Beslan Barricade Incident Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Beslan Barricade Incident - Case Study Example When Gorbachev dissolved the communist party and formed the Common Wealth of Independent States (CIS) this gave most of the Soviet Socialists states their independence but the economical relationship still existed. Russia's economy was in a state of total disarray in the mid 90's and the economy almost collapsed in the 1997 when the Russian government had to stop the trading of the rubble on the international market, when the September 11 attacks took place, the United States of America retaliated with attacking Afghanistan and this caused major changes in the world, the oil rich countries received a shock and as if Afghanistan wasn't enough the USA followed it up by attacking Iraq and hence the oil prices rocketed sky high and this is what helped Russia the most because its economy started recuperating on the back of rising oiling prices. This was a major point because Russia is now able to repay debts before time and has since been able to throw around its weight on the political s cenario that is quickly developing and evolving into a multi polar stage rather than being just uni-polar with Britain and Russia being the countries that have been able to voice their concerns and also do something to follow up with those voices. In 1994 the first Chechen war was fought and due to a lack of planning from the Russian military they had to face a lot of casualties and were demoralized very early into the war, it last 2 years and after that a peace treaty was signed. This treaty was not able to guarantee any peace and the second Chechen war started in 1999 with Russia showing its might and bombarding the area using its air force, followed up by a ground attack and hence they were successful this time around in capturing Chechnya. In February of 2000 the Russians were finally able to capture Groznyy but the fighters of different militant groups vowed to keep up the resistance till death or freedom and this is the reason that this issue needs to be resolved and resolved quickly because this could turn into a breeding ground for terrorist organizations and once that happens it would be very difficult to have a secure Russia, that could effect the economy and the bubble might burst on the investments front if this situation is not resolved properly. The capture of Groznyy in 2000 was a political as well as a military victory for a newly appointed president, Vladimir Putin and his stance in this issue was definitive to him being selected as the president of Russia till March of 2008. Russian Point of View: The Russian point of view on this issue is one that can be called rational and irrational both at the same time. Russia fears that if Chechnya is granted freedom then other states would also want a free state and this could refuel rebel movements that have died down in other states because then they would know that if they pursue the course that the chechnyan rebel leaders and people took then they too can have independence. This fear of being disintegrated is a very rational one because Russia is one of the most diversified countries in the world, diversified in language, culture and ethnicity and these are very strong lines along which one can press for freedom because entire countries have been granted freedom before on the basis of religion and language. The other

Summary and analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summary and analysis - Essay Example Even if they are to be refunded the amount when they are tested negative, still the pain of the expenses would be badly felt by the applicant as they are there in the first place asking for help because they need money to spend for their basic needs and not on some tests that require them precious time and nickels. The reason why this is being taken into consideration is that because it is not only in welfare application that drug tests are being required but in similar situations as well like the job training programs. On another note, the author also considers the fact that there are taxpayers arguing that every penny they pay should be used to help other people for their necessities and not drug dependence, he supports his argument by what statistics say about certain groups. For instance, he notes that if drug testing the welfare applicants were used as a checking tool for drug users, it has been documented that there is no significant difference between the number of drug users among welfare applicants and non-applicants. In fact, another study he mentioned supports that seventy percent of illegal drug users are from the employed group (Cohen). This means that those who really are seeking the government’s help are not the unemployed as it is implied by the policy on drug test implies. Getting back with the argument of taxpayers supporting the expenses of drug users, it is true that they may have all the right to make sure that the money they sweated for is used for good purposes and not for the vices of abusive citizens, it has to be considered also that drug testing applicants is not the answer to checking drug use. On the part of the government, there could be large amounts of money to be saved from not paying applicants who will test positive in their drug tests and this is one argument the author is trying to dig in the article. Considering

Employment Law Compliance Essay Example for Free

Employment Law Compliance Essay Our client, Bradley Stonefield, is planning to open a limousine service, Landslide Limousines, in the Austin, Texas area. Mr. Stonefield plans to hire approximately twenty-five people to provide first class transportation to a variety of clientele. Before Mr. Stonefield begins hiring it is imperative that he has an understanding of applicable employment laws. