The 2008 Presidential election Essay Example for Free

The 2008 Presidential election Essay The 2008 Presidential election will soon be upon us as many   states have moved their primaries closer to the present day. It therefore would behoove every individual, no matter how apathetic they think that they are about the political process, to identify it and where they lay within the political spectrum. It is a source of great contention for all responsible citizens, when others dismiss our political process and then later complain when they have done nothing to change the status quo and do not even know the names of the candidates. This could have identified myself a few years ago. I took a greater interest in the history of politics than what was happening to my country in the present day. I then became aware of politics and therefore, needed to know where I stood and why.. This does not always hold true and there are certainly exceptions. However, the fact that Republicans base their beliefs on their faith and Democrats base their beliefs upon the Constitution first and perhaps their faith as well, such issues as abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research and the break down of the American family, all have compelled me to place one foot deep in the Republican Party and the other foot outside of both parties in the event that the Republican Party forgets the faith of the people that they represent as did the Democratic Party during the 1960s and 1970s. I consider myself a Kennedy Republican: strong moral and religious faith, unashamed of the greatness of this country, compelled to improve conditions for minorities as well as the poor, but always pushing self responsibility, self control and fiscal conservatism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the earliest and most powerful factors in a variety of aspects within my life, has been my family. It is ironic that the person who I learned the most from, now votes differently than I do. My father is a member of his union at work so he is compelled to vote for the Democratic Party. He does however disagrees with their stances on various social issues. The rest of my family agree with me and usually vote as I do. I come from a nuclear family and as a result, certain experiences are seen as an enigma rather than what was once the norm. My childhood was far from perfect. However, at the end of the day, I knew that my parents would always be there to meet my needs as well as a few of my wants. This did not happen by chance but through hard work and preparation. My parents were married when they were young but did not have children until seven years into their marriage. The reasons for this are two fold: First, they didn’t have the money to   raise a family and second, they first wanted a stable marriage in which to bring a child into the world. As a result, I was afforded a few more opportunities and benefited directly from my parents responsibility. That is one reason why I am a strong believer in personal responsibility. If a person commits a crime, it is his fault alone for committing that particular infraction.   That is why I am against an unfettered welfare system in which positive reinforcement is given for negative behavior. This does exclude those who are truly down on their luck and despite their best efforts, cannot find gainful employment. This does not mean however, that an individual with no job, no education and no significant other who would be there to share the financial and emotional burdens that come from having a child, should continue to receive an escalated rate of payment from the government, because that person chose to have yet another child that they cannot support. The child should not be punished for the irresponsible behavior of his or her parent but the parent should not be rewarded as well. Unfettered welfare irks me to no end. My father worked two jobs in order to support his family. My mother is obese and is in ill health but still works 50-60 hours a week.   Rather than apply for disability benefits which she would surely receive, she cannot consent to accept payments from the government for services that were never rendered.   My father is a painter in the summer and a school teacher the rest of the year. One summer day, he was painting outside and lost his balance.   He fell and fractured his ribs on an air conditioner unit. He was back to work in two days with a bandage on his abdomen. As a family, we were never poor and he could have afforded to stay home for another week but if he could work, he did and continued to do so, six days a week, fifty two weeks out of the year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As a result, I am firmly against continuing government sanctioned positive reinforcement toward negative behavior in the form of unfettered welfare payments. The current welfare system was started under President Lyndon Johnsons War on Poverty† (Schlesinger, 1965 pg. 761) where it was assumed that people would fight and claw their way back to become self sufficient but just needed a helping hand in the process. It could not be fathomed then, as it is still hard to comprehend today, that people would submit to receiving welfare payments for decades and would even have more children out of the motivation of receiving a larger government check. I feel that it is the responsibility of the parent, more than society and surely more than the government, to raise and support that child. I also believe that if the government is going to help and give aid to those families who are temporarily suffering from hard times that should be afforded to them while encouraging that individual to find another job as soon as possible. The government does not exist to serve as a babysitter for the American people. This is not what the rights expressed in the Constitution states and it contrary to the American work ethic which helped to give America the influence that it is long enjoyed. Hard work, responsibility and self control, I learned from my parents. As a result, I find it hard to prescribe to modern Democratic thought that seeks to protect abortion when parental responsibility would have avoided such issues, unfettered welfare while the individual is able to work and universal health care when it is the responsibility of the parent to pay for the bills of their own children.    The second great factor that influences me is my religious faith. More and more people are identifying themselves as atheists. The Republican Party has shown that they have little room for them.. Therefore, they go, sometimes by default, to the Democratic Party and affect the political party that used to stand for Christian values. It has become a sad reality but one cannot hope to gain the Democratic nomination for President unless he or she is pro choice and pro gay marriage to some degree. Also, many Democratic are for stem cell research in which the human embryo is destroyed in the process. The Republicans do not have a monopoly on what is right and moral.. However, the terms: The religious right and the secular left are becoming more and more accurate, although there are many exceptions. As a result, as long as such issues remain so destructive to the American moral fiber of this country, mistakes that the Republicans make, including many aspects of the War on Terror, it is understood, will not last forever and therefore, people should not be switching their vote over to the Democratic Party.