  § 222 * a) Must the meeting notice state the purpose of the meeting? Annual meeting MBCA  § 7. 05(b) * Special meeting MBCA  § 7. 05(c) * NOTE: A number of provisions in the applicable corporation statute will contain special notice provisions. See, e. g. , MBCA  §10. 03(d) * b) Who is entitled to notice? * generally only shareholders entitled to vote MBCA  § 7. 05(a) * only shareholders on record date MBCA  § 7. 07; Del.  § 213 * Note: In some cases sha reholder who are not entitled to vote are entitled to notice. See, e. g. , MBCA  §Ã‚ § 10. 03(d) & 11. 04(d). * c) What about electronic notice? * See MBCA  § 1. 1(c); Del.  § 232 * d) Can notice be waived? * Notice (or a defect in a notice) may be waived expressly or by participation in the meeting. See MBCA  § 7. 06; Del.  § 229 * e) What notice is required in the case of an adjourned meeting? * See MBCA  § 7. 05(e) 3. Quorum Requirement * See MBCA  § 7. 25(a); Del.  § 216 * a) Can a greater or lesser quorum be authorized? * See MBCA  § 7. 27. The articles of incorporation may provide for a greater than majority quorum * See MBCA  § 7. 25 Official Comment 5 (lesser quorum) * Compare Del. 216, which also permits the bylaws to vary the quorum requirement * Why would a corporation permit a lower than majority quorum? * b) Can shareholder, by withdrawing from a meeting, break a quorum? * See MBCA  § 7. 25(b) (no) * Not all corporation statutes (e. g. , Del. ) add ress this issue * There is some case law contra to the position adopted by the MBCA 4. Required Number of Votes * Traditionally the required number of votes is a majority of those present in person or by proxy. See Del.  § 216 * The Revised Model Act takes a different approach. See MBCA  § 7. 5(c) * What is the difference between the Del. approach and the MBCA approach? * What about elections of directors? * The trend is to merely require a plurality of votes cast. See MBCA  § 7. 28(a) and Del.  § 216 * What is cumulative voting for directors? How does it compare with straight voting for directors? * See MBCA  § 7. 28(c); Del.  § 214 * What are the advantages of cumulative voting? * What are the possible disadvantages of cumulative voting? * Only a small minority of states require cumulative voting * Of those that permit cumulative voting, most (including the MBCA and Del. are â€Å"opt in† statutes * Why does the MBCA require notice before cumulative voting is pe rmitted? * How valuable is cumulative voting? * a) Can the amount of votes required for shareholder action be increased? * See MBCA  § 7. 27 and Del.  § 216 * Del. allows supermajority voting requirements to be placed either in the certificate or bylaws * b) Some types of shareholder action have special voting requirements * Some types of action require a majority of the votes entitled to be cast. See, e. g. , MBCA  § 10. 03(e) * Non-voting shareholders may have statutory right to vote on some things.See Del.  § 351 * IT IS IMPORTANT TO READ THE STATUTE What about meeting minutes? * Is a meeting valid without minutes? Supermajority Quorum or Voting Provisions * The ability to raise quorum and vote requirements provides a tool that may be used to protect minority shareholders * Use of this tool increases possibility of shareholder deadlock * Is deadlock necessarily bad? Determining Who is Entitled to Vote * How does a corporation determine who is entitled to vote (and to noti ce)? * See MBCA  § 7. 07 * What about beneficial owners? * See MBCA  § 1. 40(22) and Del. 219(c) * See also MBCA  § 7. 23. There is no equivalent Del. provision Proxy Appointments * Does a shareholder have to be present in order to vote? * See MBCA  § 7. 22 and Del.  § 212 * Why is a proxy appointment generally only valid for a limited period of time? * MBCA (11 months); Del. (3 years) * When is a proxy appointment revocable? * Generally this is a question of agency law * The MBCA has a detailed provision on revocability * A number of problems can arise from the use of proxies. One is that of conflicting proxies * Is an e-mail, telegraphic or facsimile proxy valid? See MBCA  § 7. 22(b); Del.  § 212(c) & (d) * While the typical corporation statute does not impose significant requirements as to the form of a proxy, the SEC proxy rules do impose requirements for publicly held corporations * See SEC Rule 14a-4, suppl. p. 1671 Conduct of the Meeting * The Revised Model Act now includes some rules governing the conduct of a shareholder meeting. * See MBCA  § 7. 08 * There is no comparable Del. provision * The bylaws of a Del. corporation may include provisions similar to the rules in the MBCA. Cf. sample bylaws, suppl. . 1117 Election Inspectors * The Revised Model Act and the Del. Act require some corporations to have election inspectors and set out the duties of such inspectors * See MBCA  § 7. 29. See also Del.  § 231 * In other corporations, the bylaws may provide for election inspectors Action by Written Consent Without a Meeting * Do you have to have a shareholder meeting? * Action may be taken by signed written consent without a meeting * See MBCA  § 7. 04 and Del.  § 228 * Notice may be required to nonvoting shareholders or, in Del. to non-consenting shareholders * Read the applicable statute! * Can the written consent procedure be used in publicly held corporations? * Why or why not? * Can a written consent be revoked? * See MBCA  § 7. 04(b) Welcome to the 21st Century To what extent may electronic forms of communication or participation be used? * Can notice be given electronically? MBCA  § 1. 41(c); Del.  § 232 * Can a person participate in a meeting without being there? Del.  § 211(a); MBCA  § 7. 09. * Can a meeting occur completely in cyberspace? Del.  § 211(a)