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) is a well-known and widely used federal anti-discrimination law (LaMance, n. d. ). Title VII make it illegal for employers to discriminate against someone based on their race, religion, national origin or sex (U. S. EEOC, 2014). The Act also made it illegal for employers to retaliate against a person who files a complaint of discrimination or participates in a discrimination investigation (U. S. EEOC, 2014). An employer who violates Title VII may find themselves subjected to a number of legal consequences such as having to pay large sums for damages and being required to readjust the company’s policies (LaMance, n. d. ). To avoid violating Title VII Mr. Stonefield and his managers should treat all employees and applicants equally without regard to any characteristics except job performance (HR Specialist, 2013). The Texas Payday Law covers all business entities in the state of Texas, regardless of size except public employers such as the state or federal government (TWC, 2013). This law gives the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) the authority to enforce wage laws and investigate wage claims (TWC, 2013). Texas Payday Law covers compensation for services rendered, commissions and bonuses, and certain other fringe benefits according to a written agreement with or policy of the employer (TWC, 2013). The law states that employers must pay employees for all hours worked and these wages must be received by the employee no later than payday (TWC, 2013). If the employer lays off, discharges or fires an employee they must pay all wages owed to that employee within six calendar days of the date of separation (TWC, 2013). If an employee voluntarily quits or retires their final payment of wages is due to them on the payday following the date of separation (TWC, 2013). If an employer violates the Texas Payday Law they may be fined the lesser of the wages claimed or $1,000 (TWC, 2013). To avoid violating this law Mr. Stonefield should make sure that employees are paid for all hours worked and that all wages due are paid to employees on time. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act applies to all employers that employ twenty or more employees (U. S. EEOC, 2008). The Act states that it is â€Å"unlawful to discriminate against a person because of his or her age with respect to any term, condition or privilege of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits, job assignments and training† (U. S. EEOC, 2008). Violating the Age Discrimination in Employment Act can cause the business to incur legal liability and require payment of large monetary judgments (Mayfair, n. d. ). Mr. Stonefield and his managers can avoid violating this Act by never taking a person’s age or proximity to retirement into consideration when making decisions about hiring, firing, pay, benefits or promotions (HR Specialist, 2013). The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 prohibits an employer from knowingly hire, recruit or refer for pay any person who is unauthorized to work in the United States (Boston University, n. d. ). If an employer violates this law they can be fined from $100 to $1,000 and the fine is not just for the employer but also for each employee working for them illegally (Boston University, n. d. ). There is also the possibility of imprisonment for employers that are deemed to show a pattern of violating this Act (Boston University, n. d. ). To avoid violating the Immigration Reform and Control Act Mr. Stonefield must verify the identity and employment eligibility of each employee he hires. He must complete and retain a complete INS Form I-9 documenting this verification (Boston University, n. d. ). Conclusion It is important that Mr. Stonefield and his management team understand that labor laws were passed in order to provide protection for both employees and employers. That is why the government puts so much emphasis on making sure organizations take them seriously by enforcing the laws with strict consequences for noncompliance. Staying in compliance with these laws is not only important to avoid legal penalties but will also protect the business from gaining a negative public image that can be extremely damaging to their bottom line.

Changing attitudes toward death and dying

Changing attitudes toward death and dying The death process is permanent and predictable and it is known as the personal event that the person can never think. The history of deaths has been looked upon events of social importance and each and every culture has defined some rules and regulations to define death as an extraordinary passage and the way to deal with the outcomes. At the time of twentieth century, the terminology death along with its social definition has transformed and prepared extraordinary opportunities for the purpose of getting sociological inquiry. The decline in the mortality rate has been identified as most common feature within the social histories. Life expectancy rate the time of birth has increased from last 30 years in 1900 to 50 years.  Ã‚  It has been stated that almost two third part of longevity from ancient times to the present times has occurred in the short period from 1900 (Preston, 1976).  Ã‚   Death has been an inevitable event since the inception of mankind in this universe. There is always the worry among individuals towards the life and well being. The individuals are worried at one or the other instance for living their lives. Therefore, it becomes crucial to understand what are the exact factors related to death and dying of humanity. An individual, if not dies, can result in disturbance of life cycle of this globe. This is not under the control of anyone to make amendments in this life cycle. The report here titled as, Death and dying: Changing attitudes through the ages; discusses about various factors that are affecting the lives of individuals. Report begins here with a clear focus laid on the aims of the report followed by research questions to understand the topic thoroughly. Various factors had been found of importance to be studied. There has always been a question in mind whether and how an individual behaves towards death and is it considered a positive aspect or not. How the individuals are are fear of death and what the right time of death is. These all aspects are explored in the report in below sections to have a thorough control over the research topic. 2 Aims and Research Question The research report here aims to understand the struggle that human being is facing since centuries. The change in philosophy associated with life is the main cause of change in attitude of human beings towards death. One can explore further this death on relating it with the time period in the life of human history. The western world has increasingly shifted towards change in conception for death due to rise in Christianity and the way it has affected lives (Aries, 1974). Therefore, the below are few stated research questions to explore further the concept of death and dying and the changing attitude:- Is death good or bad? How the attitude of individuals has changed towards death and dying? Is the man of today more worried against death? What is the right time of death? The discussion in this report would analyze various associated concepts to explore further the concept of death and dying in todays life. 3 Discussion Most of the deaths have occurred among the old aged ones but not among young generation people. The studies in United States reveal that people at