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No matter how long it takes, the war will be over before babies will be given the protection of life that is seen in the Constitution and if our forefathers were alive today, would cringe at the fact that the practice of killing a human life, sometimes by piercing their brain with a steel rod, is allowed and tolerated in this country. The Bible states that God knew us while we were in our mothers womb. (Bible, 2000 pg. 328) Abortion is avoidable in 99% of the cases if the parents only possessed the desire not have sex until they are ready to endure the full consequences. Some of the blame should be placed at the feet of those who perpetrate this notion of a blameless society in which the consequences of sin which is now regarded as vile as a four letter word, is real and should be avoided.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The same can be said for the issues of gay marriage and stem cell research. Such things God takes very seriously.   However, the fact that nearly 20,000 murders happen every year with the use of hand guns and Republicans fight so hard to keep that right, might seem to disappoint God as well. The Republicans do not have a monopoly on what God wants for this country. However, serious Christians cannot get past the idea of legalized murder and the continued acceptance of homosexuality by our government. Such notions appeal to many Americans and compels others to wonder what our forefathers would say if they were given the chance to commend on what has happened to the morals of this country. There are many on the political left that shake their head in frustration and disgust when they hear such motivations behind the Republican Party. This will likely be the case as religion becomes a four letter word more now than in recent history, As Muslim extremists hurt, not only the religion of Islam but all religion as those on the outside looking in and trying to understand those who claim a faith as religious fundamentalists and radicals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There has been a minor resurgence of faith in America but as much as Christians and others of faith push for America to be the country that it once was in the area of religious freedom and expression, secularists will push back just as hard. Although a controversial figure, Bill OReilly corrected identified the problem as a culture war. It was saddening but not surprising that during the Clinton Presidency, the Christmas Tree became rather a holiday tree. When crosses are forbidden to reside in the side of the road as a family member tries to honor the death of a loved one, Christmas is now referred to as X-mas and American soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to their country in a time of war, yet cannot have any mention of God at their burial if the government is going to sponsor it. When that occurs, it is hard to believe that   there is not a definite war on people of faith in this country and, from my point of view, it is perpetrated by people who identify themselves as politically liberal. This is not an attempt to vilify all Liberals in such a way. The Democratic Party of Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, yes Lyndon Johnson, simply does not exist anymore and Democrats of faith are forced to choose their party over their faith as the two have less and less in common.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once I began to identify with the Republican Party as I grew stronger in my faith, I then wanted to know my role in the political socialization and if I had any role in it. I avoid fights and heated arguments on the issue of politics. Discussing NAFTA or the growing trade deficit is not worth the loss of a friendship as my friends can become rather heated in their discussion of politics. I find it refreshing that I discuss politics with people my own age who actually follow the news. There are many who have become so apathetic about anything that does not involve popular culture, that to discuss politics, one would first need to be aware of the very basics of American Civics to which many are completely ignorant. In those case, I tend to inform my friends about what is going on and sometimes, spin the information to perhaps gain another convert. I would conclude however, that everybody, especially the media, does the same to a much greater degree. If somebody hears the details of partial birth abortions but then the media, in an effort to calm the moral outrage of the viewer, informs them that such things happen in less than 1% of the abortions in this country, I would then inform the same individual that with more than one million abortions committed every year, if only 1/4 of 1% of babies were subjected to this procedure, that meant that every year, twenty five hundred babies were having their brains pierced by a metal rod; a baby with the same number of hands, fingers, feet and toes as one who had just been born. (Johnson, 2004 pg. 1A)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Republicans will probably lose their bid for the White House this year as the war in Iraq has made most Americans tired of the Republican Party and their mismanagement of it. Even the strongest supporter of the White House, questions when and where the Iraq war will end. This will cause a number of people to switch their allegiance to the Democratic Party. However, for the individuals like myself who are in this for the long haul and wish for America, not to become a theocracy, but to remember and respect what made this country great, to resist those who would seek to revise this countrys history and the basis for its laws. However, in an age of such apathy towards such serious issues that face the country in favor of who is the latest to survive the round of cuts on American idol, I am just happy to discuss politics with any informed and enlightened individual;, regardless of their political leanings. Such discussions serve as a welcomed and relaxing respite from what has become Americas most abundant export; mindless and fleeting popular culture. I will follow with great interest, the road that the rest of the country takes during this presidential election next year. WORKS CITED Johnson, Mark   Partial Birth Abortion Ban Challenged by Dems USA Today August 12, 2004 Schlesinger, Arthur  Ã‚   A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House New York: Doubleday Press 1965 Toobin, Jeffrey   The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court  Ã‚   New York: Doubleday Publishers  Ã‚   2007 The Holy Bible  Ã‚   New York: Oxford University Press 2000

