The Importance of Affirmative Action in America Essay

The Importance of Affirmative Action in America Affirmative action is a much debated topic based on the efforts of our government to overcome prejudicial treatment through inclusion. Affirmative action is a way of helping minorities in our country get jobs and avoid racial injustice. Many large companies have increased their employment of minorities after adopting these policies (Plous). Despite the efforts of affirmative action today, women still only earn 76 cents for every dollar earned by males. There are 1.3 million unemployed African-American civilians and 112 million employed white civilians. Statistics show that if every unemployed Black worker in the United States were to displace a White worker, only 1% of Whites would†¦show more content†¦The author of this article feels that for the University of Michigan to have an open discussion about affirmative action, the arguments will continue until racial preferences at the school will no longer exist. Those who do not support affirmative action are unfortunately, by definition, a racist (Unite...). So who really benefits from affirmative action in the long run? Meet Jaray, Jaray is an African-American who recently graduated from his high school in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated with a GPA of 3.3 and applied to the University of Chicago. Now meet Steve, a white with a GPA of 3.3 who also applied to this University. They both applied in November and have been waiting patiently to hear back. Unfortunately for Steve, this University is one of many that support affirmative action. Seeing how both of them have the same educational skill level, the board of admissions turned to the topic of race. The University of Chicago has already accepted 1,078 new freshmen and only 20% of them are African-American. So Jaray got the acceptance letter and Steve had to turn to another school. Is this fair? Should Steve get turned away just because his application happened to be against Jarays? Some may say that between the two, Steve has a better chance of getting into any college, especially the o nes that dont support affirmative action. Jaray doesntShow MoreRelatedAn Ethical Dilemma: Affirmative Action, Do We Still Need It?1706 Words   |  7 PagesEthical Dilemma: Affirmative Action, Do We Still Need It? An Ethical Dilemma: Affirmative Action, Do We Still Need It? Abstract This paper discusses the importance of affirmative action in today’s society and the ethical role it plays when Employers and Universities are considering entry to their respected places of establishment. The paper will conclude with what America will face in the future in terms of affirmative action. An Ethical Dilemma: Affirmative Action, Do We Still NeedRead MoreThe Debate over Affirmative Action1307 Words   |  5 Pagesdebate over affirmative action. Although the United States has made great strides in improving race relations over the past forty years, affirmative action continues to be one of the most controversial policies in America. It has rattle the halls of higher education. It has appeared on the steps of the Supreme Court. And it has divided not only different racial groups, but even members of a single racial group. In fact, I’ve heard some of the most heated conversation over affirmative action between twoRead MoreAffirmative Action And Its Effects On Affirmative1263 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout America there are many different views on the effects of affirmative action. Many see it as a negative policy which gives an unnecessary advantage to minorities in America. In a 2009 Pew Poll, â€Å"58% of African Americans agree† and only â€Å"22% whit es agree† that there should be â€Å"preferential treatment to improve the position of blacks and other minorities† (Public Backs Affirmative Action†). Today affirmative action and other racial injustices tend to be in the spotlight quite often, suchRead More Affirmitive Action Essay1106 Words   |  5 Pages Affirmative Action is the name given to programs that try to correct past and ongoing discriminations against women, racial minorities, and others in the work force and in education. The principal goal of Affirmative Action is to create more diversity and equal opportunities in jobs or schools that used to be all or mostly male, white, or both. Affirmative Action programs have been in place only a little over thirty years. Affirmative action works. There are thousands of examples of situations whereRead MoreEssay Affirmative Action1163 Words   |  5 PagesAffirmative action works. When these policies received government support, vast numbers of people of color, white women and men have gained access they would not otherwise have had. These gains have led to very real changes. Affirmative action programs have not eliminated racism, nor have they always been implemented without problems. However, there would be no struggle to roll back the gains achieved if affirmative action