the age of 85 years and above has accounted for almost one percent of entire population and they account for 17% of death (J. Brody, 1983). So the deaths have taken new meanings for the society and individual both. Death is not known as an adventitious part of life (Parson, 1963). Smaller number of lives has cut before completing education, work and social life (Preston, 1977). Fatalism provides a higher degree of control as well as predictability (Cf. Lofland, 1978). The delay in the death process has come up with the speed. The social institutions and norms have delayed it. It is not much surprising that death and its social meaning has gone off and the proper understanding of death has been reassessed by sociologists. From past two decades, a considerable literature as a quasi popular and scholarly type has been generated by number of p eople such as journalists, nurses, psychologists, philosophers, theologians, historians, ethicists, sociologists, social critics and thanatologists (cf. Fulton 1976, 1981; Pollak 1979-80).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The word dying is called as the ultimate shortage of time by Moore (1963) and it has taken a most important point that it has the power to threaten an individual self.  Ã‚  A famous person has given his  view on the sociological study of death that death always asks for an identity of an individual (Robert Fulton, 1976a).  Dying is known as the social process that focuses on the sociological issues that  are concerned with the process of dying and self. Researches have not clearly shown the actual conditions of dying. But one British study has talked about the dying among the patients who are living in this world and among the people who are known of their own attitude (Cartwright, Hockey Anderson, 1973).  Ã‚  The attitude of people towards death varies according to the ages and stages of life. Most of the people are living into later years and they have their own predicted on time deaths. A growing number of people are present at the position to consider the sense of thei r own deaths. Some sociologists have identified themselves engaged in the questions which are related to the death and its social meaning and its relation with the process of dying that how the topic of death is of great importance. What type of attitudes about death people have in their mind? What type of preparations they make for anticipating death (Riley, 1968)? The first survey in United States have found the attitude of people towards death and that survey was conducted in 1960s (Riley, 1970). That study has assessed the thought about deaths that most of the people at the all ages have non-threatening images of death in their mind. It has found that death is a blessing and it is not dreadful event for the person who dies but it is very sad for the survivors. The study also has revealed that death comes very quickly and few people have argued that death means the people have to suffer a lot. There was significant increase found in the degree to which the deaths process imposed upon the everyday lives of people. People were asked about an uncertainty of deaths or their lives. It has been found that death as a part of thoughts increased among the person at all ages and it increased in the later years of the lives of people. The researchers have found that people are unwilling meet with these realities. In 1970s, people agreed that each person die with the dignity and if the person has died, then the person has to tell it to doctors. Some studies have also taken place within the topic of anticipation of death. There was one question asked that do the people feel good to avoid the deaths and not try to make plans for anticipating deaths? Do they feel to make plans for death?  Ã‚   3.1 Self destruction The case of the sociological relationships of the person to the death which is known as suicide was taken. There were some sociological studies conducted on the topic dying and death (Cavan 1928; Halbwachs 1930; Henry Short 1954; Dublin 1963; Gibbs Martin 1964; Douglas 1967). Several studies have taken place on the social factors that are related with the rates of suicide. Several measures were taken such as industrialization which was identified by the gross national product and the status of integration. It has been founds that status integration was negatively correlated with the suicide rates.  Ã‚  Other study revealed about the suicide rates which were related with the family and their marital status and it was based on Durkheim theory.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3.2 Self management of death time It has been stated by several studies that people who are concerned with the relationship of themselves to the society are self motivated for managing the time of their deaths. It has assumed that the determination to live the life without identifying any biological linkages. It must b involved within thistopic (Marshall, 1980).  Ã‚  The people who are separated from the society always commit suicide and the people who are attached with it, delay the death or try to observe the time of getting social significance (Kalish, 1970). It has been proposed that deaths can be expected at the time of social occasions such as the Jewish day of compensation (Yom Kippur; Phillips Feldman, 1973).  From the year 1904-1968, researcher had found the difference between the deaths in non election as well as election years. They found that there was significant difference in the mortality rates of US people before electing US president. Some researchers have shown the fact about the low mortality rates just before to ceremonial occasions and the researcher found strong relationships between the death and the birthdays. The theory was that the people at their birthdays receive attention from the people (Philips, 1972).  