Shark Valley :: Free Descriptive Essay About A Place

Shark Valley Shark Valley †¦ Where were the sharks and the valley? Grass, alligators, birds†¦they were all there but the sharks were missing in action. Anyways, I may have missed the sharks but I did come away from Shark Valley with two lessons learned. One is that determination pays off and second that it is never too late to try something new. Fifteen miles sounded like a challenging ride but I figured I could do it. I thought to myself, â€Å"you're young and in decent shape it shouldn't be so bad.† Lets just say that the dark sky and threat of rain were an ominous warning of what lay ahead. I jumped on my bike and the first couple of miles went by easily. There were birds to see and alligators to avoid. Then the wind started to take its toll. I felt like I was peddling and going nowhere. The wind was determined to keep me from making any forward motion. Miles started passing slower and slower. The tower, the halfway mark and my refuge, seemed a distant dream. It was frustrating and tiring. I started to empathize with Chaz's character from Skinny Dip . The everglades changed from a place I once liked to one I couldn't wait to get out of. I understood Chaz's eagerness to get home and be comfortable and away from the sweat and labor. Then I realized that I was identifying with a whining, lazy con artist and I stra ightened myself out. I told myself that the tower wasn't that far away and that if I kept pushing I would be there in no time at all. My mind said keep going but my legs were saying stop right here. Determination to reach my goal carried me to that tower and onto a comfortable bench. After lunch I was feeling rested and my legs were ready to go. The ride back went a little smoother because the wind was not a factor. It no longer teased me as I struggled to move forward. Not even the rain could stop me. I was on a roll and I wasn't going to stop rolling until I reached the end of the trail. It was a challenging ride for me but I was determined to complete it. Needless to say, I have never been so happy to see my car before.