policies were ineffective. The implementation of affirmative actionRead MorePersuasive Speech : Affirmative Action1043 Words   |  5 PagesTitle: Affirmative Action Topic: The idea I want to talk about is the purpose of Affirmative Action in America, who it represents, and how it affects them. Purpose Statement: My speech will inform the audience about the objectives of affirmative action and how it benefits them. Audience Analysis: A. Demographics: My audience will consist of males and females who are young adults that attend Michigan State University. Also, my audience will consist of many ethnicities and nationalities. My speechRead MoreAffirmative Action : Is It Still Needed1544 Words   |  7 PagesIn the United States justice is defined as equal treatment of all its citizens under the law. When one citizen is mistreated an injustice has been committed against all people. Affirmative Action is a program whose purpose is to make sure that citizens are treated equally by enforcing a set of policies which are designed to promote the inclusion of all individuals regardless of race, disability, sex, or religion. In the United States democracy we are all equal, but some groups have been enjoyingRead MoreRacial Inequality And Affirmative Action900 Words   |  4 Pagesbarriers, President John F. Kennedy created the affirmative action program to provide equal opportunities for everyone, whether in education or in the workforce. Even if this was a program created in the 1960’s, problems continue to present itself as shown through the many court cases, such as Brown vs. Board of Education, Fisher vs. University of Texas, Grutter vs. Bollinger et al, and Hopwood vs. State of Texas. Thus, racial inequality and affirmative action continues to be a controversial topic evenRead MoreAffirmative Action Programs Should Be Legal1576 Words   |  7 PagesKennedy issued Executive Order 10925, introducing the phrase â€Å"affirmative action.† A few years later, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued Executive Order 11246, which prohibited discrimination based on race, color and religion. Although there were no specific policies that require colleges and universities to use affirmative action programs, they voluntarily gave advantages to minorities and women in the admission process. Affirmative action programs were first challenged in Regents of the UniversityRead MoreAmerica Needs Affirmative Action Essay1384 Words   |  6 Pagesimposed legislation called affirmative action. According to At Issue: Affirmative Action, â€Å"Affirmative action is designed to promote access to opportunities in education, employment, housing, and government contracts among certain designated groups, such as women and minoritiesâ€Å" (At Issue). This law is necessary in today’s society in order to maintain equality and diminish discrimination against social groups throughout the United States. Inductive Reasoning Affirmative action has leveled the playing

Ethical Issues of Human Test Subjects Essay - 1215 Words

Ethical Issues of Human Test Subjects As we achieve burgeons of new technologies, we must also face the irreprehensible sacrifices. The old scientific adage reminds us that no trial can go without error. Many of the present day technologies may prove beneficial but the processes of development and discovery often come at high prices. Countless experiments have been conducted in the names of science and the advancement of mankind. Regardless of their outcomes, these experiments require some form of a test subject. Any life sustaining test subject has been the root of many ethical issues, with human test subjects being one of the most controversial. Granted the advantageous products of labor, the definition for what we, as moral†¦show more content†¦So little was known about plutonium, uranium, and the like. But thermal and chemical reactions provided some insight into the strength of their capabilities. In order for scientists to properly understand their force, experiments would have to be conducted. A Case Study: Radioactive Tests At Fernald State School: During the 1940s to 1950s, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Fernald State School in Waverly, Massachusetts collaborated on a experiment testing the effects of radioactive iron on human subjects. Researchers performed a â€Å"non-therapeutic nutritional studies with radioisotopes at the state school† (1) for the mentally retarded. The project, also funded by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, was initially addressed as for â€Å"addressing calcium metabolism.†(2) The test subjects, â€Å"young male residents of Fernald, who were members of the schools ‘science club’,† were daily fed micro curies of a radioisotope of calcium (Ca-45) in their cereal. They were also given milk daily and had blood, urine, and excrement samples taken accordingly to measure the calcium retention in their bodies. Several other experiments also included the oral or ingested intake of radioactive iodine. The amount of daily intake was considerably lo w and none of the experimental participants wereShow MoreRelatedHuman Primates : The Appropriate Subjects Of Biomedical Research Essay1539 Words   |  7 Pagesarticle, â€Å"Non-Human primates: the appropriate subjects of biomedical research?