The Cons of Marijuana Usage

The legalization of marijuana is one of the most highly debated about subjects facing Americans today. Advocates of legalization use two major arguments in their effort to have marijuana legalized. First, which is by far the biggest argument is that marijuana has a significant medical use. The second argument is that marijuana does not cause harm to those that smoke it. Both of these arguments can be easily discounted by the numerous studies that have been done on the effects of marijuana both medicinal and recreational. In the following paragraphs we will explore the hard facts of marijuana that will discount the validity of the previously mentioned arguments as well as some common fallacies. I will focus first on the medical fallacy. There currently exists a great debate concerning smoking marijuana as a medicine. Many well-intentioned leaders and members of the public have been led misled by the well-financed and organized pro-drug legalization lobby into believing there is merit to their argument that smoking marijuana is a safe and effective medicine. A review of the scientific research, expert medical testimony, and government agency findings shows this to be erroneous. There is no justification for using marijuana as a medicine. The movement to legitimize smoking marijuana as a medicine is not encouraged by the Federal Food and Drug Administration, health and medical associations, or medical experts; but instead by groups such as the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and the Drug Policy Foundation (DPF). These organizations have little medical expertise and favor various forms of legalizing illicit drugs. The studies cited by the marijuana advocates have been found to be unscientific, poorly researched, and involved pharmaceutical THC, not marijuana. An advocate that claimed he was an expert, testified at the 1987 federal hearings to reschedule marijuana, was in fact a wellness counselor at a health spa who admitted under oath to using every illegal mind-altering drug he ever studied. Another â€Å"expert† admitted he had not kept up with new medical or scientific information on marijuana for over 18 years. Another doctor claimed there was voluminous medical research on the effectiveness of marijuana but under oath, when asked to cite the number of the studies, he replied, â€Å"I would doubt very few. † The fact is that there is not one reliable scientific study that shows smoking marijuana to be a safe and effective drug. The majority of the marijuana advocates’ â€Å"evidence† comes from unscientific, non-scrutinized or analyzed anecdotal statements from people with a variety of illnesses. It is unknown whether these individuals used marijuana prior to their illness or are using marijuana in combination with other medicines. It is also unknown whether they have had recent medical examinations, are justifying their use of marijuana, experiencing a placebo effect, or experiencing the intoxicating effect of smoking marijuana. The main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana (THC) is already legally available in pharmaceutical capsule form by prescription from medical doctors. This drug, Marinol, is less often prescribed because of the potential adverse effects, and there are more effective new medicines currently available. Marinol differs from the crude plant marijuana because it consists of one pure, well-studied, FDA-approved pharmaceutical in stable known dosages. Marijuana is an unstable mixture of over 400 chemicals including many toxic psychoactive chemicals, which are largely unstudied and appear in uncontrolled strengths. The manufacturers of Marinol, Roxane Laboratories Incorporated, do not agree with the pro-marijuana advocates that THC is safe and harmless. In the Physician’s Desk Reference, a good portion of the description of Marinol includes warnings about the adverse effects. Seriously, doesn t common sense dictate that it is not good medical practice to allow a substance to be used as a medicine if that product is ingested by smoking, not FDA-approved, made up of hundreds of different chemicals, and self-prescribed and administered by the patient. The federal government, over the last 20 years involving a number of administrations from both political parties, has determined that smoking marijuana has no redeeming medicinal value, and is in fact harmful to health. These governmental agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, and the U. S. Public Health Service. Their latest finding, as recently as 1994, was affirmed in a decision by the U. S. Court of Appeals in Washington, DC Since the pro-marijuana lobby has been unsuccessful in dealing with the federal government, they have targeted state and local governments to legitimize smoking marijuana as a medicine. A careful examination of their legislative and/or ballot proposals reveals they are written to effectively neutralize the enforcement of most marijuana laws. Crude, intoxicating marijuana under their proposals would be easier to obtain and use than even the most harmless, low-level prescription drug. Major medical and health organizations, as well as the vast majority of nationally recognized expert medical doctors, scientists and researchers, have not accepted smoking marijuana as a safe and effective medicine. These organizations include: the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, National Sclerosis Association, the American Glaucoma Association, American Academy of Ophthalmology, National Eye Institute, National Cancer Institute, National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Dental Research, and the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases. There are thousands of studies available documenting the harmful physical and psychological effects of smoking marijuana. The harmful consequences include but are not limited to premature cancer, addiction, coordination and perception impairment, a number of mental disorders including depression, hostility and increased aggressiveness, general apathy, memory loss, reproductive disabilities, impairment to the immune system, numerous airway injuries, and other general problems associated with intoxication. So far I have shown why marijuana should be disregarded as medicinal now I intend to discount some more common fallacies that marijuana advocates like to throw around as well as the argument that marijuana causes no harm to the smoker. First, advocates for marijuana like to say laws against alcohol and drugs don t work so why have them. They often use prohibition in the early 1900 s as an example. Even though prohibition was unpopular and only in effect for about fourteen years, it did impact the use of alcohol. Alcohol use, alcohol-related deaths, and admissions to hospitals for other alcohol related illnesses were all reduced approximately 50 percent. Also, contrary to what you hear, there’s no evidence of a big increase in crime. That probably makes for good gangster movies, but little else. Prohibition was rescinded because alcohol historically had been part of our lives, and the majority didn t support prohibition. Drugs, on the other hand, have not been part of our everyday lives, and over 80 percent of Americans favor drug prohibition A second fallacy is that legalizing marijuana would reduce the number of crimes and would free up prison space for more violent offenders. First of all there are 12 million arrests made annually out of which 1 million are for drug violations, of these only 12 percent are sentenced to prison. Most of the criminals that are locked up already have rap sheets a mile long for different crimes anyways. Now if we legalize marijuana the arrests would stop because of the change in the criminal code but the criminals wouldn t change their behavior and become law-abiding citizens. They will continue to commit crimes to pay rent, buy cars, go to concerts, buy clothes, eat, and buy legal drugs. Thirdly, most advocates like to use the Netherlands as an example of marijuana being legalized and not having any problems. The Netherlands has begun experiencing a variety of problems including a rise in crime, welfare, unemployment, and addicts from other countries migrating there to indulge their drug appetites. A fourth common fallacy is that if we legalize marijuana we would save at least 20 billion dollars annually that is now used towards law enforcement. What this fallacy assumes is that there would be no governmental costs associated with distribution, regulation, and control of legal drugs. Using alcohol as a model, we know these costs can be substantial. Knowing government, there is very little they do that is cost effective. In 1965, when we started Medicare, Congress projected that it would cost this country $12 billion by 1990. The actual costs that year were $110 billion. In 1968 food stamps cost $173 million annually, and now, less than 30 years later, the price tag is $24 billion. And, finally the greatest fallacy that marijuana does not harm the user. The fact remains that marijuana and hashish are intoxicating substances that make the user high. The degree of mental and physical impairment depends on the amount and strength of marijuana smoked. There is a substantial difference between the 2 to 5 percent THC weed of the ’70s and the 10 to 20 percent THC in today’s weed. There is a definite reason why the higher grade is more desirable and expensive, and that’s simply because it gives the user a more powerful high. Studies show marijuana can and often does cause apathy, diminishes mental capacity, causes difficulty in concentrating, decline in performance, and lost motivation. Thousands of studies also show marijuana use adversely affects the brain, reproduction process, immune system, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and remains in the body for extended periods of time. In addition, marijuana use often impairs normal thought processes, distorts reality, reduces self-control, and releases inhibitions, all of which increase the chance of harmful and criminal behavior. Many times the user is unaware he or she is being affected unless told by others. A Stanford Medical School study showed pilots to be impaired 24 hours after smoking one joint, even though they felt they were functioning normally. In conclusion, the bottom line is, whenever persons are under the influence, they pose a threat to themselves and others. We don’t need more intoxicated people on our streets, at public events, or driving on our highways. Traffic fatality studies clearly demonstrate a disproportionate number of deaths caused by drivers under the influence of marijuana. Why would we want to make a substance like that legal, inexpensive and readily available to satisfy he desires of a few who already choose to violate our laws? Haven’t the advocates learned anything from our experience with drunkenness?