Mba Essay Sample

MBA essay sample I came from a family who made constant use of street smarts to survive living in Nigeria. Both of my parents have not even finished secondary education. However, my hardworking mother never wanted the same fate for me. She never dare imagine me as a mainstay in the sweltering, overpopulated streets of Lagos, in danger of becoming the next victim of violence. It is a city full of tribal and religious tensions, forever waiting to explode. Yet, this was where I had learned leadership and discipline.It was hard enough to live in a dangerous neighborhood, but to concentrate in my studies while helping my parents sell market goods during my free time seemed next to impossible. I made a game out of it, giving points to myself for everyday I was able to fulfill all my duties. If I had to add the points together and redeem them in a form of money, I would now be a very rich man. With points in my imaginary bank, I was able to get a college degree in Economics.This made sense to me because I had always been interested in supply and demand. My parents’ daily toil in the market awakened me to this idea since I was just a young boy. I was also interested in the idea of rewarding a job well done, as I used to do to myself. An Economics degree also made me understand how some countries could rise and fall. I want to be able to control the rise of a future business. Here in the United States, I worried more about social acceptance and understanding.I am, after all, a minority among minorities, a black Muslim. The dangers that I was exposed to back home had taught me how to put on a brave front. However, I realized there was no need to be afraid. Even though there were still people who would look at me curiously when I don my traditional Nigerian clothes, everything is almost perfect. I say almost perfect, because we are always still working toward perfection. I am now aiming to enroll into an MBA program, hoping that this will enhance whatever business skills I already have.I want to be able to create a safer environment, in which my parents can sell their goods. Maybe I can convince them to start a new business, aside from selling in a market stall. An MBA degree is a special tribute I give to my parents. My parents value education, though they were not so lucky to become fully educated. It is with gratitude that I turn to them, looking back to the day I received my Economics diploma. It is with hope that I face my future, hopefully with an MBA degree that can help not just myself but my beloved parents to survive their plight.

Leadership Incident Essay

Companies differ markedly in their ability to produce future leaders, as several recent analyses of the 1,187 largest publicly-traded U.S. companies revealed. Among the CEOs in one study, a remarkable total of 26 once worked at General Electric (GE). But as the table below shows, on a per-employee basis that earns GE only tenth place in terms of the likelihood of a current or former employee’s becoming CEO of a large company. Top on the list is management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Amazingly, if we extrapolate into the future from the current stock of McKinsey alums who are CEOs, of every 690 McKinsey employees, one will become CEO of a Fortune 1000 company. Some companies did not fare nearly as well, such as Citigroup (odds: 30,180:1), AT&T (odds: 23,220:1), and Johnson & Johnson (odds: 15,275:1). While some might dismiss the results, not surprisingly, the companies at the top of the list do not. â€Å"We are a leadership engine and a talent machine,† said retiring P&G CEO A. G. Lafley. Questions 1. Management consulting firms did very well on a per-employee basis, partly because they are mostly comprised of managers (as opposed to blue-collar or entry-level workers). How big a factor do you think composition of the workforce is in likelihood of producing a CEO? 2. Do you think so-called leadership factories are also better places for non-leaders to work? Why or why not? 3. Assume you had job offers from two companies that differed only in how often they produced CEOs. Would this difference affect your decision? 4. Do these data give any credence to the value of leader selection and leader development? Why or why not? Based on D. McCarthy, â€Å"The 2008 Best Companies for Leaders,† Great Leadership (February 17, 2009), http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2009/; F. Hansen, â€Å"Building Better Leaders†¦Faster,† Workforce Management (June 9, 2008), pp. 25-28; D. Jones, â€Å"Some Firms’ Fertile Soil Grows Crop of Future CEOs,† USA Today (January 9, 2008), pp. 1B, 2B.

fmla essays

fmla essays Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (...) The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) allows eligible employees of a covered employer to take job-protected, unpaid leave, or to substitute appropriate paid leave if the employee has earned or accumulated for up to a total of 12 workweeks in any 12 months because of the birth of a child and to care for the newborn child, because of the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care, because the employee is needed to care for a family member (child, spouse, or parent) with a serious health condition, or because the employees own serious health condition makes the employee unable to perform the functions of his or her job. In certain cases, these leave may be taken on an irregular basis rather than all at once, or the employee may work a part-time schedule. An employee on FMLA leave is also entitled to have health benefits maintained while on leave as if the employee had continued to work instead of taking the leave. If an employee were paying all or part of the premium payments prior to leave, the employee would continue to pay his or her share during the leave period. The employer may recover its share only if the employee does not return to work for a reason other than the serious health condition of the employee or the employees immediate family member, or another reason beyond the employees control. An employee generally has the right to return to the same position or an equivalent position with equivalent pay, benefits and working conditions at the conclusion of the leave. The taking of FMLA leave cannot result in the loss of any benefits that were accumulated prior to the start of the leave. The employer has a right to a 30 days advanced notice from the employee where possible. In addition, the employer may require an employee to submit certification from a health care provider to substantiate that the leave is due to the se...