Ã‚   3.3 Social Stressors and the Self Several sociological studies have talked about the social outcome for the lives of people along with fundamental changes during the period of industrial relocations, retirement, and institutionalization and at the time of economic depression. The mortality rates depend on these variables. It has been predicted that retirement is known as a stressful event which lead the higher rates of death for retirees as compared to the people who works. Life long work is considered as the stressor and retirement variable acts as the moderator that increases longevity. It has been revealed by the studies that mortality rate among the early and normal retirees within the major industries are different. The mortality rate of early retiree was higher than the predicted rates. The mortality rate in case of normal retirees was no different between the normal and expected rates. Some data was taken out from the companies such as pension, medical records, personnel etc. 4 Findings 4.1 Death is good? If you are born to this world, you are probable completely to experience death at one time or the other because death is inevitable. The point is whether death is a good thing to experience or is it a bad one? Everyone living in this society faces death at one or the other instance. No one is born eternal. An individual dies and ends his or her life at certain age due to natural or accidental death (Lynch, 1997). There are thousands of ways in which a human being can die. This death adds to the fear in mind of humanity. Human beings fear of this uneven cause at one or the other time. Death is acceptable for some people, while others fear against death (Nagel, 1970). The pain and fear of death can be dangerous. At such an instance, it becomes important to result in an approach to ensure that a person lives for long; however, the human beings have no control over this mandatory part of life that results into end of life. A human being feels comfortable considering death is for all and there is no loss of it if anyone faces it. All the human beings have to face death one or the other day. The human beings shall live their days and take complete enjoyment of it. One shall not be worried for his death at the entire instance, but shall be aware of comfort and enjoyment throughout his life. Humanity has to take due interest of this and live his life. While on looking at other side, people consider life as most important asset for them. Life is of supreme importance and there is the life is priceless. Therefore, it brings into attention whether life is most important for one? Yes it is as per the point that life is everything for a human being and the loss of life means the greatest loss that can be in ones life. There is no positive or negative aspect associated with it though. Human beings give away everything for the sake of life. This brings into attention the importance of life. Shall we live our life without any tension or shall we keep on worrying because of no importance of life? It is true that all the human beings want to live more and more. But, can one live for eternity? None of the human beings is here to be here. The life cycle keeps on rotating and the human beings die. Thus, from the above discussion it can be noted that the point whether death is good is a complex point to be cleared. It is not easy to find the right way in which we can consider whether death is good for a person or if it is not. There comes the need to assist in the way to come up to know whether death is good or not (Nagel, 1970). If the age has gone for an individual to live, the death could be a favourable point for him. However, it is still tough to say that death can be good. On the other hand, in case someone dies due to an accident or any uncertain reason, it is an unfavourable act for him. 4.2 Death- A change in Perception Death has been a point of sorrow since long when the conceptual designs by Holbein demonstrated the paintings of dead Christ with a sorrowful act (Julia, 1989). The perception of individual towards the death changes with the passage of time. For a child, death is not defined. However, in the adulthood, it becomes a fear factor for most of the human beings. The human beings consider it as the real cause of danger at their stage when the love to live. Therefore, individuals perception is quite conservative at this stage. However, the old aged people are not usually worried of death due to the reason that they already lived their life. Nagel (1970) has argued that people do not fear for death because of non existence for long term because of this. One does not consider life as suspended for a short period of time because this is considered as a misfortune. It can be a pity for those who get out of the circulation of life. One is not conceived, but is born for once. The point always exists in mind for the fear of death in humanity. Being dead is not an event but a curse as per the humanity. The consideration is laid on living for the whole life without any risk. However, the risks are always related with the life. One cannot be at a state of complete risk free life. The time does not demonstrate whether the state of life would be at complete risk free state. Therefore, the need exists at such an instance to life for the society. As per the interviews conducted by Barnes (2008), responses were collected with regard to existence of God. These provided the details of self reflection along with clarifying important them es of writings. Barnes (2008) says that he does not trust for existence of God, but he misses God. 4.3 Man of today- Worried of death The man in todays life is more worried of death (Julian, 2008). On looking at the past records of Renaissance and mediaeval times, it can be noted that death was amongst the community events. The family members band together with each other to share the moments of sorrow at such an instance. This helps them be with each other at typical instances. This was considered as the reason for being together. However, the concept has changed into a religion in todays time. None of the character is rigid in itself right from the beginning to the end, as there are continuous changes in thought process (Troyer, 2007). Today, it is usual to share the moments of sorrow with each other at hospital to share the tough times with each other. This helps in confining the complex situation with each other to give some support in these times. However, the fear of death is one and the same on comparing time of past and that of present. The death is such an instance which gets out of the scope of an understanding of human being. This even can occur anytime and anywhere with anyone, no matter what the situation and setting is with the surrounding. An individual conceives death as a complex phenomenon. The death has been a point of worry right from the time it was recorded long- long ago when the humanity started. It is a simple concept in everyones mind that life is the cause of joys and death is the cause of sorrows. There is a paradigm shift in the concept associated with death. This was the concept quite personal in historic times, but has become individualistic at present instance. This raises the need for higher degree of need for maintaining and regulating the tough situations to assure that the mankind is out of danger. If an individual gets ready to face the time of death, he can do so. The human psychology is the main factor that can result in death or life of a human being (Michel, 2003). The perception of an individual