† discusses the ethical issue of whether or not we should be using non-human primates in biomedical research. Throughout this article, Quigley raises the question is it ethical to perform testing on non-human primates? By looking at the accuracy of this testing, the type of research done, and the capacity of the subjects we can see that if the experiment is not ethical to perform on a human then it is not ethical to conductedRead MoreStanley Milgram s Research On Obedience863 Words   |  4 Pagespeople delivering â€Å"shocks† to an unknown subject, which caused much controversy to occur and raised many questions in the psychological world. Diana Baumrind, a psychologist at the University of California and one of Milgram†™s colleagues, attacks Milgram’s ethics in her review. She decides that Milgram s tests are unethical towards the subjects and claims that his experiment is irrelevant to obedience. In contrast, Ian Parker, a writer for The New Yorker and Human Sciences, asserts Milgram’s experimentsRead MoreThe Impact of Ethical Decisions on the Discovery of Knowledge in the Natural Science and Art1075 Words   |  5 Pagesethics are interconnected but ethics is hindering what science can achieve. The knowledge issue I will be addressing is what impact do ethical decisions have on limiting the discovery of knowledge in the natural sciences and arts? One day in biology class we were discussing the potential benefits of the harvesting of embryotic stem cells and how these cells could potentially help save lives, however one of the issues to the stem cell argument was, if stem cell research was to be conducted then scientistsRead MoreEthical Behavior Involving Human Subjects1637 Words   |  7 PagesHuman subjects in the research field requires us to analyze our approach to physical science according to a higher respect of the subjects, to thoroughly protect the participants as well as others in connection to the research. We must also protect the validity of the data retrieved from the research. The ethical questions at hand aren’t merely right from wrong in a sense but the fairness of the views being administered to participants, including safety. Often research approaches from our past inRead MoreAnimal Testing: Pros and Cons Essay1021 Words   |  5 Pages The ethical treatment and testing on animals is a widely controversial subject in the field of zoology. Views on animal testing range from positivity to full negativity. Animals such as mice and rats have been found to have psychological and genetic similarities that relate to humans which make them perfect for the experimental trials. Before various products are put out for humans consumption, animals are the most common way for companies to see if their new inventions work. The benefits andRead MoreShould Animal Testing Be Ethical?1328 Words   |  6 Pagesable to replicate the results of the research to positively affect humans. It has provided many cures to diseases and many basic products that are mass produced such as lotion, shampoo, sunscreen, etc. Adding on, animal testing is ethical since it follows many guidelines and restrictions made by numerous laws that protect animals from inhumane treatment. Although such testing can provide many people with benefits and may be et hical, many animals are still subjected to torture or even die due to animalRead MoreEthical Dilemmas Of The City Versus Rural Countryside Essay1105 Words   |  5 PagesEthical dilemmas Society is defined by Merriam-Webster as, â€Å"people in general thought of as living together in organized communities with shared laws, traditions, and values.† (1). The term â€Å"society† is a very complex entity with many variables and plays a role in the interaction of people every day. So what makes up a Society? Why do we gravitate towards certain groups of people? Why do we stay in certain areas of the United States, or choose to live in the city versus the rural countryside? TheRead MoreBasic Ethical Principles in Epidemiology1254 Words   |  5 PagesBasic Ethical Principles The three basic ethical principles generally accepted principles in the U.S. cultural tradition include the principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. The principles of respect for persons ensure that human subjects treated as autonomous agents and persons with diminished autonomy are provided protection (CDC, n.a.). The protection relates to when human subjects may lack coherence under certain medications, sickness, or physical conditions in which the researcherRead MoreThe Controversial Issue Of Abortion1584 Words   |  7 PagesAbortion. The subject of abortion has become one of the most controversial issues in health care; deciding whether to abort a life or keep