What Hiring Managers Really Think of Tattoos in the Workplace

What Hiring Managers Really Think of Tattoos in the Workplace Approximately 14% of the American population have at least one tattoo.  Tattoo culture is on the rise  and the trend has finally made it’s way into mainstream society. Despite this new found popularity, there still seems to be a stigma regarding tattoos in the workplace. According to Skinfo.com, People with tattoos are more likely to have limited career potential and are less likely to get hired. In fact, there are no laws in place protecting people with tattoos from discrimination. And it’s not just hiring managers either. Skinfo also found that 43% of people feel that visible tattoos in the workplace are inappropriate.Luckily, large companies such as IKEA, Target, Google, and UPS are more tattoo friendly.So if you have tattoos, how do you go about finding and keeping a job? Skinfo has compiled an infographic on everything you need to know about tattoos in the workplace. You can use this to plan for the good, the bad, and the ugly. Good luck!Source:[BusinessInsider ]

Care Delivery and Care Management in Nursing Case Study

Care Delivery and Care Management in Nursing - Case Study Example (Kurtzman and Corrigan, 2007, 20-36). This patient, Mr. John Smith has mental disability. Maintenance of Safe Environment: The nurse plans therapeutic interventions for clients with actual or potential risks for safety based on the nursing assessment of the risks and a development of a care plan for the specific client through a process called nursing process (Scott-Cawiezell and Vogelsmeier, 2006, p. 179-215). Nursing Process: The Roper et al. model for nursing offers a framework where during care, the nurse is able to ensure that his individuality is taken adequate care of and provided due weightage. The Roper-Logan-Tierney model recommends a problem-solving approach in the nursing process (Roper, Logan, and Tierney, 1983, 17-19). Deriving from this, nursing process can be defined as a systematic approach to planning and delivering nursing care. This process comprises of four main stages, namely, assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. After the problem is determined, the nurse can then assess the needs of the patient. Depending on the needs, a plan of care is developed, depending on which the nurse can determine nursing goals. Once the goal is set, the chosen nursing care strategies can then be implemented, after which, it is also important to evaluate the care process, since any gap can be rectified through evaluation (Roper, Logan, and Tierney, 1983, 17-19). Assessment: Assessment is a cyclica... Smith. His main and actual problem was that he was unable to maintain his own internal and external safe environment due to his confused and impaired cognitive state. Rate of breathing, pattern of chest movement, presence of cyanosis, and pulse oximetry are important steps of assessment. It is important to remain aware that if needed, oxygen needs to be prescribed. Neurological assessment needed to be undertaken to assess the state of confusion and cognition. The aggression was also needed to be assessed. A safe external environment needed to be assessed by positioning of Mr. John Smith on bed, protective devices, and his own mobility. Apart from these, it was also important to assess whether all equipment for emergency care was within reach and was in working order. These included oxygen, suction apparatus, emergency trolley and resuscitation kit (Lesa and Dixon, 2007, 166-172). Identification of the Actual and Potential Problems: While assessing Mr. Smith, his actual and potential problems were prioritized. He was elderly with confusion and memory loss. Therefore, he was dependent for his care and needs. His religious and spiritual needs were also important parts of the assessment. His most important need was his care needs in terms of safety. Once his respiratory safety was ensured, his other actual problems were identified. He was having a problem with mobility due to age and confused state. This would call for positioning in the bed, safety arrangements in the bed and bed to chair mobility. Due to bed-ridden condition, he might have pressure sore or deep vein thrombosis (Roper, Logan, and Tierney, 1983, 43-44). Independent movement was also unsafe. He could end up having falls that is a safety risk. He was having aggression that