depends on his life and profession with regard to death. Doctors and nurses who are operating surrounded by death of people all around one or the other day, consider this as the normal phenomenon at usual instance, while others take it as a tough one. The main factor is the relatedness of death with the person who is suffering from it. This characteristic affects the humanity in one or the other way. 4.4 Dreadful act- Is there right time for it There has always been a conception in mind, what is the right age for death? One considers life as an important part right from his birth to the time the human being leaves his life (Nagel, 1970). Therefore, the life of humanity is always a good opt for individuals. But, one looking at the real life, we can note a number of events when the individual wishes to leave his life due to some or the other reason. This acts against the humanity and the living being gives up against his life. This may be at early stages of life or might take place at later stages. When an individual feels uncomfortable of his body and physique, the chances are there for taking an interest of ending ones life. However, these chances even increases more when the human being is not comfortable mentally due to some or the other reason. This acts quite badly against the humanity and the life is at risk. The death is an imminent part of ones life as one cannot survive always. The most common components associated with life are death, vision, and premonitions (Crissman, 1994). The situation of promotions are not easy to be faced as it is the time when one knows that he is going to die within short span. This is the main factor that acts against the life and well being. The person gets worried due to this factor. This knowing of the situation can be due to some magical reason, or be supernatural, or through the natural sign or inner conviction (Crissman, 1994). The condition rises to take due care of such an instance; else the chances are there for risk against life and well being. Thereon, the humanity survives only due to the situational success (Bryant, 2003). However, historic people were during the Appalachian culture focused more depending on superstition. 5 Conclusion For the topic titled as, Death and dying: Changing attitudes through the age, the topic was noted to be highly complex in actual sense. It was found that the researchers are contributing well to the research topic since the last century. This demonstrates high degree of interest among the individuals towards this concept. The death is always under the consideration to postpone because of increasing awareness and interest among individuals to live their lives. There is always the moral dilemma related to the euthanasia among individuals. However, the case of fear is increasingly getting over the lives. Increasingly individuals get involved in wrongful act. This has raised the accidents of suicides to a higher degree. The death in todays time has shifted towards being more and more deadly. Individuals take more interest in being attracted towards enlarged life. However, the change in attitude of man is still not much different as compared to that of historic times. There is still the importance laid on lives and humanity. This raised the attention among individuals to live for longer duration. On the other hand, the complex lives in todays time has resulted in increased the complexity of humanity. This further adds to the pressure on the mind of individuals leading them to depression and thus resulting in wrongful acts. There is no time for death until the end of hope of an individual. This point out increasing interest among individuals to live and enjoy their lives with not much interest laid on the other factors. The fear against death is therefore a phenomenon which does not seem to decrease even after decades. Individuals would be keeping living their lives for more and more years, in spite of this being an uncontrollable variable for individuals.

Color Blindness in The White Boy Shuffle, by Paul Beatty Essay

Generally speaking, â€Å"color blindness† is understood to be the best way to engage racial problem. This concept is revealed and discussed in Paul Beatty’s novel, "The White Boy Shuffle". The novel portrays a young African American Gunnar’s life story that mainly focuses on his experiences and identities in different places. In the part of Gunnar’s childhood life in Santa Monica when mostly surrounded by white individuals, he is continuously indoctrinated with the idea of â€Å"color blindness† which is widely advocated by people in this community in order to alleviate racism. However, with massive exposure of â€Å"color blindness† ideology and application in Mestizo Mulatto Mongrel Elementary, the novel addresses color blindness is not a practical method for dealing with racism by exhibiting awkward contradictions it creates between â€Å"color† ignorance methodology and color detectable eyesight of human nature. Based on the encou nters from Gunnar in the novel, massively using the concept of â€Å"color blindness† will not change people and society’s perspective toward colored races. The superficial and ineffectiveness from this idea stress the difference between races. Implicitly, it is a new mode of racism. The only way to eliminate color-oriented issues is by acknowledging the difference between races and all amalgamate into one homogenous group. The novel firstly shows the idea of â€Å"color blindness† by staging of a teacher’s T-shirt, the T-shirt has words â€Å"black†, â€Å"white†, â€Å"red†, â€Å"yellow†, â€Å"brown† and â€Å"human† on it, which means that color of the skin is an ignorable fact under the definition of Human being. (28) To make this idea seemingly sound to students, Ms. Cegeny further addresses it by writing â€Å"Eracism-The sun doesn’t care what color you... ...he sacrifice is necessary. These two words indicate the current status of our society’s transformation. The process maybe painful, but the payoff will be worthwhile. The final equilibrium and balance between individuals can be accomplished by acknowledging difference without dividing races like grey harmonious elephants. These passages are based on the development of Gunnar’s comprehension and vision about colorblindness. From a believer to a critic, from a listener to a questioner, from the above discussion incorporated, this novel rebuts toward the effectiveness of colorblindness and illustrated about the new type of racism it creates. Lastly, through Gunnar’s reading about black and white elephants, advocated an idea of combing and bonding instead of dividing. Works Cited Beatty, Paul. The White Boy Shuffle, Henry Holt and Company :New York, 1996. Print.