it. There are many ethical issues surrounding the topic. When does the fetus become a person? Is it when they grow arms and legs? Is it when there is a heartbeat? Is there an exact point, where ethically, having an abortion is wrong? There are many reasons people opt to have an abortion. Perhaps the c hild is bared through non consensual sex or from the failureRead MoreExtreme Measures Of Dr. Guy Luthan Essay986 Words   |  4 PagesAlthough it has a rather a dated feel, Extreme Measures presents a complete moral and ethical conundrum between what is best for the masses and what is best for the individual. Throughout the story the main character, named Dr. Guy Luthan (played by Hugh Grant), is faced with a serious of choices that essentially dictate his moral beliefs. Many would say that Dr. Guy Luthan is an example of deontological ethical reasoning, because he strongly opposes Dr. Lawrence Myrick, another character in the story

Economic Development and Environmental Protection Free Essays

This paper argues on both theoretical and empirical grounds that, beyond a certain point, there is an unavoidable conflictbetween economic development (generally taken to mean ‘materialeconomic growth’) and environmental protection. Think for a moment of natural forests, grasslands, marine estuaries, salt marshes, and coral reefs; and of arable soils, aquifers, mineraldeposits, petroleum, and coal. These are all forms of ‘natural capital’ that represent highly-ordered self-producing ecosystemsor rich accumulations of energy/matter with high use potential (low entropy). We will write a custom essay sample on Economic Development and Environmental Protection or any similar topic only for you Order Now Now contemplate despoiled landscapes, eroding farmlands, depleted fisheries, anthropogenic greenhouse gases,acid rain, poisonous mine tailings and toxic synthetic compounds. These all represent disordered systems or degraded forms of energy and matter with little use potential (high entropy). The main thing connecting these two states is human economic activity. Ecological economics interprets the environment-economyrelationship in terms of the second law of thermodynamics. The second law sees economic activity as a dissipative process. Fromthis perspective, the production of economic goods andservices invariably requires the consumption of available energy and matter. To grow and develop, the economynecessarily ‘feeds’ on sources of high-quality energy/matter first produced by nature. This tends to disorder and homogenizethe ecosphere, The ascendance of humankind has consistently been accompanied by an accelerating rate of ecological degradation, particularly biodiversity loss, the simplificationof natural systems and pollution. In short, contemporary political rhetoric to the contrary, the prevailing growth-oriented global development paradigm is fundamentally incompatible with long-term ecological and social sustainability. Unsustainability is not a technical nor economic problem as usually conceived, but rather a state of systemic incompatibilitybetween a economy that is a fully-contained, growing, dependent sub-system of a non-growing ecosphere. Potential solutions fly inthe face of contemporary development trends and cultural values Ecological disturbance and nature tourism. THE purpose of this article is to consider the role of disturbance as a crucial ecological consideration in landuse planning for nature tourism. Incorporation of ecological insights into the environmental-planning process offers hope for rational and sustainable development. Nature tourism has been proposed in recent years as a solution to the dilemma that developing countries face in conserving their biological heritage and concurrently improving the economies of local human settlements. In Mexico, nature tourism has become a favored mechanism for development, especially on the Yucatan peninsula. Recognizing the immense value of its coastal natural communities, Mexico has recently established several large biosphere reserves to preserve natural resources and to accommodate and support human settlements. The experience of sprawling, high-impact Cancun, with more than one million visitors annually, has encouraged the government to reassess its development goals. One example of Mexican openness to sustainable conservation-development projects is the innovative, cooperative effort of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras to establish Ruta Maya, a low-impact design to promote tourism based on natural and archaeological treasures (Garrett 1989). In the Yucatan, two long, relatively pristine barrier peninsulas, Rio Lagartos and Celestun, are being identified as opportune sites for nature tourism. Both have high conservation value and were designated special biosphere reserves by the government in 1979 because of their floral and faunal diversity. Both have small human settlements based on fishing and salt extraction. The protection concept known as the Mexican