Rhetorical Analyses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rhetorical Analyses - Essay Example Rupert Murdoch, an ultra-conservative, envisioned in the beginning of Fox News a more conservative observation of the media in contrast to the much more liberal representation that was emanated at the time. The film takes this information and then proceeds to broadcast a systematic series of events that test the validity and substance of Murdoch's journalistic approach. During the Reagan administration, Murdoch demanded the airing of a story in tribute to Reagan. The film portrays this as a problem because Fox News specifically focused on that story over other more important events. The only issue with the way in which they express this information is that they did not indicate what other stories were going on at the time that had a greater value. A very interesting point the film dealt with was its emphasis on very specific parts of internal memos Fox sent to each individual broadcasting station. In the film, they darken the outside information and focus simply on one or two particu lar lines. The material from these one or two lines involved the stories that were to be covered that day or week. The only issue with this method of persuasion is that it does not in fact show the entire memorandum, but rather a very particular part. By hiding the audience from an entire article and instead revealing only a small portion, the documentary distorts the larger issue with minute details. In its emphasis on fair and balanced reporting, the film challenges this claim through a very animated interviewer named Bill O'Reilly. Throughout his segment with the person he is interviewing, he often prevents them from giving their opinion by telling them to "Shut Up." There is a nice clip from the film that combines all sorts of instances where O'Reilly tells others to shut up. This is a very effective way to demonstrate the repetitive disgruntle that O'Reilly has towards anyone that is not a right-wing conservative. These clips also succeed in showing the irrational behavior of a very powerful correspondent. For in fact, he does not truly represent anything even close to the claim of fair and balanced reporting. By constantly interrupting people he interviews, he does not give anyone else but himself a chance to express their opinion. Not only is he biased, but the film also shows his uncontrollable temper at a press conference. At the conference, he tells his opponent to "Shut Up" repeatedly after the man simply responds to O'Reilly with one simple remark. Probably the most influential method the film has at influencing people's opinions of the Fox News organization is its usage of anonymous interviews with previous Fox employees. The interviews involve events and occurrences that went on behind the scenes in the Fox news room. The effective result of all of this is that interviewing anonymous people automatically evokes a sense of fear and suspicion in the audience. Even if the information they present is not factual, the viewer will believe what they are saying because they presume the person is being forced into anonymity by the actions of Fox News. The power in this argumentative device is that it subconsciously convinces viewers that something must be wrong with Fox if all of these normal, everyday people were all mysteriously removed from their positions. The film does not simply use dramatic interviews to entice its

Week 3-Individual small Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 3-Individual small - Assignment Example She decided that since she could not afford to pay 12000 dollars to health care for her first year in self-employment, she would seek more affordable coverage. She found out that she was only eligible for a cheaper insurance at this time of the year based on â€Å"special enrollment." This â€Å"special enrollment† includes elements like unexpected divorce, birth of a baby, and job loss among other circumstances that would make paying the needed money for health cover hard. Though this is a national case of changes in health care, the impact is far felt within the country. The reason for such ignorance is that sources of education for most people on health care changes and the requirement are not reliable and do not give finer details of options that are present. In this article, the author does not directly make a claim to solve the problem but anyone reading her article knows her suggestion. The lesson is that people need to be reeducated on the possibilities and circumstances that surround changes in healthcare insurance coverage as a means to adapt to healthcare reforms (Jean Card, 2014). Jean Card. (2014, July 17). How Obamacare Screwed Up My Small Business Health Insurance - US News. US News & World Report. Retrieved August 28, 2014, from

Liabilities and Remedies of Parties in a Contract Essay

Liabilities and Remedies of Parties in a Contract - Essay Example As the paper discusses  there are two contracts existing between the parties. The first contract is between Military Supply Ltd and the British Ministry of Defense while the second contract is between the Military Supply Ltd and Motor Parts plc. The contract between Military Supply Ltd and the British Ministry of Defense is for the purchase and delivery of 500 vehicles which will be used by the Ministry of Defense in its field operations. The second contract on the other hand is a contract of service between Military Supply Ltd and Motor Parts Ltd where the former hire the services of the latter to manufacture the 500 vehicles for the client of Military Supply Ltd which is the British Ministry of Defense. The relationships of the parties are defined and limited by the contracts that they entered into.From the report it is clear that the obligations of the parties in this case vary according to their participation in the transaction. In the case of British Ministry of Defense, its o bligation is towards Military Supply ltd. As buyer of the vehicles, the Ministry of Defense is obliged to deliver payments when the provisions and the objects specified under the contract are satisfied. On the part of Military Supply Ltd, its obligations are towards the Ministry of Defense as well as to Motor Parts. In the case of the Ministry, Military Supply Ltd is bound to deliver the 500 vehicles as per the specifications of the ministry in a timely manner.