Use of Model Rockets in Education Essay -- Education Essays

As students go about their lives in school, many of them are disengaged and what they do learn, they manage to forget over the matter of a few days. Many teachers have tried to find new ways of teaching that will both interest the students and help them to retain what they learn. Some of these ideas have worked well, while others do the opposite of what they are meant to achieve and disengage the students even more. One activity that a few organizations, such as Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Core, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Girl Scouts, have begun to use is the activity of building model rockets. Model rocketry has been a fun pass-time for many youth for years; they find it fascinating to watch something that they built soar hundreds of feet into the air, and then as the parachute deploys, see their masterpiece drift slowly back to them. All that these clubs are doing is taking this activity and using it to explain and teach the many concepts that go into th e launching of the rocket. James Goll and Lindsay Wlkinson, professors at Edgewood University, once said rockets can spark â€Å"classroom discussions about the chemistry topics of homogeneity, intermolecular interactions, kinetics, thermodynamics, and oxidation—reduction chemistry† (Goll & Wilkinson). In addition, Sylvia Nolte (Ed. D., Estes Educator) said, â€Å"rocketry is an excellent means of teaching the scientific concepts of aerodynamics and Newton’s Laws of Motion. It integrates well with math in calculating formulas, problem solving and determining altitude and speed.† (Nolte) One example where rockets help students in school is science. Chemistry, one branch of science, is a huge part of rocket building because of the fact that the fuel is comp... ...act right surface area, while making a shape that allows the rocket to do things that the designer desires such as be free standing, to spin on the way down as to stay straight, or even just to look cool. These are just the tip of the iceberg of the ways that model rocketry can help students. Model rocketry is a way that any organization can help their members to understand anything that they are trying to learn. Model rocketry will keep students engaged, help them retain what they learn, and let teachers teach in a new way. Works Cited Goll, James G., and Lindsay Wilkinson. â€Å"Teaching Chemistry Using October Sky." Edgewood.edu. Edgewood College, n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2014 Nolte, Sylvia, Ed. D. â€Å"hysics and Model Rockets.† EstesEducator.com. Ed. Thomas E. Beach, Ph. D., Tim V. Milligan, A.E., and Ann Grimm. Estes-Cox Corp, 20123. Web. 13 Mar. 2014

Vioxx Recall

IntroductionMerck, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical markets, had enjoyed a long reputation as one of drug companies that prioritize ‘ethical and socially responsible’ as their company’s main core values. They once had been recognized as â€Å"most admired company† for unbelievably seven successive years by Fortune magazine and also persistently listed as one of best companies to work for. With their flawless and honorable reputation, no wonder Merck ranked fourth in sales, fifth in assets and market values, and first in profits; where they earned $7.33 billion in 2005 (Lawrence, 2006).However, no one would have thought that someday, this company’s stability will be in questioned. That’s what happened in 2004. The company’s best-selling prescription painkiller, Vioxx turned out from a â€Å"blockbuster drug† to â€Å"blockbuster disaster† when it is believed that it increased the risk of heart attacks and st rokes. Consequently, Merck had to deal with many challenges; the plunge in the stock’s price, lawsuits, investigations and others. Until, in September 2004, Merck had to pull Vioxx off the market to focus on taking responsibilities for every trouble they have caused. This report will discuss in summary about what had happened; the behavior of  Merck towards risk associated with Vioxx, safety measures that should have been taken, the recall of Vioxx and some recommendations; which all will be explained further later on.Socially Responsible and Ethical MannerThis section will focus on the action of Merck; whether they have acted ethical and socially responsible with regard to Vioxx, and these actions will be addressed in terms of drug development and testing, marketing and advertising, relationships with government regulators and policy makers, and the handling of the recall. Also, this section will provide a few suggestions; what could or should Merck have done differently, if anything. George W. Merck, the company’s long-time CEO once said that, â€Å"We try never to forget that medicine is for the people, not for the profits. As long as we remembered that, the profits will follow; they never fail to appear†. This statement then decided to be set as their priority and guidance for every of their actions. However, did they really have acted ethical and socially responsible towards this value? No, they’re not. Why?Drug Development and TestingLet’s take a look at the situation first. Back in the old days; before the drug was approved, there are some doubt on the safety of prescribing Vioxx. Although it is still in the early stage, research made by Merck scientist suggests that there are high cardiovascular risks associated with the prescription of Vioxx. This was confirmed as stated in an e-mail by Dr. Alise Reicin (one of the Merck scientists), according to The Wall Street Journal. In the e-mail, she expressed her concerns in the possibility of cardiovascular events prior to prescribing Vioxx.She also had planned to communicate those results