modality, in which local villages can coexist with both conservation and tourism, is an ambitious development plan. Through trial and error, it is becoming clear that development must be guided by ecological understanding if degradation of natural systems is to be avoided. Sites worth visiting are often those that cannot endure heavy human use, and if irreversible environmental degradation results from nature tourism, both conservation of biological diversity and sustainable tourism will fail. Although political and economic considerations usually far overshadow ecological concerns, conservation of natural resources will not succeed if ecological insights are ignored in planning for nature tourism. To retain the integrity of ecosystems, ecologists must convey the most useful information about the dynamic physical and biological contexts of natural communities, including information about the effects of human change on natural disturbance regimes. Important shifts in ecological theory in the past several decades could change perspectives on planning decisions. Fundamental models of community organization throughout the history of ecological thought were rooted in the idea of equilibrium, and most principles applied to managing natural areas have been based on the notion of stability. Many recent empirical studies offer evidence that the natural world is not static, that natural disturbances are common to many environments, and that most landscapes are not in equilibrium, at least for the short term. Planners and developers of tourist facilities, along coastlines, for example, have mistakenly assumed that the physical context for hotels and roads was a stable place. RECENT ECOLOGICAL THOUGHT From its beginnings, ecology has been the study of nature as a stable, orderly system. Natural communities that were undisturbed by people were generally thought of as pristine and immutable, composed of interdependent and harmoniously arranged species assemblages (Botkin 1990). This idea was based on a long tradition in Western culture that envisioned nature as orderly and was embodied in the phrase â€Å"balance of nature† (Glacken 1967). Largely through the writings of Frederick E. Clements (1916) early in the twentieth century, the notion of natural communities as naturally occurring assemblages of species in harmony with local climatic regimes became ecological dogma. If a community was disturbed, damage would be repaired along a predictable continuum toward the climax community. Later, equilibrium became an explicit assumption for most ecosystems, a steady state to which a system returned if a disturbance altered its balance (Connell 1978). Dissenting voices proposed that species act independently of one another and that perturbation is a common event in many natural communities (Gleason 1917; Watt 1947). Strong evidence for the commonness of disorder in nature has come from a large body of literature documenting the profound and pervasive effects of a multitude of disturbances–fires, floods, windstorms, alluvial erosion, landslides, grazing, insects, and invasion of exotics (Veblen and Ashton 1978; Bormann and Likens 1979; Sprugel and Bormann 1981). It is now believed that all ecosystems are somewhat dynamic and that, in some, severe or even catastrophic disturbance is a regular occurrence. Natural disturbances were once assumed to retard the orderly progression of species replacement †¦ THE PROBLEM: Sulfur dioxide is a major source of air pollution world wide, and a major contributor to the problem of acid rain. SOME SOLUTIONS: 1) The technology exists to produce cleaner burning coal, but this process is very expensive. ) Inorganic sulfur can be removed from coal by washing it, but this will not remove organic sulfur, and the process is also very expensive. 3) Coal gasification converts goal to a gas in order to remove the sulfur. The gas produced from the sulfur can then be used to augment supplies of natural gas. This process is not yet competitive enough. 4) Scrubbing removed the oxides from the gases in the smoke stakes, but is also an expensive producer. Looking at these solutions, it would be easy to conclude that th ere is no win win solution when it comes to sulfur emissions from coal. However, in Germany they did find a solution that is win-win. AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION: â€Å"A German company in 1980 purchased coal-scrubbing technology and improved on it†¦ rather than disposing of the calcium sulfite rich sludge the company further processes it to produce building materials such as sheet rock or wallboard, which are sold worldwide. Another innovative approach to removing sulfur has been taken at a large coal burning plant near Mannheim, Germany. The smoke from combustion is cooled, then treated with liquid ammonia.. he sulfur-contaminated smoke is cooled in a heat exchange process that allows the chemical reaction between the sulfur rich smoke and ammonia to take place†¦ waste heat from the cooling