to her senior management; however, nothing’s happened. In 2000 (when Vioxx already in market), a research financed by Merck was conducted. This study; code-named VIGOR was designed to study gastrointestinal side effects by comparing it with the effects of taking naproxen (Aleve). The results of VIGOR later suggest that although Vioxx are easier on the stomach compared to naproxen, it also contribute to risks of suffering heart-attacks fives time higher.However, they denied the risks inherent in Vioxx by simply stating that the findings were in favor of the  heart-protective effect in naproxen. In 9 March 2000, Dr. Edward Scolnick; the company’s research director finally admitted the presence of cardiovascular risks inherent in Vioxx. Then, they considering to reformulate Vioxx by adding an agent to prevent blood clots (in the meantime, might reduce c ardiovascular risk), but somehow, they dropped the project. Analyzing from the situation above, clearly that Merck have not acted ethical and socially responsible in the Vioxx’s development and testing.Why? Here are the reasons. At first, if Merck already knew about Vioxx’s dangers and defects, especially in the development phase, they should never ever try to even put the drug in the market for prescription. Instead, they should finance and urge their research or scientist team to try reformulating the drug so that the harmful side effects can be removed, or at the very least, minimized. As for the results of VIGOR; where Vioxx was already there in the market, they should not denied whatever test or research that have been made and was proven to be true. Alternatively, Merck should have taken the drug off the market right then and explored other options to improve the drug. 2.2 Marketing and advertisingAs a fact, the advertising technique used by Merck and other drug companies at that time was Direct-to-Consumer (DTC). Granted by the FDA in 1997, this technique allows companies to directly advertise their prescriptions to respective target customers. To seize the opportunities, Merck then employed tens of thousands of sales representatives; mostly attractive young men and women. These people will then go to promote the drugs; often around the doctors’ offices where they will talk about the drugs and give out free sample.Aside of that, Merck also snatch the occasion by placing numerous ads on television, magazines and newspapers. One example of famous ad for Vioxx will be the ad featuring Olympic figure skating champion, Dorothy Hamill. In the ad, she slither elegantly across an outdoor ice rink, and later telling the commercial viewers that she would not let arthritis stop her. By all means, Merck did not act in an ethical manner in this term too. Why? Firstly, it does not communicate the full aspects of the products well enough; no messa ge regarding the safety precaution. This is illustrated in the Dorothy’s commercial, where the ad did not convey their message strong enough about it safety.It is afraid might exposed patients to prescribe  without having knowledge about the medicines, whether it is safe or not. Thus, what Merck could do differently is that, they should disseminate the full features about the drug, especially if the drug does inherent some risk in prescribing it. In addition; they can also convey the message simply by labeling or tag the bottle of the drug with some safety and precaution measures. In terms of DTC advertising, they should not put pressures on the doctors, because this might forced these doctors to recommend drugs that might not suitable for the patients. One way to deal with this approach is to forbid companies from giving gift or other forms of briberies in attempt to persuade doctors to bring their drugs to the attention of patients; since this is what Merck do behind the door.Relationships with government regulators and policymakersBack in the United States, the main body that regulate and conduct clinical trials to measure the safety and effectiveness’s of a drug before it can be sold to the public was the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To relate with this context, one of the reason why Merck became the leader in pharmaceutical industries is because it’s strong influence â€Å"at the top†. By lobbying, Merck and other drug companies consistently donate large sums of money to political parties, and this benefits them in terms of influence they had over some superiors, even at the FDA.The unethical actions of Merck were demonstrated during the â€Å"one-by-one† discovery of Vioxx’s bad side effects; where Merck keeps ignore the findings over and over again with various excuses. It is undisputable that such actions might be simply because those influences they thought they had over the regulators. If analyzed ca refully, their actions in handling the controversy might be influenced by the notion of â€Å"bribe† they have done over the past years; where they donate money to political parties. Thus, the act of so-called â€Å"donation† should be prohibited (fortunately, it was banned in 2003).Handling of the recallThough Merck consistently irresponsible socially and ethically in the way they dealt with the Vioxx situation, the handling of Vioxx recall from the pharmaceutical market seems to be managed appropriately and in a professional manner by Merck. On September 30, 2004, Vioxx was officially withdrawn from market associated with Merck press conference. In addition, Merck also revealed that the Vioxx issue was being investigated by the US  Justice Department, the Securities Exchange Commission and the US Congress. In this context, the only thing that Merck should have done differently is that whenever they found out any risk associated with their drugs, they shouldnâ€℠¢t wait any longer, even for one week, to withdraw their drugs out of the market.Rate of stakeholdersIn this section, the focus will be converged on the best ways to protect consumers of prescription medicines. This section also will outline what are the specific roles of stakeholders available in assuring the safety and effectiveness of prescription medicines. And by the term ‘stakeholders available’, explanation of the roles will be viewed from four perspectives of pharmaceutical companies, government regulators and policymakers, patients and their physicians and the court system.Pharmaceutical companiesNot just Merck, other pharmaceutical companies also should realize that they have a huge responsibility to ensure the safety of their respective customers, so that it can benefits themselves in return. As for Merck, who having â€Å"try to never to forget that medicine is for the people, not for the profits† as their touchstone of core values, they should have b een a better pharmaceutical companies in protecting their consumers. How? There are various ways to do so.First and foremost, and the most basic one is to remember the idea that medicines is for people, not for the profit. As long as they put people first, it is possible that customers will keep their loyalty with the company. Aside of that, companies also should realize that they are accountable to conduct more research and testing on their drugs before it can be placed in a market; so that nothing bad happened to their customers in the future. In addition, if their drugs do possess some risks in consuming it, at least put some warning or safety labels so that patients aware of that risk before prescribing it. 3.2 Government regulators and policymakersThis might be harsh, but the fact that all the problems occurred in the case of Merck and Vioxx are not just because of them alone, but the FDA too. If  FDA pays more attention, awareness and inspect on the safety of Vioxx more rigo rously, Vioxx may not be in the market at all, and thus might save people’s life. As a lesson, the following recommendations might help government to not let the same thing happened.First, drug-area regulators should ensure all new drugs that are going to be released to the public have been tested long enough and proven to be safe. In addition, all government regulators and policymakers in the field of pharmaceutical industries also should bear in mind that they have a huge responsibility in protecting the public against any harmful and risky drugs, so that they will not go easy on the companies that do not abide the law.Patients and their physiciansAside of government and pharmaceutical companies, consumers also should know their responsibility in protecting themselves against various harmful and risks associated with prescription medicines. One way to ensure the effectiveness and safety of a drug before prescribes it, is by looking for extra information about the prescripti on medicines. Consumers can do that by asking for opinion from their physicians and other experts, or even by accessing Internet. This way, patients will have the knowledge whether the drugs is harmful or not. On the other hand, physicians should be more aware against any types of bribes and kept in mind to avoid it no matter what, and be more honest to their patients to guide them about the safety of prescription medicines.The court systemTo protect consumers of prescription medicines, what the court system can do is to be more strict in the jurisdiction against any company that do not abide the law in assuring the safety of drugs, and zero tolerance with those who attempt to involve in briberies.Suggestion for ImprovementsPrior to this case study, it can be said that the main reasons why there are so many risky and harmful drugs in market are because the pressures put on the FDA to approve new drugs faster by consumers and drug companies alike. This led the FDA to sometimes overlo ok the risk and safety of certain drugs because of the pressure to meet the demands for these medicines. In this context, one of the changes that can be made is the FDA should extend the  time of approval of new drugs so that any necessary research can be made. This thus led to a better knowledge about the safety of the drugs before it can be sold into a market.Aside of that, DTC advertising system also need to be monitored continuously so that any acts of bribe such as gift, donation, etc. can be avoided. Lastly, it is suggested that all present system that regulates the law and policy of pharmaceutical industries to put some restrictions and even punishment for those companies that simply do not comply with the standards set.ConclusionThrough the case study, it can be said that Merck was indeed a successful company in their time. Although their low-point period was kept â€Å"in the eye of the storm† more than whatever success, honors, and recognition they did achieved be fore, Merck should be more appreciated for whatever great things that they have done in the past years. If only Merck do patience a little bit and not to rush with the introduction of Vioxx; instead they spent a longer time in minimizing the risks inherent in Vioxx to a much more safer, it is possible that Merck might continue to be one of the most successful company in today’s world.Unfortunately, the past cannot be changed. What was left for Merck now is to build back their image, but it’s all depends on the company itself. Should or shouldn’t they? Of course they should. Everybody deserved a second chance. Yes, Merck did not act socially and in ethical manner before, but if they do get back to do what they were used to do; of course, without all those illegal and immoral behavior, comeback sure to follow.