towers is used to heat nearby buildings, and the plant sells the ammonium sulfate in a solid granular form to farmers to use as fertilizer. Thus, Germany, in response to tough pollution control regulations, has substantially reduced its sulfur dioxide emission s, and in the process it has boosted its economy. â€Å". Increasing recognition that the overall goals of environmental conservation and economic development are not conflicting but can be mutually reinforcing, has prompted calls for ‘environmentally sustainable’ economic development. Although there are difficulties in defining sustainable development in an analytically rigorous way, there is still a need to evolve a concept of sustainability that both distinguishes it from other post-war meanings of development and is useful for practical analysis and policymaking. How to cite Economic Development and Environmental Protection, Papers

How to Beat the Heat free essay sample

We definitely need a diet to keep our reserves active,† says independent nutritionist Suneet Khanna. Expert nutritionist Shikha Sharma, says coconut water comes as close to the perfect replacement for all the minerals we lose when we sweat. â€Å"The electrolyte combination of coconut water is similar to the plasma in the human body,† says Ms. Sharma. Ms. Sharma says that one common mistake people make during the summers is to assume that the temperature of the food determines whether it’s â€Å"cooling† or not. Something that is straight out of the refrigerator, say, a chilled boiled egg salad, does not necessarily cool the system post digestion,† says Ms. Sharma. However barley, rice, mint, coriander and onions, have a cooling effect on the system once they have been digested, she added. Spicy meat dishes should be avoided if you want to stay cool, according to nutritionists. They say that even though this kind of food might help restock the sodium content, it dilutes the potassium, calcium and mineral content in the body. We will write a custom essay sample on How to Beat the Heat or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 2. Protect Your Skin. Scorching summer heat and the sun’s strong rays can be damaging to the skin. â€Å"Moisture from sweat and the constant exposure to sunlight, combine perfectly during summers and the result is a dangerous hub for bacterial and fungal infection,† says Rohit Batra, a dermatologist at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi. Shielding the skin is indispensable, doctors say. But the SPF rating on the bottle of sunscreen is not the only thing to look for. â€Å"SPF or Sun Protection Factor only looks after the Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. One must remember that these constitute only 10% of the Ultraviolet rays entering the earth,† explains Sajiv Kandhari, a New-Delhi based dermatologist. The Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays which are usually less intense, more prevalent and often the dominant â€Å"tanning† rays, are also harmful. Mr. Kandhari recommends a sunscreen with a â€Å"broad spectrum,† capable of protecting the skin from both UVA and UVB rays. To avoid the summer tan use umbrellas, scarves and caps, says Mr. Batra. 3. Spot Early Signs of Heat Stroke. Some of the common symptoms of a heat stroke are body-ache, stomach cramps, headache, nausea, vomiting and high fever. A higher degree of a heat stroke can leave a person â€Å"delirious,† doctors say. But even a mild heat stroke must not go unchecked because it can worsen, warns Mr. M. Paithankar who works at Delhi’s Max Hospital. â€Å"Not only is the consumption of water essential. But, this must be supplemented by salts,† he says. 4. Wear Cotton and Stay On Trend With Lighter Colors. Natural fabrics like cotton and linen are breathable and cooler than most man-made fibers. Fashion experts say that the lighter pastel colors with hints of neon are defining the trend this summer. Avoid anything tight-fitted. In fact, wear an oversized shirt teamed with something tighter,† says Pallavi Das, creative head of designer-wear firm Satya Paul. Think easy and casual to temper the mounting heat, she says. 5. Get Out of The City If You Can. The searing temperatures in the city are enough excuse to plan a trip to the cooler hills. But most destinations are increasingly being overrun by tourists. During the peak summer months of May and June, popular escape spots in the north like Srinagar, Pahalgam, Simla and Mussoorie can be crowded. Ajay Jain, travel author and owner of Delhi’s Kunzum travel cafe, recommends destinations like the Chopta Valley in Sikkim, Abbott Mount in Uttaranchal and Shoja and Tirthan Valley in Himachal Pradesh as places that remain relatively unexplored. But they are further afield than the popular getaways and can be difficult to get too. If hotels in the Himalayas are sold out, Mr. Jain suggests heading down south. â€Å"Coorg [in Karnataka] is perhaps the best all year destination in the country. The weather there is always agreeable,† he says.